Why do African-Americans enjoy living in Colorado? (Denver, Aurora: apartment, high school)

[Rainbow Demon]

FWIW....I don't see color. I see people.

However, if you WANT me to see color...I can still do that.

Colorado is a unique place.... but far too many(IMO) come here and want it to be EXACTLY like where they came from.

From where I stand....the blanket you are tossing is uncalled for. The "vanilla" tag is uncalled for. The "very White Mountain west" tag is uncalled for. I don't speak like that about your race...and I ignore the fact that it's somehow "OK" for the blacks to set up a "Black society of Accountants"...but if I tried to set up a "White society of Accountants" it just wouldn't be viewed the same way....

I am TRYING to ignore the blanket you are tossing here...but it smells of one-sided racism so badly...I just can't do it

You are RESTRICTING YOURSELF with your thoughts. "Colorado" just isn't to blame.

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Demon

FWIW....I don't see color. I see people.

However, if you WANT me to see color...I can still do that.

Colorado is a unique place.... but far too many(IMO) come here and want it to be EXACTLY like where they came from.

From where I stand....the blanket you are tossing is uncalled for. The "vanilla" tag is uncalled for. The "very White Mountain west" tag is uncalled for. I don't speak like that about your race...and I ignore the fact that it's somehow "OK" for the blacks to set up a "Black society of Accountants"...but if I tried to set up a "White society of Accountants" it just wouldn't be viewed the same way....

I am TRYING to ignore the blanket you are tossing here...but it smells of one-sided racism so badly...I just can't do it

You are RESTRICTING YOURSELF with your thoughts. "Colorado" just isn't to blame.

Well said. I completely agree, OP reeks of racism. It is mind blowing to me that we still live with racism in an era where more and more people are educated. When you value people as people, race is not important. I guess many still haven't gotten that memo. I think the "celebrate diversity" movement initiated with a good intention, but it may be time to reverse course to a certain degree. Maybe it's time to celebrate that which makes us all alike rather than highlight that which makes us different.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Originally Posted by Mr. Black

that have a weak or are COMPLETELY disconnected with their own race and culture, and probably don't like or care to be around other Blacks. I understand about not wanting to be around a possible "hood" element or whatever, however there's always an answer, if looking for something cheaper and/or safer, with having the opportunity to still be near Black culture and people still on the menu. So why is the very White Mountain West the answer here? Aurora's a tad bit better, but this is only a small pocket in an otherwise vanilla state and infrastructure. 107.5 as the ONLY hip-hop or R&B station (when that station's trash anyway), GENX, and having to circle the occurences when Black hip-hop concerts or other Black festivals occur, being happy with this is just mind-boggling...

Y'know, this entire bit just makes me think of this scene from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air":

Red Flag Movie Productions©, From


As for why blacks like living out here....probably for the same reason that whites do. Colorado is largely a 'live and let live state'. That's attractive to a number of people who would prefer to live their lives free of other people's stereotyping of 'what they should do because they're X'--including yours.

[jcore6]

Could it be that in Colorado the environment is not fixated on color or race but more on humans just being!

[dnvrsoul]

I spit out my coffee when I saw this thread...I called up my black friend (he hates african american) and I asked him this question....his response.."because I was born here?" So after asking me why I would ask him such a dumb a** question he said "because it's a great place to raise a family...then he yelled at me for not coming over-hey I'm in school full time...

[Ceij]

Originally Posted by saranshay

There are not a lot of blacks here and for many moving out here it is a huge culture shock! It's preference and there is nothing wrong with that.
People here are pretty welcoming and that is why a few stay around. But a lot leave too because it is so "white".
It'd be like someone moving to a place where it is super country, country music, country people, etc (and you don't like country music) you don't fit in as well you don't relate to people. Then there are a few that fit in..
That is the best analogy I could come up with.....

So, Don't live around White people if you don't like White people?
If a White person said don't live around Black people if you don't like Black people, wouldn't the be considered Racist? awkward

[green_mariner]

I'm Black and Colorado has been on my short-list of places I have considered moving to(others include Washington state, Minnesota, Hawaii, Oregon, Alaska, and a few other places). Colorado definitely has some beautiful places, the mountains, the snow, the plateaus, desert, I wouldn't mind being in Colorado.

[lovely40]

Colorado has many pros and cons just like everywhere USA. The anemic black culture, along with the lack of an assimilated AA community were major cons for me. Very easy for those who can't relate to the issue to cry "racism". When in actuality these are just facts. An objective person would see the OPs message as a very abstract issue and not take it so personally.

The black community IS very small and not robust. Lots of interracial activity which was fine for me since many of my close friends there are non-black. In fact, alot of black people move away for similar reasons the OP has mentioned, which partially explains the absence of a real community. When I lived there I placed more of a premium on the quality my life vs. the lack of a black infrastructure was fine. But, once I accomplished all that I wanted, I moved to a new city that offers more on the diversity front.

[elvira310]

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I do understand that if you have a culture that you identify with, there's nothing wrong with wanting to keep with other folks who share that culture. If someone were from a vibrant German-American culture, or Latino, or Polish, Italian, and missed speaking the language from the "old country" or eating the food, listening to the music, I could understand that and support them in seeking out communities that offered that.

On the other hand, if you're critical of a region because it doesn't cater to your particular culture, if you in a roundabout way are complaining about the culture that is there, and if you even criticize folks from your same culture/background because they do like it, well that doesn't sound right.

If I, as a white person, were to say that Colorado sounded good to me because of the high percentage of my kind of people (in my case it would be European based) and if I said I specifically chose an area that had a lot of those kinds of people, and had fewer people of other cultures (for example, Latino culture, African American culture) wouldn't that sound really awful? Or, if I were to criticize a particular area, and were to say, "There's not enough European-Americans here, people with whom I can share our culture and similar tastes, there are too many people of other colors here" that would sound dreadfully intolerant. That kind of mindset would not stand at all if I were to say it.

But I'd never say that, because I enjoy the mixing pot of people, and I don't think the things that I value really have a lot to do with my country of origin (Europe) but more with hobbies, religion, interests... and a wide variety of people from many backgrounds share those same values. Is there something wrong with that? Is that something that would get me criticized if I were an African American? I clearly don't get it; I apologize.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Mr. Black

I'm not trying to be racist or inflammatory (i.e. trolling), this is just something that's always piqued my interest. I've spent a considerable amount of time in this state, and you couldn't pay me to stay here. There's no Black culture or infrastructure here, no hip-hop stations, nowhere to shop for African-Americans, lack of a strong Black professional crowd, no institutions, businesses, social clubs and so forth. Another thing I've noticed is that the relationship between Afro-Americans isn't that strong here, there's not really that repoire, that continuity that exists. It almost seems as though Blacks here don't genuinely like being around their own kind, that we sort of hate our own people/don't care if they're not around their own people, like some kind of inverse Black flight (if that makes any sense). DOES THIS NOT BOTHER SOME OF YOU??? This really is a big problems in my eyes, the lack of Black pride, and that Blacks choose to live and stay in a state that really doesn't offer us a whole lot.

The weather's ok, but definitely overstated. The people here aren't really "nice" in my opinion; it's not a genuine friendly like the South for instance. I've lived in northern Louisiana, and when someone asks how you're doing, it really feels like they mean it. It seems fake here, I dunno, can't quite put my finger on it. The mountains are ok, but what the hell are mountains doing for us? I realize our race isn't perfect, and that inner-city Baltimore or places like that aren't ideal places for Blacks, but is Colorado really the answer?

Youre from the heart of 'Africa America' lol. That swarth of the country from eastern Texas up to NYC that is just used to this super strong Blackness that pervades every day life. Most Black people live there and up to Chicago and out to Cleveland. But about a third of us don't. Were more used to interacting with other races and branching out and are more comfortable doing so...it depends on area to area how mcuh that is the case. Colorado has black people. I know this and Ive never been there. One of my favorite rappers is from Denver and he is socially conscious of his blackness same with another I love from LV. But the thing is out there in the West and to a lesser extent in Southern New England you just kind of are black you do your own black thing and your a part of wherever you live. Where Im at is different because its back east and you can get more of that solidly black presence if you so choose. Personally Id love to live out in Washington Colorado or Nevada and my brother just moved to Los Angeles (8% black) from DC where he loved it (50% black) and before that he was in Boston (25% black) and loves them all equally for different reasons!