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As I read all of these thinly veiled racist comments, one thought continues to pop up - where else are scared white folks going to run?
It's actually really funny to me... It's as if most of the white folks on this list who have been too ashamed to embrace the proud racist within, really do believe black families like mine ACTUALLY want to live around you. Trust me... We don't. This is not to say we feel this way about all white folks... I've got lots of white friends and a few great white neighbors... Newsflash to my midwestern white brothers and sisters harboring hidden racist feelings - PLEASE continue to run as far South and West as you can... No one wants to be around you either... Truth be told - you can't run far enough.
If you've not guessed by now, I'm black...and have been stalking you on this thread for some time now. I've seen a few rays of light from folks defending Flossmoor and doing their best to subtly combat the racist trolls lingering from post to post... I live in the flossy and have been here for 12 years... I got in on a toxic loan about 12 years ago at the ripe old age of 29... Being the smart guy that I am, I quickly restructured my debt strategically and alas - I'm still here... Just like everyone else, I have a real great team of Mexican brothers who mow my yard each week, I've rehabbed my entire home and I plan to hardscape the hell out of the back in a few years along with building another floor to my ranch (Yes those brown rascals do take care of their property... lol)... I still bump my tunes in my big black truck from time to time down the street (Please do remember to grab those tickets to see 'Straight out of Compton' as my good friend is the Executive Producer (Shameless Plug) ) and my wife and I make well over 200k annually... Ghetto? Hardly... Unapologetically black - 100%.
This entire thread is hilarious to me because if we really wanted to move around scared white folks, we could... but I love Flossmoor b/c of the great white residents who AREN'T afraid as well as the other residents of all nationalities that are here trying to keep this neighborhood strong and vibrant... Are things changing, yes... Is it just because black folks moved in - No. How about there being a generational shift? Many folks are old and/or dying off. The homes need to be remodeled and in some instances torn down. Millennials are broke for the most part and cannot afford these houses yet - but they're starting to trickle in now... AND this area is perfect due to the fact that the Metra is so damn convenient... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... In the end, HF will win...
Finally, I agree with the person who said Illinois' real problem is JOBS. I work a lot in the south and many of the states down there are a lot more friendly to business than Illinois is. We've got to do a better job with attracting businesses here otherwise we're doomed... Simple and plain.
I'll leave you all now. Carry on... The resident negro is leaving now.
As I read all of these thinly veiled racist comments, one thought continues to pop up - where else are scared white folks going to run?
It's actually really funny to me... It's as if most of the white folks on this list who have been too ashamed to embrace the proud racist within, really do believe black families like mine ACTUALLY want to live around you. Trust me... We don't. This is not to say we feel this way about all white folks... I've got lots of white friends and a few great white neighbors... Newsflash to my midwestern white brothers and sisters harboring hidden racist feelings - PLEASE continue to run as far South and West as you can... No one wants to be around you either... Truth be told - you can't run far enough.
If you've not guessed by now, I'm black...and have been stalking you on this thread for some time now. I've seen a few rays of light from folks defending Flossmoor and doing their best to subtly combat the racist trolls lingering from post to post... I live in the flossy and have been here for 12 years... I got in on a toxic loan about 12 years ago at the ripe old age of 29... Being the smart guy that I am, I quickly restructured my debt strategically and alas - I'm still here... Just like everyone else, I have a real great team of Mexican brothers who mow my yard each week, I've rehabbed my entire home and I plan to hardscape the hell out of the back in a few years along with building another floor to my ranch (Yes those brown rascals do take care of their property... lol)... I still bump my tunes in my big black truck from time to time down the street (Please do remember to grab those tickets to see 'Straight out of Compton' as my good friend is the Executive Producer (Shameless Plug) ) and my wife and I make well over 200k annually... Ghetto? Hardly... Unapologetically black - 100%.
This entire thread is hilarious to me because if we really wanted to move around scared white folks, we could... but I love Flossmoor b/c of the great white residents who AREN'T afraid as well as the other residents of all nationalities that are here trying to keep this neighborhood strong and vibrant... Are things changing, yes... Is it just because black folks moved in - No. How about there being a generational shift? Many folks are old and/or dying off. The homes need to be remodeled and in some instances torn down. Millennials are broke for the most part and cannot afford these houses yet - but they're starting to trickle in now... AND this area is perfect due to the fact that the Metra is so damn convenient... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... In the end, HF will win...
Finally, I agree with the person who said Illinois' real problem is JOBS. I work a lot in the south and many of the states down there are a lot more friendly to business than Illinois is. We've got to do a better job with attracting businesses here otherwise we're doomed... Simple and plain.
I'll leave you all now. Carry on... The resident negro is leaving now.
To answer your question - Wilmington, Braidwood, Coal City, Godley, Braceville, Gardner...and the reason will be..."for the schools" or "for the scenery" or "too much 'congestion' in (wait for it, wait for it)... Frankfort, New Lenox, Mokena, and maybe even Manhattan" LOL
Now to everyone else:
I actually appreciate (and I use that term very loosely) the folks who admit that they that they will move if the non-white population increases beyond their "threshold of tolerance". What I cannot appreciate and see as pure cowardice are the folks who state that they move for the reasons that I stated in the beginning of this post. I mean...you are moving from Frankfort to Braidwood "for the schools"? Really now? Just be honest and say "I am moving because while the schools are at the top now, I am afraid that it will go downhill so instead of staying put in the currently AWESOME school district, I'm going to give up now"...you are moving from Manhattan to Gardner for "the scenery"? Really now? Just be honest and say "I would rather see MORE cornfields or a neighbor with a spittoon on their porch than a middle-class home purchased by a non-white family right next to me in what I thought was an area for sure that they wouldn't come to"...you are moving from New Lenox to Braceville because of "too much 'congestion'"? Really now? Just be honest and say the sight of non-Whites in my town spending their money irritates and scares be because next thing you know, they'll want to live here! So now me and my other 10,000 neighbors are going to move into what was once a sleepy small town and make it a new CONGESTED suburb for us"......if people were really honest, these are the reasons we all would be hearing.
Look, if anyone wants to move, just move! And be HONEST with your reasons! It's okay! But I really want someone to tell me that I am wrong here...I have lived around White people my entire life and I know all the code-phrases used to justify moves...my town flourished due to White Flight and is now flourished due to an increase in racial, ethnic, and religious diversity (and still has the highest average income of any town of its size in NWI). We moved in at the same time White Flight was happening INTO the town. And the looks on many peoples faces seeing us was priceless! And there had been people whom moved from our town to another town in NWI further south and east and used the same lame excuses as I listed above...but guess what? Joke is on them because while they moved further out, they also moved into an area where the price of entry is lower and the Black population skyrocketed! And now they are stuck.
Also, this is not an attack on White People...not in the least bit. Black families move due to the same thoughts as well. The only difference is many end up being the tokens and THINKING they are just as accepted and then find out 10 yeas later that they never really "moved up". Many Black people are TIRED of moving into expensive areas that they feel are nice only to be treated like sh*t by new neighbors. That's why in my previous post, I highlighted the fact that many residents in the south suburbs could easily move across 57 (basically like bnalpha has stated)...and then like Dr. Blish stated, it is because many do not want their children to be the only Black child in their classes. And it is probably not because they do not actually mind being in the minority all that much. It is probably because they do not want their child to be an outcast for no other reason than looking different.
I am a firm believer that if people took the time to truly get to know their neighbors before jumping to conclusions, more places would be stable. You really think that a TRULY "ghetto" family would be moving into a $500,000 home in Frankfort? No! But we all know what many (not all) people use "ghetto" as a code for. Black.
People think that Indiana is extremely racist and prejudiced (and I am not going to lie...it absolutely is in many cases)...however, while many see having both 90% White and 90% Black upper income towns as strengths, I see it as a weakness overall. Why? Because not only does it show that no matter how much upwards mobility and success one achieves, they may still be looked at a certain way, it also shows that people truly think that in 2015 a damn interstate is truly going to stop the influx of different people into an area. And also, it shows the extreme retail redlining that occurs in Black middle-upper income areas as compared to White middle income-upper income areas. In NWI, if you want to live in an middle-upper middle class area, you are going to be in a predominantly White area. And while some like Schererville or Crown Point have a higher Black population than Munster or Dyer, at least the lines are blurring...Rt. 30 over there used to be the main diving line just like I-57 in the south/southwest burbs. But the 57 line has taken extremely long to blurr...but trust me, it will happen! And when people start to run, we will hear those reasons that I stated!
Well, east of i-57 by far has the most racial integration. Flossmoor and Homewood are probably two of the most racially integrated middle class chicagoland suburbs. Olympia Fields is about as racially diverse as Naperville. With the difference of the black ratio being larger than the white ratio of course. Even matteson is more racially diverse than the towns west of i-57. And is nowhere near being a 90% black town.
Well, east of i-57 by far has the most racial integration. Flossmoor and Homewood are probably two of the most racially integrated middle class chicagoland suburbs. Olympia Fields is about as racially diverse as Naperville. With the difference of the black ratio being larger than the white ratio of course. Even matteson is more racially diverse than the towns west of i-57. And is nowhere near being a 90% black town.
You are correct regarding Flossmoor and Homewood being probably the most racially integrated. Naperville is more racially and ethnically diverse than Naperville having both a larger Asian and Hispanic population (and yes, the flipped Black/White Ratio which in Naperville case, it would be close to the the White/Asian ratio). Matteson is about 80%+ Black. So yes, it is not too far off 90%. And then add in Country Club Hills which is almost 90% Black and less than 10% White.
You are correct regarding Flossmoor and Homewood being probably the most racially integrated. Naperville is more racially and ethnically diverse than Naperville having both a larger Asian and Hispanic population (and yes, the flipped Black/White Ratio which in Naperville case, it would be close to the the White/Asian ratio). Matteson is about 80%+ Black. So yes, it is not too far off 90%. And then add in Country Club Hills which is almost 90% Black and less than 10% White.
Sorry, I meant to say "Naperville is more racially and ethnically diverse than Olympia Fields...".
Sorry, I meant to say "Naperville is more racially and ethnically diverse than Olympia Fields...".
In terms of black/white diversity. Olympia fields is actually more racially diverse than Naperville. The Naperville region has a different demographic makeup of course. With a lot more representation of other racial and ethnic groups. As far as comparing racial integration and diversity in suburbs west of I-57 such as frankfort, new lenox, mokena, and channahon. None of those towns come even close to having the level of racial diversity of Naperville. The significant growth in towns west of i-57 has mostly been white flight. So I seriously doubt you are going to see racial diversity in any meaningful way in those towns for quite some time. Most of the black racial integration you see in frankfort is concentrated in one or two expensive newer subdivisions. And the foreclosure rate in one those subdivisions in particular. Seems unusually high for frankfort.
As I read all of these thinly veiled racist comments, one thought continues to pop up - where else are scared white folks going to run?
It's actually really funny to me... It's as if most of the white folks on this list who have been too ashamed to embrace the proud racist within, really do believe black families like mine ACTUALLY want to live around you. Trust me... We don't. This is not to say we feel this way about all white folks... I've got lots of white friends and a few great white neighbors... Newsflash to my midwestern white brothers and sisters harboring hidden racist feelings - PLEASE continue to run as far South and West as you can... No one wants to be around you either... Truth be told - you can't run far enough.
If you've not guessed by now, I'm black...and have been stalking you on this thread for some time now. I've seen a few rays of light from folks defending Flossmoor and doing their best to subtly combat the racist trolls lingering from post to post... I live in the flossy and have been here for 12 years... I got in on a toxic loan about 12 years ago at the ripe old age of 29... Being the smart guy that I am, I quickly restructured my debt strategically and alas - I'm still here... Just like everyone else, I have a real great team of Mexican brothers who mow my yard each week, I've rehabbed my entire home and I plan to hardscape the hell out of the back in a few years along with building another floor to my ranch (Yes those brown rascals do take care of their property... lol)... I still bump my tunes in my big black truck from time to time down the street (Please do remember to grab those tickets to see 'Straight out of Compton' as my good friend is the Executive Producer (Shameless Plug) ) and my wife and I make well over 200k annually... Ghetto? Hardly... Unapologetically black - 100%.
This entire thread is hilarious to me because if we really wanted to move around scared white folks, we could... but I love Flossmoor b/c of the great white residents who AREN'T afraid as well as the other residents of all nationalities that are here trying to keep this neighborhood strong and vibrant... Are things changing, yes... Is it just because black folks moved in - No. How about there being a generational shift? Many folks are old and/or dying off. The homes need to be remodeled and in some instances torn down. Millennials are broke for the most part and cannot afford these houses yet - but they're starting to trickle in now... AND this area is perfect due to the fact that the Metra is so damn convenient... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... In the end, HF will win...
Finally, I agree with the person who said Illinois' real problem is JOBS. I work a lot in the south and many of the states down there are a lot more friendly to business than Illinois is. We've got to do a better job with attracting businesses here otherwise we're doomed... Simple and plain.
I'll leave you all now. Carry on... The resident negro is leaving now.
Illinois's real problems are jobs and taxes. The HF area is a gem in the south suburbs. Hopefully it remains pretty well integrated and diverse. The North Building at HFHS looks like a top notch facility in the videos I've seen.
Matteson is about 80%+ Black. So yes, it is not too far off 90%. And then add in Country Club Hills which is almost 90% Black and less than 10% White.
Here's an interesting 1995 article about a then 50% white Matteson's efforts to fight "White Flight" two decades ago. Apparently it didn't work too well, as Matteson has seen it's population of white residents drop considerably in that time frame.
"Segregation is most pronounced for black Americans, with roughly a third of all blacks in the US living under conditions of intense racial isolation, recent studies show. Moreover, blacks are twice as segregated as Latinos and Asian-Americans.
Nationwide polls indicate, however, that many Americans are unsatisfied with the status quo. Up to 40 percent of black Americans and 30 percent of whites have expressed a desire to live in diverse neighborhoods, according to a Harris Poll."
"Historically, many of the communities that have achieved long-term diversity have invested decades in the effort. In most cases, socially progressive residents of predominantly white suburbs took the lead in attracting minorities to their neighborhoods.
Examples include the Cleveland suburbs of Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights; Southfield, Mich., outside Detroit; Teaneck, N.J., near Newark, N.J.; and Ferguson, Mo., north of St. Louis."
Not so long ago I posted another article from the 1990's about racial change at Proviso West High School, and it's striking to me how these patterns of racial segregation seem to have deepened further since the 1990's. I think a lot of white Americans thought we had rounded a corner with race relations at that time, and yet here we are two decades later with deepened segregation and a seeming stalemate in race relations. I certainly never predicted things would be this bad in 2015, and I find it quite troubling.
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