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In light of the recent Jena 6 incident I am a bit concerned about my pending relocation to North Carolina as it pertains to safe areas to live in NC. Are there areas in NC that I should be concerned about prior to moving to that state? Yes I know Jena is in Louisianna, but it is the South nontheless and I am wondering if there are pockets of that sort of behavior that still exists.
What are some of the safe and diverse neighborhoods that you would recommend in Charlotte. I am from Brooklyn, New York and am a bit concerned.
Charlotte has been rated as the best city for black entrepreneurs. Charlotte is not the old south; the south is not the south so the first thing you need to before coming here is get that mindset outta your head. It seems everyone her eis from up north, in particular NYC. Louisanna is 14 hours away by car. Charlotte is an excellent city for African-Americans as just about any African-American here will tell you. You will feel comfortable ANYWHERE in Charlotte, even in SC.
Charlotte is nothing like a Jena, LA. Charlotte is metropolitan, diverse and a great city to live. Blacks, Whites and other Ethnic groups coexist here very well. Coming from Chicago, IL, I can tell you that Charlotte is not segregated like my hometown. Get on down and see for yourself and please do not allow fear to immobilize you. Trust me, I understand your concerrns, but believe you do not have much to worry about living here in Charlotte. There are tons of awesome areas, it just all depends on your own personal criteria of what you are looking for. Good luck!
As a middle-aged white woman, I may not be able to give the best answer, but I will say this: I moved from the DC area to Charleston, SC in 1989 and I was floored by how everything still seemed t be racially divided. Literally, I could have drawn a line down the middle of the freshman dance. Also, I noticed that there was (at least at the time) no black wait-staff at restaurants - it was weird.
I never had any experiences like that in Charlotte, and I would say my street was about 30% black families, so I wouldn't call my neighborhood segregated by any means.
The only really negative story I can come up with is several years ago (mid 90's), there was a serial killer in East Charlotte, but no one heard about it because his victims were all black women. I believe he killed seven women before he was apprehended and there was a HUGE outcry from the public because he knew some of the victims and should have been apprehended much sooner (and many believe would have been if his victims had been white.)
I'm originally from the northeast and believe me, Charlotte is much more diverse and welcoming to ALL than was the area where I grew up. Having lived in a variety of places, I am always shocked by the mindset that all of the South is racially divided. Couldn't be further from the truth. In terms of neighborhoods, you need to let us know what you are looking for in terms of commute time, price range, schools, etc., and then we can help you!
As a middle-aged white woman, I may not be able to give the best answer, but I will say this: I moved from the DC area to Charleston, SC in 1989 and I was floored by how everything still seemed t be racially divided. Literally, I could have drawn a line down the middle of the freshman dance. Also, I noticed that there was (at least at the time) no black wait-staff at restaurants - it was weird.
I never had any experiences like that in Charlotte, and I would say my street was about 30% black families, so I wouldn't call my neighborhood segregated by any means.
The only really negative story I can come up with is several years ago (mid 90's), there was a serial killer in East Charlotte, but no one heard about it because his victims were all black women. I believe he killed seven women before he was apprehended and there was a HUGE outcry from the public because he knew some of the victims and should have been apprehended much sooner (and many believe would have been if his victims had been white.)
Guess I shouldn't be surprised, we disagree once again.
I recall plenty of coverage over the serial killer and the mother who started Mothers of Murdered Offspring because of it.
And when you consider that black Americans number roughly 30% of our population, I'd say any neighborhood with about 30% black neighbors is pretty integrated, but that's just me
Just avoid East and West Charlotte, if possible. North and South are great, but the traffic can be a challenge, and the prices of homes can be a bit more. Or do what we did and move to the county just south of Charlotte; Union County. Charlotte is a big city, and with that comes crime. People in this area are very receptive and warm. I am so thrilled that this area is all I thought it would be...
I really thank you all for your opinions, encouragement, experiences, and recommendations. TomnNC you are the second person that told me to concentrate my search to the South and North Charlotte area. However, I heard that the home in the South Charlotte area are a bit pricey. Thanks you all for your continued posts and advice.
PS:
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By the wayTomnNC, is "South College Street" in South Charlotte? I forgot to ask that in my earlier post. If I am looking for Suburban life with a large yard space and clean air for my 2 and 5 year old kids, would South and North Charlotte still be the place to focus on?
Last edited by Jamerican; 09-21-2007 at 06:47 PM..
Reason: Missing questions
Guess I shouldn't be surprised, we disagree once again.
I recall plenty of coverage over the serial killer and the mother who started Mothers of Murdered Offspring because of it.
And when you consider that black Americans number roughly 30% of our population, I'd say any neighborhood with about 30% black neighbors is pretty integrated, but that's just me
Yes, there was coverage AFTER nine dead women.
From "The Serial Killer the Cops Ignored: The Henry Louis Wallace Murders" by Jason Lapeyre:
Quote:
Why had it taken the police so long to capture such a manic, careless killer? The community that Wallace victimized demanded answers. Dee Sumpter, Shawna Hawk's mother, stated that the victims "weren't prominent people with social-economic status. They weren't special. And they were black." Debra Slaughter's father also suggested that each girl's murder investigation took a low priority because of her race and economic status. "To me, the girls just weren't important to the police," he argued. "They didn't live in a high-rent district. They weren't famous or known. They worked in fast-food joints. And they didn't have blond hair and blue eyes." Slaughter says he can't understand any other explanation for the police's slow response.
And, since I said I wouldn't call my neighborhood segregated, then I don't see WHERE we disagree.
But then again, you love to cyber-stalk me so it doesn't surprise me that you just assumed we disagreed without actually reading my post.
Last edited by Weedydidi; 09-21-2007 at 07:07 PM..
Reason: add article's quote
From "The Serial Killer the Cops Ignored: The Henry Louis Wallace Murders" by Jason Lapeyre:
And, since I said I wouldn't call my neighborhood segregated, then I don't see WHERE we disagree.
But then again, you love to cyber-stalk me so it doesn't surprise me that you just assumed we disagreed without actually reading my post.
I am truly sorry that just because we occasionally post on the same threads you think I am cyberstalking you! Nothing could be further from the truth. Many threads you respond to I actually decline to respond on so that you will not think I am trying to annoy you! We just have an extreme difference of opinion on pretty much everything we post on, that's all. I have been in Charlotte as long, if not longer than you, and I am probably about your age. So it is interesting to me that we have such differing experiences of our time here in Charlotte.
To our op - College Street is part of uptown Charlotte, not south Charlotte. Areas of south Charlotte are wonderful to raise a family in. I would suggest that in particular you check out Matthews.
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