Is Palmer, NE a safe place to live if you are an African American? (York: crime, homes)

[Nomad001]

I have heard quite a bit of negative things about Palmer, Nebraska in reference to way minorities ranging from Italian to African Americans are treated. However; due personal reasons which can not explain I have been considering moving that small town. Can anyone give me any credible information about this?

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by Nomad001

I have heard quite a bit of negative things about Palmer, Nebraska in reference to way minorities ranging from Italian to African Americans are treated. However; due personal reasons which can not explain I have been considering moving that small town. Can anyone give me any credible information about this?

Sorry, never hear of it

[robertjohnson]

How credable are your sources?
What have they said?

[Happygolucky]

That is true for the town of Fall City, NE. I lived there for about a year, all I can say is.......OMG unbelievable.

Don't know about Palmer.

[robertjohnson]

I would think the place to go for something like this would be a government source of some kind. FBI crime stats. They keep very careful records of that kind of thing. A word of warning. 'People say' is the last place you want to go for accurate information about something like this. In fact from what I've seen that source will intentionally mislead you in matters of race friction. Stick with non interested sources.
This way you will get unbiased information. If that's what your after.
Another positive is that there is no need to post a thread that, however unintentional, throws a city, reigon or people in a negative light.
No one wants that.
If money is an issue Palmer is an inexpensive bus ride away. Much better if you see a place with your own eyes.

[dsrich98]

I would offer you that as in most small Nebraska Communitities people would not go out of their way to act negatively towards minorities. We practice the behind closed doors kinder gentler type of bigotry. It's not even that we really dislike African-Americans, most small town Nebraskans just don't know how to react to them. They probably only encounter African American's a couple times a year if at all. You'd be more likely to encounter racial insensitivity based on incompetance than outright racism.

This is the racial makeup of Palmer...

• White Non-Hispanic (97.9%)
• Hispanic (1.7%)
• Other race (0.6%)

As you can see folks in Palmer just ain't that use to seeing folks that don't look like them.

I wouldn't say their bad people, they just wont have a lot of experience with other races. But I like to give small town Nebraska the benefit of the doubt that most folks would treat you just fine.

I guess as long as you are okay with being the only African American in town, you'll probably do just fine.

[itsMeFred]

I would offer you that as in most small Nebraska Communitities people would not go out of their way to act negatively towards minorities. We practice the behind closed doors kinder gentler type of bigotry. It's not even that we really dislike African-Americans, most small town Nebraskans just don't know how to react to them. They probably only encounter African American's a couple times a year if at all. You'd be more likely to encounter racial insensitivity based on incompetance than outright racism.

Ya know. That's a really excellent way to put it.

Most small town Nebraskans simply haven't had direct experience with people of other races, nationalities, etc. beyond what they've seen on TV or passed in the mall in a much bigger town. It's not racism so much as simple ignorance.
And, there are always those in small towns who have been to college or lived in bigger cities (who have experienced a wider variety of people) who won't think anything of you, one way or the other.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Ya know. That's a really excellent way to put it.

Most small town Nebraskans simply haven't had direct experience with people of other races, nationalities, etc. beyond what they've seen on TV or passed in the mall in a much bigger town. It's not racism so much as simple ignorance.
And, there are always those in small towns who have been to college or lived in bigger cities (who have experienced a wider variety of people) who won't think anything of you, one way or the other.

*************************************************
Fred got it right,
I was born (1946) and raised in the area where Fred now lives.

In the 1950's the whole Tri corners area (CO,KS and NE) was lily white. There were many different nationalities in the area but most were White Europeans. A lot of the homesteaders in the late 1800's and early 1900's were from Europe. The lure of CHEAP land brought them. Of course many of them brought their prejudices with them. However when almost everyone in the community looks like you prejudices are usually directed toward people that have a different language, religion or way of doing things. The tough life that the pioneers faced in the High Plains during the late 19th and early 20th centuries required a certain amount of cooperation with your neighbors. The first generation immigrants may have used their native language in their home but the next generations were forced to learn English in the Public school systems. In one generation many of these immigrants had abandoned their native language and were speaking English exclusively. They were now Americans!

In the 1960's television was having a huge influence everywhere and even more so in smaller farm communities. Radio shows like Amos & Andy had been popular several years earlier but Amos & Andy were White. Early TV personalities like Rochester ( The Jack Benny Show) and others gave us a glimpse at people that didn't look exactly like us. My Dad used to love to listen to Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong, among others on the radio. We were exposed to many Black and Hispanic television and movie characters during the next few decades. Baseball and football on television exposed us all to a different racial makeup than what we grew up with. Sports, television, musicians and Hollywood probably did more to integrate the races than all of the politicians, preachers and social workers that ever lived. With the advent of the Internet and instant communications even small communities know what is going on in the World.

GL2

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Nomad001

I have heard quite a bit of negative things about Palmer, Nebraska in reference to way minorities ranging from Italian to African Americans are treated. However; due personal reasons which can not explain I have been considering moving that small town. Can anyone give me any credible information about this?

This is total BS.

Palmer has a population of about 450. Somebody from New York City has not only never heard of Palmer, NE, that person isn't considering moving there.


But here's a little heads up for you. There are no Italians in Palmer. There are no African Americans in Palmer. It's 98% white, and 2% Hispanic.

[JustMe_T3K]

The 0.6% is probably Native American.