Is Boston racist?!?!?!? (Newton: private school, tax, live in)

[BlackMoses]

Originally Posted by nooneknowsmyname

I am an African American who lived in Boston for 20+ years, grew up in a small town approximately 35 miles from Boston. My family has lived in Massachusetts since the 1860s and my mother and son still live there.
Boston's African American population is less than Memphis'; it is approximately 25%. Some Boston neighborhoods to consider are the South End, Back Bay, The Fenway. You could also consider living in Cambridge, which is eclectic and diverse. Cambridge is close to Boston, across the Charles River and easily accessible by the T (the subway). Be prepared for sticker shock as I am certain the housing costs--both to rent and purchase-- are higher in the Boston area than in Memphis. You can check Craigslist to see what's available and what the prices are. Good luck.

You have great points, by the way. I'm glad somebody sees eye-to-eye with me.

[ogre]

Lived in the Boston area (in the suburbs) for most of the last few decades. As with any big city, you'll get the occasional highly publicized bad incident, and once in a great while these will be racial in nature. Generally, though, the bad old days of the '70's, and the seething racial tension that went with those times, are gone. Still . . . There are a lot of tightly knit old neighborhoods in Boston (and the close-in suburbs), and a lot of people cling to their old neighborhood traditions, and tend to shun ANYONE, of any race, who's an outsider. Those old-neighborhood people may be part of the reason Boston has a reputation for being "liberal" and "enlightened" yet people have to ask whether it's racist. Due to history and triadition, the old neighborhoods have a STRONG tradition of living and dying with the Democratic party. This contributes to Massachusetts' reliable "blue-state" leanings, despite the fact that this bunch, on the whole, is really kind of narrow. Another group that contributes to making the area simultaneously narrow and "blue" is a bunch of well-heeled, snooty psuedo-liberals, whose "liberal" views are more a form of snobbery (as in blindly tagging along with all the standard left-wing, rather than right-wing, views supposedly somehow makes them "sophisticated") than the result of genuine enlightenment. Speaking of this snooty crowd, I'm really not sure, but I suspect that if you belong to a minority group and you were to enter one of the fancy shops in the Back Bay you might get the cold shoulder. Don't know this for sure (I'm white, btw), but I have a sneaking suspicion. You'd probably also find people rather aloof in those old-neigh-buh-hood enclaves. Not that you'd get lynched or anything, but people wouldn't be likely to warm up to you. Basically, it seems that most of the old hot-blooded hatred is gone, but still, people around here mostly go downtown during the daytime and height of the evening and interact pleasantly enough with others of all races with whom they cross paths--then go home to their separate homogeneous neighborhoods.

[pirate_lafitte]

For all of Boston's world class status(more so in my opinion than Atlanta) and the charm of pubs, academia, other things, the racial overtones of its history(race riots of the 60's, school busing violence of the 70's, police problems during the late 1980's, the fact that the Red Sox never let African-Americans pay for them until 1959) all make Boston look very bad and make Boston look very racist.

[manc]

Originally Posted by ogre

Lived in the Boston area (in the suburbs) for most of the last few decades. As with any big city, you'll get the occasional highly publicized bad incident, and once in a great while these will be racial in nature. Generally, though, the bad old days of the '70's, and the seething racial tension that went with those times, are gone. Still . . . There are a lot of tightly knit old neighborhoods in Boston (and the close-in suburbs), and a lot of people cling to their old neighborhood traditions, and tend to shun ANYONE, of any race, who's an outsider. Those old-neighborhood people may be part of the reason Boston has a reputation for being "liberal" and "enlightened" yet people have to ask whether it's racist. Due to history and triadition, the old neighborhoods have a STRONG tradition of living and dying with the Democratic party. This contributes to Massachusetts' reliable "blue-state" leanings, despite the fact that this bunch, on the whole, is really kind of narrow. Another group that contributes to making the area simultaneously narrow and "blue" is a bunch of well-heeled, snooty psuedo-liberals, whose "liberal" views are more a form of snobbery (as in blindly tagging along with all the standard left-wing, rather than right-wing, views supposedly somehow makes them "sophisticated") than the result of genuine enlightenment. Speaking of this snooty crowd, I'm really not sure, but I suspect that if you belong to a minority group and you were to enter one of the fancy shops in the Back Bay you might get the cold shoulder. Don't know this for sure (I'm white, btw), but I have a sneaking suspicion. You'd probably also find people rather aloof in those old-neigh-buh-hood enclaves. Not that you'd get lynched or anything, but people wouldn't be likely to warm up to you. Basically, it seems that most of the old hot-blooded hatred is gone, but still, people around here mostly go downtown during the daytime and height of the evening and interact pleasantly enough with others of all races with whom they cross paths--then go home to their separate homogeneous neighborhoods.

best post on here I salute you sir

maybe not racist but it sure is bigoted.


the yuppies look down on anyone who doesn't have as much money as them . They vote the dems as they deem it trendy to do so and the dems in boston don't do anything for the poor or workking class.
don't even have rent control now.
the yuppies have moved into places like southie, north end and never mix with the locals instead forming their own circles believeing they are too good for the locals.

Is it racist yes in parts I've been asked what you doing here white bot in mattapan this is our area or hey white boy you don't belong here yet in southie I've been told to go home , get lost get out because I'm English.

racism might be a problem still but snobbery and forcing the poor or working class by the dems because they want an expensive only yuppie state is the main problem.
Deval patrick (democrat)the new gov has said that tax payers money will be given to rich out of state college kids if they stay in mass for 5 years, the fee for staying 10,000 of tax payers money yes that much for a rich out of state kid while the working class local gets forced to pay it in taxes. so much for the dems working for the poor and working class.
snobbery in boston in my opinion is the main problem now
thus why people are leaving in droves from mass and boston then they wonder why

[BlackMoses]

Originally Posted by manc

best post on here I salute you sir

maybe not racist but it sure is bigoted.


the yuppies look down on anyone who doesn't have as much money as them . They vote the dems as they deem it trendy to do so and the dems in boston don't do anything for the poor or workking class.
don't even have rent control now.
the yuppies have moved into places like southie, north end and never mix with the locals instead forming their own circles believeing they are too good for the locals.

Is it racist yes in parts I've been asked what you doing here white bot in mattapan this is our area or hey white boy you don't belong here yet in southie I've been told to go home , get lost get out because I'm English.

racism might be a problem still but snobbery and forcing the poor or working class by the dems because they want an expensive only yuppie state is the main problem.
Deval patrick (democrat)the new gov has said that tax payers money will be given to rich out of state college kids if they stay in mass for 5 years, the fee for staying 10,000 of tax payers money yes that much for a rich out of state kid while the working class local gets forced to pay it in taxes. so much for the dems working for the poor and working class.
snobbery in boston in my opinion is the main problem now
thus why people are leaving in droves from mass and boston then they wonder why

Great point!!! To add on, It's sad to see underpriveledged/poor dislike eachother over race, when race isn't the main issue that's threatening us (Boston)... you can definitely see a difference between the poor whites and the "just-moved-in" yuppies who don't care about them as much as they don't care about blacks and/or latinos in this city and our neighborhoods.

[landrover06]

Originally Posted by ChunkyMonkey

Boston is about as racist as any city in the U.S. I am Asian but have not experience any racism. Many african americans have claimed that Boston is racist, but that is a very outdated image, IMO especially since we have the 2nd black governor in U.S. history. However, I'm sure there are pockets of racism anywhere you go, but to stereotype an entire city is probably unfair and inaccurate.

Come on, you have absolutely no clue how Boston is perceived from a black person's perspective. Merely having a black governor is irrelevant. You must go deeper than this. Expand your horizons and get out and get to know some black people. Really take a serious interest in these extraordinary people, then come back and give an informed perspective. Otherwise, please just reserve your observations from the perspective of an asian person, a perspective that I as a black person evaluating Boston from afar, am interested in.

[vilehelm]

If you get outside of Boston into the outlying cities then you'll really hear the racism come out. I heard "the N word" when I lived in Concord way more than I ever heard it in the deep south where I live now.

[manchester]

I'd say I've seen more racial couples down south than up in boston and the surounding areas


electing a Gov who is black means nothing, does this mean virginia has no racial element in it too as virginia was the first state to elcet a black man as gov.
deval got elected because the gay lobby put over a million into his election and got the vote out because he promised them he's a friend to them


Great point!!! To add on, It's sad to see underpriveledged/poor dislike eachother over race, when race isn't the main issue that's threatening us (Boston)... you can definitely see a difference between the poor whites and the "just-moved-in" yuppies who don't care about them as much as they don't care about blacks and/or latinos in this city and our neighborhoods.

correct
It's not racial anymore as much it's snobbery ,the elitist attitude needs to be adressed as that IMO is the biggest problem now .

It';s alright saying you want diversity when you live in an area with all rich whites and you know a black guy from school or work you voted for the back man running, then when you see a few black guys walking in your area you cross the road and wonder why they're there.

My wife when younger worked as a nanny in milton , she always went on about how she loves diversity and wanted it.
Thing is that she never went down the road to mattapan and always sent my wife she the boss used to say she's not going there.
Where does her foreign born adopted kids go to school yes milton acadamy not the diverse public school in the town.

to be fair she does let them play with the two black kids down the street living in the over one million $ house

[Chianti]

I lived in Boston for 2 years. Consider Boston to be a big dump.

That said, the Boston area has an incredibly well-educated intellectual class. Racism is almost a mute point among this group. If you can live in a wealthy, well-educated suburb close to Boston then you will be surrounded by extremely well-educated and non-racist people.

But, if you go about 30 minutes out of Boston in any direction you will run into many blue-collar towns where racism is rampant. Forgot to mention "Southie". That neighborhood is one racist sh*t-hole.

[manchester]

that's the place I got told to go home and get out

also I rmember when one man said hey get out this is an irish pub, er we're in america pal

little did he know that the owner is a good mate and irish so him and his mates get turfed out instead

now their looks were priceless