I'm Black and was born in Seattle. Why was I? (Federal Way: apartments, motels)

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by toughguy

You might want to reconsider your love of dirty south rap. You will have to deal with the shame years down the road. It would be akin to looking at yourself in a yearbook picture from middle school with a bowl cut and/or mullet, or seeing yourself in a picture from the early nineties with a Vanilla Ice jacket.

I don't like most rap music period.

[414Milwaukee]

Originally Posted by rikki_5

There is a huge african american community in Seattle.

Thats the first time i've heard that
I new 2 people from seattle
they were black and they were the whitest people i've ever met

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by 414Milwaukee

Thats the first time i've heard that
I new 2 people from seattle
they were black and they were the whitest people i've ever met

Then you'll have the same impression of me(lol).

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

Wow. Just amazing that a black person has to conform to a standard of "how" black they should be, but I've heard it before. Most of my black friends are college educated and do the "coat and tie" thing, so it seems most of their friends are white because some black people might not like hanging out with them. Sad that upward mobility has to be squelched by those of the same background who are either jealous, threatened or cannot achieve the same things. Whatever.

I lived in "the ATL" for 2 years and loved it! I didn't think I would as a product of L.A., but I did. I lived in the Ashford-Dunwoody area but in a REGULAR house...about 1400 sf brick ranch. ATL was very free-wheeling compared to Seattle, so actually more in line with what a Californian would expect. The only thing most Californians in the Southeast missed was the beach. For that, we made REGULAR trips to the Florida Panhandle and got beaches that could kick a$$ on any California beach...for usability, that is.

I didn't think Seattle was even on an Atlantan's radar screen, being so far away. What exactly is it that made ATL folks averse to Seattle? This is interesting so I'd like to hear some of the underlying reasons.

I find it less amazing and more annoying at the least and somewhat disgusting and from my own experience it isn't just other blacks I have gotten this attitude from either.

Whenever I have mentioned Seattle to some Atlanta residents, the image of "rain" comes to the brain and that is where part of the aversion comes from. Well, being in a drought that Atlanta is in, rain is something I would want.

[marc-dion]

.....wasn't it Sir Mix-a-lot who aligned himself with Miami ghetto style bass jam music with his own unique flow putting the Emerald City(even the entire West Coast for that matter) strategically on the hip-hop radar way back some 20 years ago with(Summer 1988 to be exact) with "My posse's on Broadway", "My Hooptie". A solo, bona fide hip-hop artistn his own right. Original, articulate, yet never claiming the music sound as his own but gave much props to Miami. That was beneficially for both regions. As a result, in the early 1990s, Miami rap artists(other than Luke) and Sir Mix-a-lot had begun to gain some international status.

Atlanta, in case they've forgotten, was way under the hip-hop radar struggling to make US regionals. Not saying some of them were not good artists. It's the fact that they weren't pumping out anything original for over a decade. Plus, back then, ATL as whole had always been measured critically(sometimes negatively) against cities like NYC, Boston, L.A., SF, SanD, Chi-town, Miami, and Seattle, in many respects. In fact, the first true local Georgia rap group that finally gained some national status was Duice(y'all remember the one-hit wonder song "Dazzey Dukes" in 1992. They were homegrown GA...but not from ATL.

My point is that for Atlanta to become an internationally recognized city, they had to become like most cosmo cities, especially being in the Southeast. We're talking about an entire U.S. region which maintains its past ugly reputation for being backwater, segregated, behind the times, and country in the subconscious minds of people from other parts of the U.S. Unfortunately in many parts of the South including many of its cities, it holds true. No denying that.

To my fellow black Seattlans being clowned on by a number of digressive ATLans(some who may be transplants themselves) who now think they are just the epitome ofthe South and seek to shut you down because 'you're not black enough', to your defense, i now come.

I live in Nashville, a city which many former Seattlans who have reloc'd here totally fall in love with, inspite of the bugs, heat, and the humidity. They all told me that I would love Seattle if I ever visited and even think I should move there. They love the slower pace of Nashville and they said I would welcome the energy of Seattle. Get this, they were all white and welcomed my presence to talk to them. And it wasn't out of Southern etiquette, which is just a cultural custom. I went to Vancouver back in 2004, which is like Seattle in many ways. The Canadians, especially the Caucasians, they were quite happy to see me. Really. I could tell right then they genuinely wished more Blacks to live there because the Black population there was less than 1%. Period. ANd the weather is AWESOME!! Seems to me people there love life more than taste because everybody's out doing something and there's something for everybody to do. If that is how Seattle is, then I am insane to stay here in the NASHVILLE city.

I got people in Atlanta, Alabama, the Carolinas, and most of all Florida, yeah the deep South. I love the South I always have. Be what you are, talk how you talk. Don't let them try to change you and don't try to change them otherrwise you'll miss each other focusing on what the problem is. Isn't it better to have variety anyway at both extremes?

[C'est Moi]

Originally Posted by ST CRoix To Seattle

I'm black and was discrimated against in Atlanta,My caribbean accent combined with proper english resulted in me "Talking like a white boy" as I was told. I would not live in the South even if I was paid to do so,Normally I take discrimination with a grain of salt as it is near impossible for me to be offended,but black on black discrimination takes the cake. As Dr.King said in far better terms -a poor education is a cycle that repeats itself,poorly educated students become teachers and recycle the substandard education they recieved onto the next generation of students-thus the cycle continues.

i'm caribbean too & was taunted by loads of people growing up on the east coast--even by other caribbeans! i sounded too yankee for their taste. and not black enough by the black-americans' standard.

ultimately, i just did not give a $h!t and realized if someone wasn't interested in me because of the way i sounded or the way i dressed, they weren't people i was interested in getting to know. that holds true to this day.

lord, i simply can not be bothered by the insecurities of other people-- NO ONE will diminish my existence on this earth because of their narrow views. i was born in this world a unique and powerful being and i will not be stuffed into someone else's version of what they think i should be. i am an atypical person and have always been attracted to and interested in atypical people--no matter their race, gender, class, or any 'category'.

by living my life fully & truthfully, and by walking this earth with love in my heart and unapolgetically embracing my own contradictions & imperfections; i'm a shining (yes, i said shining!) example for someone who is trapped in a mask of societal expectations to free themselves to live to their fullest potential.

i love living in seattle--though i am thinking of leaving to pursue some other adventures. i can't tell you how amazing the quality of life is here... when i visit the east coast, i am startled into a heart wrenching silence when i see the rampant violence & injustices so many people have gotten used to living with. i find myself repeating over and over, 'life doesn't have to be this hard.'

Seattle doesn't have 'everything' (what place does?), so I've supplemented my life here with many things including travel outside of the country and within the US. I won't lie and say that the rain & darkness of the fall & winter doesn't get to me--sometimes it does; but like i say; i've supplemented my life with other things so that i feel more balanced here. no matter where i live, i will have to fill in what the city/location doesn't provide for me.


also, i LOVE what that person said about hugging your mother. that's so right on!

[obsidian97]

Originally Posted by Galounger

The ribbing and clowning though definitely goes both ways. Anybody with any with any kind of southern accent has to endure endless teasing and negative attention when in the north or out west.

I'm white, but I definitely understand that last part.

I grew up in rural midwest for eight years before moving to Texas. I lived in Texas 22 years, and it was a good 5-6 years before I accidentally said "Y'all".

I tried *very* hard not to pick up an accent, and although I don't think anyone deserves ridicule for having an accent, I can definitely say that not having an accent has helped me avoid some negative situations.

A number of times during job interviews the person interviewing me was surprised I was from Texas. It was as if they thought I was going to show up to the interview with a shotgun and a beer helmet. Who knows.

[daneurysm]

Weird, I've lived in Seattle nearly all my life and have never seen anyone hassled for having a southern accent, unless they're some obnoxious redneck. I've always found people from the south to be very friendly.

[globaloro]

Originally Posted by Haakon

Loggers? LOL, you must not spend any time outside of Seattle. Nearly everyone who doesn't live in Seattle sees the people who do live there as narrow minded, latte drinking, liberals who have no problem taxing the entire state to pay for problems in their city and force their political views on the rest of the state.

I could agree ..with the ABOVE !!
I have only spent a few days at a time in Seattle, and that was years ago, as I had a friend there. But I here a lot of things from that side. But I am not a city guy NOT AT ALL.
Me living on the east side of WA. Chelan, WA.
But I do find that a lot of folks from Seattle rather stuffy ( I am not from the wealthy or Mid or lower class set) but Seattle is a mecca for the ( Jaded ) LIBERALS and we have plenty of them here on east side too !!
" narrow minded, latte drinking, liberals " Well I don't know about the Latte part..lol..lol
Most liberals I have meet " any where " ( not all) seem not to be very liberal ( liberal = open minded , concerned , think out of the box) they have a narrow minded agenda ( Socialism) many are down on freedom of religion ( putting down or vilifying Christianity) don't they want there freedoms too ? Also down on those that have more $$ then they, yet some of the wealthiest Liberals live in Seattle area in rather luxurious large homes, but don't want you to do so (you might wast to much of there precious energy) Well, abortion is not liberal it's killing the innocents ( 40,000) but they condone it, or they support the Politics that want ABORTION legal. ( poly = many...Tics = a blood sucking Insect, = Many Blood Suckers) ) But liberal can't stand the military, YES !!! I admit we do get into to many wars. That's the doing of all poitics in WA. D.C for Banksters and globalist's profits, "The military Industral Complex" that's there global agenda. (Liberal's .. Feel they don't need national protection or personal arms (guns) to protect from outside and inside invasion, should that acure here)
The real enemy is "WITHIN " the USA, it's the US Government, Right and Left, the " NWO " socialism !!! that's here NOW in control of WA, DC. But what can be even worse is so called LIBERAL thinking ( Obama, says ) "Robe Petter to pay Paul." That Does not work !!! All you will get is higher taxes for every one and every thing and every one being POORER !! That's a proven fact ( check out history, Cuba before Castro took over, he promised to tax the wealthy, and then every one got poorer and communism too !)

True wealth comes from Free enterprise, with some sensible regulation, ( not regulation for regulating and control sake ) wealth doe's not come from a socialist controlled economy that restricts the ability to work freely and gain wealth for self and family. Wealthy people EMPLOY the little guess, how many little guess do you know that create jobs for others ??

Here on the east side we don't like the taxes that the libs want us to pay for their agendas over the west side, like your public transportation and sports stadiums that very few over here go to any way (over there )
We have our own public transportation system, right here in Chelan county, thats where we want are tax $$ to go.
We are Americans first.... If Divided into ...Dem's, Rep's, black, white, brown, yellow, or blue, we fight amongst our selves and can not organize to fight the real enemy the "NWO " the Globalist Elites agenda, stay as ONE to fight the NWO !!
Any way, that's all, even if I was a little sarcastic all in fun..lol
I am glad most stay in the cities, that's more open space over here.
I need to go out and get more fire wood now ....
" May the baby Jesus SHUT your mouth and OPEN your minds "

[mitsuturbo]

Hm.. i wonder if Anthony Ray (AKA Sir Mix-a-Lot) got "clowned" for being from seattle. I have my doubts.