Racial Balance/Mixture Question. (Columbia, Lexington: middle-class, credit, houses)

[3 Seconds]

From looking at the numbers the # of Whites & African Americans in Columbia are close to being equal. I have never been to Columbia myself, so my question is....

Is Columbia a segregated city or do the races mix together peacefully for the most part? Are there big 'white' or 'black' parts of town or is it more a nice integrated mix.

Another question:

Even if it is pretty integrated is there a lot of racial tension with in the city?

Thanks for your replies.

[waccamatt]

I'm going to have to answer your question as "all of the above". There are predominantly white neighborhoods, predominantly African-American neighborhoods and those that are mixed. There are few, if any, neighborhoods that are all one way or another, and that is probably more because of class than because of race, so all are mixed to some degree. The neighborhood I live in is probably about a 50/50 mix. I don't notice any racial tension, either at work, at play or at home. I'd say the one place that is the most segregated are houses of worship.

[Mzfloridagurl]

i was wondering the same thing

[Blackbarbiedoll]

I would say that the most segregated thing in Columbia, S.C. is the pay scale. The average salary for Blacks in State Government is $20,000. (Most work 2 jobs) The Average Salary for Whites in State Government is $50,000. This information according to The State Newspaper (Tuesday, February 6, 2001) The article has a glaring headline that says "Best state jobs usually go to whites". They do not have to worry about racial mixing or balance here. The unspoken "segregation" happens monetarily with "gated" communities and overpriced housing. The vast majority of people making over $60,000 annually, are white males, some with only High School Diplomas!!!!! In public schools, the segregation happens in the classroom, with thousands of black youngsters relegated to mediocre subjects, while white students are tracked very carefully into college prep and college credit courses. In colleges, the average black college student is a black female. While black men, are few in number, these women graduate and are relegated into lower paying jobs. This is just a brief description of racial balance in the Columbia, S.C. area.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by 3 Seconds

Another question:

Even if it is pretty integrated is there a lot of racial tension with in the city?

Thanks for your replies.

I haven't sensed a lot of tension since moving here, granted being a white male I've never encountered racism towards me so not sure I am the best to comment on the subject. But one thing I can do is compare it to where I moved from in NE Ohio, and as strange as it may sound, I think Columbia is so much further ahead of there as far as being integrated goes. That's not to say there still aren't problems, but w/the exception of Lexington, most every area I've been too has whites and blacks living in the same neighborhoods. When looking at homes before moving here, most were in pretty nice middle-class neighborhoods (not gated communities or anything, but still nice) in the northeast and southeast, and there seemed to be about a 50/50 mix of black & white homeowners, and we looked at at least 20 different houses.

In NE Ohio, it always seemed like the white people lived in the outskirts of the cities or suburbs, and all the black people lived in the downtown/inner city areas - of course there were exceptions to this, but by and large, it seemed far more 'segregated' than here, which obviously was surprising based on the sterotypes that the 'south' and 'north' tend to have.

I hope my generation and the upcoming generations continue to eliminate race as being a problem for discussion and learning from our ancestors mistakes.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Blackbarbiedoll

I would say that the most segregated thing in Columbia, S.C. is the pay scale. The average salary for Blacks in State Government is $20,000. (Most work 2 jobs) The Average Salary for Whites in State Government is $50,000. This information according to The State Newspaper (Tuesday, February 6, 2001) The article has a glaring headline that says "Best state jobs usually go to whites". They do not have to worry about racial mixing or balance here. The unspoken "segregation" happens monetarily with "gated" communities and overpriced housing. The vast majority of people making over $60,000 annually, are white males, some with only High School Diplomas!!!!! In public schools, the segregation happens in the classroom, with thousands of black youngsters relegated to mediocre subjects, while white students are tracked very carefully into college prep and college credit courses. In colleges, the average black college student is a black female. While black men, are few in number, these women graduate and are relegated into lower paying jobs. This is just a brief description of racial balance in the Columbia, S.C. area.

I'd like to see that information from The State, do you have a link? Thanks.

[Blackbarbiedoll]

www.thestate.com : The link for The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C.
The information you need was published on Tuesday, February 6, 2001.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Blackbarbiedoll

www.thestate.com : The link for The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C.
The information you need was published on Tuesday, February 6, 2001.

Oh wow, can that article still be found online?

[sonofaque86]

Like Waccamatt said. Columbia has predominately black nieghborhoods and white nieghborhoods and many integrated ones. North Columbia may be the only area of Columbia where it's not too integrated but regardless no tensions within the city. Lexington County may be different now. But Richland is pretty diverse....

[Artsywoman]

Originally Posted by sonofaque86

Like Waccamatt said. Columbia has predominately black nieghborhoods and white nieghborhoods and many integrated ones. North Columbia may be the only area of Columbia where it's not too integrated but regardless no tensions within the city. Lexington County may be different now. But Richland is pretty diverse....

My ex was black and he lived there. He was always telling me how there was so much racial tension. Is this that bad these days?