Good places to live for the "Non-Stereotypical" Black dude (private school, camp)
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You would love Seattle. Lots of interracial couples, freedom to be yourself. Sorry you have to experience so much prejudice. The major downside of Seattle would be the cloudy drizzly weather 6 months of the year, though. If you can handle that, we would love to have you!
Thanks for the welcoming words. It seems like Seattle is the most open in the interracial department, as well as freedom from the "acting like your race" mentality most Eastern cities stress through social coercion.
I 'd be careful about using the term "stereotypical", which usually holds negative connotations. I mean, I prefer black women and listen to black music, but I'm far from your stereotypical black man.
Anyplace you don't want to be a stereotypical black dude is a good place to live for a "non-stereotypical" black guy.
I have to disagree. There are plenty of cities, including the one I'm in right now, where most non-blacks will refuse to believe that hard working, law abiding, educated blacks exist, and where most other blacks will socially disown their own just because the individual is hard working, law abiding, and educated. Those cities where these rules don't apply are places where "non-stereotypical" blacks can live truly free lives in.
I have to disagree. There are plenty of cities, including the one I'm in right now, where most non-blacks will refuse to believe that hard working, law abiding, educated blacks exist, and where most other blacks will socially disown their own just because the individual is hard working, law abiding, and educated. Those cities where these rules don't apply are places where "non-stereotypical" blacks can live truly free lives in.
If most of the black people I know are hard working, law abiding, educated blacks in a city with one of the highest black on black homicide rates, highest crime rate, mass deindustrialization, high racial polarization and disparities in wealth. I'm sure you can find 4 times the amount in a metropolitan area with at least double the population and one of the highest concentrations of black wealth in America.
I don't know the area as well as the OP, but I too find it odd that in a metro notorious for its black professional community he would find a hard time fitting in.
I have to disagree. There are plenty of cities, including the one I'm in right now, where most non-blacks will refuse to believe that hard working, law abiding, educated blacks exist, and where most other blacks will socially disown their own just because the individual is hard working, law abiding, and educated. Those cities where these rules don't apply are places where "non-stereotypical" blacks can live truly free lives in.
Sorry but I'm going to have cry foul on this one. Dude you live in DC. You're already in one of the best cities for "non-stereotypical" black dudes. Honestly it sounds like you're associating with the wrong people. There will be haters no matter where you go. I guess I'd fit in the same category as you but don't have any of the problems that you've lamented about. Are there a few cross eyed haters in DC? Yes. However I find them to be fairly easy to avoid. Explore the city more and look for cool people. Perhaps the suburbs are more your calling. You're from Fairfax I say get a car and return to your roots.
In your defense I will say that there are more haters and racial issues in the District. However, instead of moving across country just move back to Virginia. There's plenty of young people in Arlington. If you can't afford to sky high prices of Clarendon then just get a place in south Arlington and call it a day. I live in the only black neighborhood in Arlington and my neighbors are cool never had an issue. I hate to say it because I don't know you but perhaps its you versus them. Again I know where you're coming from but honestly you gotta toughen up. A few guys have come at me wrong in my travels particularly in my hometown in Columbus, Georgia.
"Why you talk so white?"
Been there, done that, sold the t-shirt on eBay. For every ignorant person that has nothing better to do than worry about my anunciation there's two people who are actually pretty cool once you give them a chance.
There are plenty of reasons to want to leave the DC area: sky high prices, the weather, traffic, etc. but lack of opportunities both social and professional for a "non-stereotypical" black dude isn't one of them.
Sorry but I'm going to have cry foul on this one. Dude you live in DC. You're already in one of the best cities for "non-stereotypical" black dudes. Honestly it sounds like you're associating with the wrong people. There will be haters no matter where you go. I guess I'd fit in the same category as you but don't have any of the problems that you've lamented about. Are there a few cross eyed haters in DC? Yes. However I find them to be fairly easy to avoid. Explore the city more and look for cool people. Perhaps the suburbs are more your calling. You're from Fairfax I say get a car and return to your roots.
In your defense I will say that there are more haters and racial issues in the District. However, instead of moving across country just move back to Virginia. There's plenty of young people in Arlington. If you can't afford to sky high prices of Clarendon then just get a place in south Arlington and call it a day. I live in the only black neighborhood in Arlington and my neighbors are cool never had an issue. I hate to say it because I don't know you but perhaps its you versus them. Again I know where you're coming from but honestly you gotta toughen up. A few guys have come at me wrong in my travels particularly in my hometown in Columbus, Georgia.
"Why you talk so white?"
Been there, done that, sold the t-shirt on eBay. For every ignorant person that has nothing better to do than worry about my anunciation there's two people who are actually pretty cool once you give them a chance.
There are plenty of reasons to want to leave the DC area: sky high prices, the weather, traffic, etc. but lack of opportunities both social and professional for a "non-stereotypical" black dude isn't one of them.
You make a good point. The funny thing is that I'm planning to move to Arlington at the beginning of June, and actually found a place literally in the shadow of Clarendon for less than I'm paying in DC.
Northern Virginia is a great place for "non-stereotypical" black dudes. However, the racially cordial environment in NoVA is the exception to the [passive aggressive] racially hostile nature of that in DC. The reason why I asked this was to find an area where the acceptance of "non-stereotypical" blacks would be more of the norm than the exception. And I'm not planning to stay on the East Coast for all of my life.
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