Is there racism in Denver? What's it really like? Please read if you live/lived in Denver Co. (Thornton: high school, place to live)

[wanttomoveeast]

Right right right. I long for a new city I think, and some of Miami really fits that longing. I am about to embark on something career-wise that might keep me here for many years to come. As such, I've learned to look at the positives of Denver. And once I got over my whininess of being a local and living here too long, I realized there are lots of things I like about Denver.

Turns out, it's not Denver I dislike but more my suburb! Just goes to show, if you don't like one part of Denver, just go somewhere else! There are lots of areas of Denver that are separate and distinct, so surely would make someone happy! I still miss the sea though...

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

No, it was probably me you were thinking of.

I lived in Denver (Aurora, actually) from June 2007 to May 2009. I had been pretty active here on the forum (including Denver's) during that time. I moved to Spokane, WA (much smaller than Denver) in May.

I know your position on Denver being small, and know that you long for Miami (i.e. the big city). We've conversed before on Denver forum threads.

[Legs1357]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

Turns out, it's not Denver I dislike but more my suburb! Just goes to show, if you don't like one part of Denver, just go somewhere else! There are lots of areas of Denver that are separate and distinct, so surely would make someone happy! I still miss the sea though...

That's exactly how I feel! I loooaaathe Aurora but can't wait to move back and live somewhere in Denver proper, maybe around DU

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

Right right right. I long for a new city I think, and some of Miami really fits that longing. I am about to embark on something career-wise that might keep me here for many years to come. As such, I've learned to look at the positives of Denver. And once I got over my whininess of being a local and living here too long, I realized there are lots of things I like about Denver.

Turns out, it's not Denver I dislike but more my suburb! Just goes to show, if you don't like one part of Denver, just go somewhere else! There are lots of areas of Denver that are separate and distinct, so surely would make someone happy! I still miss the sea though...

Thornton, right?

Yeah, I probably would grow tired of Thornton as well.

Maybe someday you can take your own advice and "just go somewhere else", your happy (Denver) place is out there somewhere, and being a "local" it shouldn't be hard for you to find it.

As for the sea, spend some summer days at Cherry Creek Reservoir, and do your best to convince yourself that it's really the ocean. I know, a stretch, but apparently there are people out there that have the ability to make mountains out of molehills.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I read a National Geographic article about Denver and its African-American community. It was from March 1979. From what I read, the Black community in Denver had a relatively high educational attainment.

Very true. I believe many in the city of Denver go to High Schools like East, George Washington, Montbello and Manual.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

Are you talking about Pena? He was before Wellington. After Wellington is Hickenlooper, our current mayor.

Yes, my bad. Pena, then Webb.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Mach50

That's cool, the kind of consciousness I am speaking of is bad: glares, stares, snarks, racial epithets...

Got ya' and I know what you are talking about.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I read a National Geographic article about Denver and its African-American community. It was from March 1979. From what I read, the Black community in Denver had a relatively high educational attainment.

I believe Seattle's and Columbus Ohio's does too. There some others too.

[David Aguilar]

Since Mayors were brought up, Denver has what could be considered as a great record of electing minority candidates (Webb, Pena, etc.).

Even more impressive is where I live now (Spokane, WA), which elected a black mayor in 1981. Today, Spokane still only has a black population of 2.1%.

I think election results could be an indicator of racial attitudes of a place; our nation's president is a testament to that, when measuring the nation as a whole.

[piperspal]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

I'm mixed, I say black but I'm half black, half white. I suppose the reason why I just say I'm black is because honestly that's what people see. ..........Something I was trying to get at earlier but maybe didn't do so well at --- is that I think they might temporarily feel out of place because it's Denver, not Atlanta.

And really, I bet most kids see it just that simply. A few years ago, one of my nieces who was 13 at the time, got together with 4 or 5 of her friends to come up with Halloween costumes. They decided to go as..EACH OTHER!! It was great! They were like a United Nations panel. They put on makeup to darken or lighten their skin; wigs to turn my Irish/Mexican fair-haired niece into sporting a fro. They wore each others shoes or clothes. They made a statement without even meaning to. Just celebrating differences!

[Legs1357]

Originally Posted by piperspal

And really, I bet most kids see it just that simply. A few years ago, one of my nieces who was 13 at the time, got together with 4 or 5 of her friends to come up with Halloween costumes. They decided to go as..EACH OTHER!! It was great! They were like a United Nations panel. They put on makeup to darken or lighten their skin; wigs to turn my Irish/Mexican fair-haired niece into sporting a fro. They wore each others shoes or clothes. They made a statement without even meaning to. Just celebrating differences!

Not to stray completely off topic but don't you think that could have been interpreted as offensive by someone aware of the history of blackface in our country?