Is Highland Park racist? (Dallas, Plano: houses, buying, theatre)

[P.Griggs]

HP and UP are racist. If you can afford to live there, you certainly have a right to - but you simply will not be welcomed in and if you have kids they probably will find the adjustment even harder. And despite your erudition or savvy, don't expect the realtors to get you market value for your home . . . it's a sad fact.

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by the princetonian

Please don't get me wrong, I'm usually not this blunt, especially in regards to race, but I've never lived in the South, nor have I had any direct experiences there.

I know that Highland Park is a very insular community, and has been that way for years. I know there are a small number of blacks living there because as of the 2000 census, the city had about 40 blacks.

The responses so far have been of great help, and I appreciat them.

I'm not sure how the census defines black but I can assure you there has never ever never ever been 40 blacks living in HP/PC.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I'm not sure how the census defines black but I can assure you there has never ever never ever been 40 blacks living in HP/PC.

Maybe the personal groundskeepers and servants. Afterall there are MANY homes in that area w/ such "quarters". Even the school district has ON-SITE living for their head custodians. But yes, I'd be willing to bet that there MIGHT be a whopping 40 living in all of HP/UP IF you include all live in help along w/ other residents.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

Hey now, I think the school of choice is UT-Austin. Check it out:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/dalla...ians-high.html

Is that from me poking fun about local yokels and SMU? I was thinking more along the line of HP locals. My slice of life is more along where you are coming from -- U of Texas (system, that is).

[By the way -- as a message to my sponsors -- the people of Texas who helped pay for my "edumakation" -- THANK YOU, TEXAS!]

But for full disclosure, SMU offered me a free PhD if I would show up, and I did think pretty serious about that.

Really I am just knocking fun at the whole poser, ring-knocker (term for USMA and TAMU officers) are-you-a-Harvard-or-Yale-man idiocracy that folks try to use to create a delta of better than, less between each other.

[MarkyPants2023]

I grew up in Highland Park (graduated from HPHS in 05) and half of these comments are ridiculous. No one in the PC thinks SMU is the pinnacle of education. People respect Princeton quite a bit here. One of our most famous HS alums went to Princeton actually (Chris Young). I've said it on here before but I'll say it again. HP/UP is not racist. Half the people on here don't know what they are talking about. My best friend in HS was hispanic. His family was from the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo area. One of the most universally liked students in HS was from Nigeria. Hell, the Prom Queen or HC Queen last year was african-american.

[Lakewooder]

Tokenism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MarkyPants2023]

I guess you would call me a racist because I went to school at HP? I guess you would call my minority friends tokens? OK well how about the fact that at Emory (a surprisingly diverse school) people openly talk about me as the least racist person they have ever met. These are people from all over the country/world. Of my best friends at school, almost half are African American. My roommate was born in Qingdao, China. My other closest friends are of Hispanic, Indian and white origin. Overall I would say about 20% of my friends at school are White.

I hope no one takes anything you say seriously. You make blanket statements about people you don't even know by calling them all racist and there is an obvious irony in all of it.

[Lakewooder]

I did not say you are racist - haven't you heard of institutional racism Home ? The term was used quite a bit in the desegregation lawsuit days, but I guess HPISD missed out on all that.

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by MarkyPants2023

I hope no one takes anything you say seriously. You make blanket statements about people you don't even know by calling them all racist and there is an obvious irony in all of it.

No one is saying all residents of Highland Park are racist, many of us are saying that racism is more pronounced there than other places, and certainly is more tolerated. Many of us are relating personal experiences of it. When I say we had more requests specifically for "white photographers" than from the rest of the metroplex combined, that's a fact. When I tell a story of a friend being shocked by racist jokes told by her neighbors, that's a fact. I also accept that you certainly aren't racist.

Let's be honest though stuff like this is bad, and recent.
Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | News: Education

And more importantly students defend it that is also pretty damning. I know many wonderful people in Highland Park, many of whom also report that there is more racism than other places.

And the OP was concerned about racism in the area, to not point out it has a reputation for racism would be a disservice to him

[MarkyPants2023]

And many of whom report that is less racism than in other areas. And while I'll give you the fact that "thug day" was offensive, I do not see how it is racist. the fact you had TWO, repeat TWO, students with lawncare equipment on Fiesta Day is a different story and most people thought those students were very offensive. But "Thug Day" has no black connotation other than the one made in your mind. Last time I checked, there are white, latino, black and asian thugs. "Thug" is not a black term. The black students in my class dressed like thugs as did all the other students. It was a form of dress up, not racism. It was a change from the Polos and T-Shirts you usually saw and a lot of people just had fun with it. Do you have any idea how people dressed other than from that article? Do you have any idea what students said? No. So don't act like an expert and don't label HP racist. Besides, If you heard half the things our opponents said to us in games, you be calling them racists, not us.