Why do African-Americans enjoy living in Colorado? (Denver, Aurora: school, pros and cons)

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

Impossible - There is not one high school anywhere in the USA with a graduating class even close to 3,000. (The nation's largest, Brooklyn Tech in N.Y. City, has a graduating class of under 2,000).

Well then. you need to contact the Colorado Department of Education and let them in on how clueless they are: JeffCO, Douglas RE1, and Cherry Creek to name but a few Colorado school districts all have graduating classes today in the 3,000+ range. The High School I graduated from back in the day was still known as "THE High School" in Colorado Springs. It was the only game in town except for Cheyenne Mountain District 12 where kids who were the products of wealthy families minced off to the public schools if they weren't enrolled in a prep school somewhere. (In those days black kids were as rare as little green men from outer space in Dist. 12). Colorado Springs High School was located smack in the middle of the downtown area in Colorado Springs, even after it morphed into the William J Palmer High School now officially in Dist 11. It was the biggest dog around in the Springs at the time. And BTW, it had a significant proportion of black kids, since the district boundaries for Palmer encompassed many of the so-called black neighborhoods in town.

I couldn't find the stats from so far back, and it's way off topic, anyhow. Who cares, really?

[Ceij]

White Culture across the US varies Greatly from region to region. Expecting Black Culture to be identical everywhere you go in the US is bizarre.

[bigpicture]

Originally Posted by Ceij

White Culture across the US varies Greatly from region to region. Expecting Black Culture to be identical everywhere you go in the US is bizarre.

Excellent point. The one thing people seem to miss in any discussion about race is that culture is more real than race.

Culture is alive, it evolves, it merges, it diverges. Like language in a way... Racialized culture isn't culture at all -- it's identity politics based on what you think your "race" (and others') represents.

I'll add to this that I've lived in NYC, and black people there aren't very cohesive either.

Nice to read what I'm reading here about Colorado. Keep it a secret! Let blacks who need "black culture" (in it's current snapshot) stay the hell where they are. If colorado is a place with good scenery, good weather, and people actually getting along, it's good.

P.S. -- to those griping about the lack of good hip hop radio stations ... ... can't you get hip hop from the internet? Most of it has sucked donkey balls since 1990 anyway...

P.P.S. -- yes, legal weed (just the way it's supposed to be) is a plus too...

[caverunner17]

Bigger question. Why do you need to label "black culture" as something? Why not just be like everyone else and do what everyone else does?

Segregation ended about 50 years ago.

Time to move on and enjoy a pint and some awesome scenery with your white, Asian, European, and Latino friends at your local micro-brewery.

[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.....

[davidv]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

Impossible - There is not one high school anywhere in the USA with a graduating class even close to 3,000. (The nation's largest, Brooklyn Tech in N.Y. City, has a graduating class of under 2,000).

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

Well then. you need to contact the Colorado Department of Education and let them in on how clueless they are: JeffCO, Douglas RE1, and Cherry Creek to name but a few Colorado school districts all have graduating classes today in the 3,000+ range. The High School I graduated from back in the day was still known as "THE High School" in Colorado Springs. It was the only game in town except for Cheyenne Mountain District 12 where kids who were the products of wealthy families minced off to the public schools if they weren't enrolled in a prep school somewhere. (In those days black kids were as rare as little green men from outer space in Dist. 12). Colorado Springs High School was located smack in the middle of the downtown area in Colorado Springs, even after it morphed into the William J Palmer High School now officially in Dist 11. It was the biggest dog around in the Springs at the time. And BTW, it had a significant proportion of black kids, since the district boundaries for Palmer encompassed many of the so-called black neighborhoods in town.

I couldn't find the stats from so far back, and it's way off topic, anyhow. Who cares, really?

Off topic, but I will chime in...

There is no school that has 3,000 students in its graduating class. That would put the total number of students in a four-year high school at over 12,000. That is the same size as the University of Northern Colorado.

There is only one school in the state that has 3,000 students for all four grades -- Cherry Creek HS -- and it "only" has 3,600 total students.

BTW - your link is to the total number of graduates in each district, not individual schools.

[FindingNemo]

I am an multiracial, albeit African-American woman married to an African-American man. We are both native Oklahomans. We lived in Texas for several years then made our way to Colorado Springs (I was stationed here in the Army). We moved here because we both love the lack of humidity (especially after living in Texas), the natural beauty, mountains, trails, and hiking.

We both like to like to live in multicultural areas. Our church is multi-cultural and is equally Black and White (among other races as well). I still love and appreciate my culture. I work in government and have coworkers that are African-Americans and different races. The place I hated living in Colorado was Pueblo. That was hell on Earth. I have never heard/experienced so many racists in my entire life.

[Aganusn]

There's so many things wrong with OPs post I honestly don't know where to begin.

Number one, just because you're black doesn't mean you have to be surrounded by black culture 24/7.

Two, uhm....have you ever taken shrooms or acid in the mountains in the Summer? There's no experience that can beat that.

Three....Pot, duh.

[Mr. Black]

Originally Posted by Telzey

The Rocky Mountain states are the whitest, whitest part of the US. I'm surprised you don't know that before you moved there. Well, look on the bright side. At least you didn't move to Idaho.

Originally Posted by Ceij

White Culture across the US varies Greatly from region to region. Expecting Black Culture to be identical everywhere you go in the US is bizarre.

Historically, the area of the country between Kansas City and L.A. is not a place were there are Blacks (figuratively speaking). And I didn't have any say in relocating here, trust me

[Mr. Black]

Originally Posted by bluebiker78

OP, I agree with your entire post. It was just that you were the one to actually admit it and post about it. My husband didn't like it there because of the very reasons you stated. I, on the other hand, started actually enjoying CO after almost 2 years of living there, but I did take notice of the very observations that you posted. I was in Co Springs, though. As others have stated, most of the AA community is in Aurora so perhaps it would be a lot different there.

I tried out the Springs as well, and yeah, that's NOT the place to be if you're Black. While I do agree the atmosphere in Denver is a LITTLE bit better, Colorado overall imo doesn't really have "nice" people. Don't get me wrong, there are several nice people here, however the state tends to be painted with a broad stroke when people say "the people here/there are SO FRIENDLY!" Like I've said, I've been to several other states such as North Dakota, Louisiana, that have more geniunely and actually friendly people.

The people in Colorado from my experience are moreso passive than anything else. There's just this stuck-up air about the people there, that they "decide" to be nice or in a good mood, instead of it being an actual friendliness, it's hard to explain. For instance people here will let you walk in front of them if you're walking on the same path, or when driving will have ample daylight to get in front of another car, but they'll just wait until a certain car passes, and drive behind them. Some will call this being polite, I call it being passive/passive-aggressive and patronizing. Money is thrown on the counter here, both from cashiers/tellers and customers-alike. If I only had a dime for how many times the money was put on the counter, or my card on the counter, when I personally make the effort to hand them my card or such. Or even proper phone courtesy, such as not offering alternatives to questions, instead of silence or insolence, and even having to initiate and be in-charge with customer service people to avoid silences again, like if they don't understand what you're saying, instead of asking sooner, or there being much silence before they say "well, is there anything else?". This may seem trivial to some, however this is not the proper ettiquette, manners and outreaching friendiness CO is supposed to be known for, and these things add up. My barber even just experienced racism at a restuarant last month. He and his family were waiting for a good minute to be seated, when a Caucasian family comes in and gets seated right way. Some may say "well, this happens everywhere, blah blah blah" however 1) this never happened to me during my stay in Minot or throughout "The Boot" and 2) then this place really isn't this "friendly paradise" then lol.

The Afro-Americans ITT that disagree with me/choose to voluntarily live in CO forever, are in essence the Blacks 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...

I do kindly and truly appreciate the fruitful feedback and serious answers I've received ITT (particulary from the non-Black posters, those posters know who they are). I'm sure I'll be labeled as an "activist" or whatever here, but I am NOT a racist, I like all races. I also like my own race, my own culture as well, and I like to have Black stations, at least as an option. I like to see young Blacks get exposure on the radio, I do like to see Blacks actually around one another, I like to see Blacks at a Nuggets or Broncos game while at the venue, or on Altitude , and see Blacks in more places and not just be restricted to certain pockets to see and be around Blacks. I love my culture and while I don't think it's do or die to always be around this culture, I do think it's important to at least have the culture available. With more and more African-Americans choosing to segregate themselves from one another, and moving to places like the Mountain West, I just fear that the Black culture and race slowly is dying, and it may not exist someday, if not definitely be extrodinarily thinner, and this is just not something I want to see. Colorado, and again, the Mountain West, and a good chunk of New England, just aren't the places to be if you're Black imo. Well, not for those with a strong sense of racial pride that is...