Segregation of blacks and whites (poll, racism, Indiana, how much)

[Hoosier]

POLL: You can choose as many as you'd like

It's 2008 and we're still in an age of segregated residential neighborhoods and school districts. While segregation has been against the law for about 40 years or so, it's a home-grown attitude that many white and black people still deal with on a daily basis.

I read in the National Fair Housing Alliance 2006, Fair Housing Trends Report that through investigations numerous realtors throughout the country have been guilty of "steering" home buyers depending on their race. When buying a home my realtor would not tell me anything and I had to come up with the information. It irritated me since I wanted to be in a safe neighborhood with excellent schools. I was fully unaware of the problem at hand. The problem of residential and school racism. I'm a white early 40s male with elementary age kids. Strong academic programs and safety rank at the top of my list when considering where to reside. I did not realize that I was integrated into a segregated mindset.

In my suburb of Minneapolis we have a few black people living there. They definitely stand out in the mix of all us white people. I remember actually being surprised when a black family moved into the neighborhood. Sadly, at that time I was completely guilty of wondering about the home values in the area. Looking back now, that is a pathetic thought that I'm fully ashamed to even admit.

A professor in my grad level class made reference to taking his children to a barber when they were younger. He is black and his wife is white. The kids have a white person's textured hair...so he took them to a white barber. Upon completeing their haircuts the barber walked over to a closet, opened the door so my professor could see. The closet was filled with Nazi paraphernalia. The barber looked at him, pointed to the closet and left it at that. My prof. got the message, paid for the haircuts and never went back. My understanding is that this happened in the 1990s.

My question. Why do we, both black, white and other races choose to segregate ourselves from one another. Is it out of fear? Yes, we are different, but how much are we losing in life by not learning from one another?

[Humboldt1]

Hoosier,

As a former Hoosier from southern Indiana, we did not have segregation, we just had white people. The only difference was whether you were Catholic or Protestant. They now have some Asians as there are several Japanese factories in town, but no other races other than a few Hispanics who have moved to town to work in the factories, mostly in temp positions.

I worked in Indianapolis and grew up 1 hour south of there and know Indianapolis is one of the more segregated cities. Beech Grove is working class whites and the east and west sides are mostly black. The north side is affluent and mostly white and the far south (greenwood) is middle class and mostly white. The far eastern and western suburbs such as avon are mostly white as well. The poorest areas in Indianapolis seem to be centered in the mostly black areas (Lafayette Square Mall, Washington Square Mall for example).

Chicago is even more segregated than Indianapolis. Indianapolis has some mixing of races in neighborhoods. Chicago has areas that are almost all white, black, or hispanic. We have white, black, and hispanic ethnic belts which you can clearly see on a map of Chicago.

It is easy to say whites don't want to live around blacks, but it goes both ways. Many blacks, including affluent blacks, choose to live around other affluent blacks. We see this most on the south side in Hyde Park and Kenwood. In the suburbs you have some areas on the south side that are now heavily black but on the north and far west sides, you have blacks scattered, representing a small percentage of the population. The south suburbs and closer in western suburbs now have large black populations as many blacks have been forced out of Chicago with the razing of many of the CHA projects.

Whites don't generally live around blacks. Hispanic communities often serve as buffers between these two. Hispanics are some of the most anti-black people I have ever met, probably because they live next to only the poorest blacks and are exposed to only the worst in black culture.

Rich people, regardless of race, don't want to live around poor people.

[miu]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Rich people, regardless of race, don't want to live around poor people.

First, poor people come in all colours. Secondly, there are poor people that have good values, are working hard to get ahead and eventually succeed.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

It is easy to say whites don't want to live around blacks, but it goes both ways. Many blacks, including affluent blacks, choose to live around other affluent blacks. We see this most on the south side in Hyde Park and Kenwood.

You're making an illogical leap there. Black folks wanting to live near blacks is NOT black folks wanting to get away from whites or not wanting to live near them. Being pro-black never meant that a person was anti-white.

Further, your example would have more currency if HP were not 40% white. If black folks were trying not to live near white people, they are doing a bad job of it there.

Think about it: When's the last time you heard of a black homeowner's association conspiring to keep out white folks?

[GracieJJ]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Hoosier,

As a former Hoosier from southern Indiana, we did not have segregation, we just had white people. The only difference was whether you were Catholic or Protestant. They now have some Asians as there are several Japanese factories in town, but no other races other than a few Hispanics who have moved to town to work in the factories, mostly in temp positions.

I worked in Indianapolis and grew up 1 hour south of there and know Indianapolis is one of the more segregated cities. Beech Grove is working class whites and the east and west sides are mostly black. The north side is affluent and mostly white and the far south (greenwood) is middle class and mostly white. The far eastern and western suburbs such as avon are mostly white as well. The poorest areas in Indianapolis seem to be centered in the mostly black areas (Lafayette Square Mall, Washington Square Mall for example).

Chicago is even more segregated than Indianapolis. Indianapolis has some mixing of races in neighborhoods. Chicago has areas that are almost all white, black, or hispanic. We have white, black, and hispanic ethnic belts which you can clearly see on a map of Chicago.

It is easy to say whites don't want to live around blacks, but it goes both ways. Many blacks, including affluent blacks, choose to live around other affluent blacks. We see this most on the south side in Hyde Park and Kenwood. In the suburbs you have some areas on the south side that are now heavily black but on the north and far west sides, you have blacks scattered, representing a small percentage of the population. The south suburbs and closer in western suburbs now have large black populations as many blacks have been forced out of Chicago with the razing of many of the CHA projects.

Whites don't generally live around blacks. Hispanic communities often serve as buffers between these two. Hispanics are some of the most anti-black people I have ever met, probably because they live next to only the poorest blacks and are exposed to only the worst in black culture.

Rich people, regardless of race, don't want to live around poor people.

Originally Posted by miu

First, poor people come in all colours. Secondly, there are poor people that have good values, are working hard to get ahead and eventually succeed.

I agree with both statements.

A lot of this segragation, stems from the simple fact that there is deep mistrust amongst all races.

Its unfortunate the "worst" side of the blacks are always getting noticed despite the good things they do contribute into society. However, in saying that, we dont get these issues with the Asians or Hispanics, in small number perhaps. Generally speaking.

[miu]

I'd like to add that being 49, I'd prefer living in a neighborhood without teens and college kids. I try to avoid family oriented restaurants because I can't stand trying to eat when there is a baby crying or young children underfoot. It's not a prejudice so much as my personal preference enjoying a peaceful quiet existence. Parents these days don't seem to keep their kids under control and resent anyone outside the family giving their input. And that's what makes the concept of a whole village raising a child difficult and impossible to get going.

[Alpha8207]

You don't have a poll option that adequately represents why I feel we segregate ourselves:

Because human nature tends to keep us in areas where we feel comfortable. We all feel more comfortable around people like ourselves.

It's not about race. It's about being human.

[winnie]

I like living in very rural areas. Just happens that most of them are mainly white..
If any minorities want to come out and live in the boonies with the bears and mountain lions, be my guest!

Safety is important to me, but I don't see safety as segregation..So I didn't vote as none of the catagories really represent how I feel.

[NewToCA]

My area in California is pretty integrated, and in fact I would say that most of metro Sacramento is fairly integrated.

I found that my last area, metro Columbus, Ohio, was also fairly integrated (though not as much as Sacramento).

[june 7th]

While I don't doubt that we live in a covertly racist society, I tend to see the matter as being more of a classist-based dilemma from an historical perspective more than anything else.

I don't think it's right at all, but I think therein lies the basis for much of your seemingly "segregated" areas...