What about Beaumont? (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: quiet, high schools, live)

[Premont]

If you like it by the water you might like it in Texas City or La Marque, which have many black people.

[i am just me]

Originally Posted by lifertexan

For myself,I know a number of people who have lived there,including my mother,who,coming from west Texas where there were few AA's thought that an area with more AA's would be more integrated,was astounded at the level of racism she saw.She said the only place worse she ever saw was Arkansas,but then she never worked in the Deep South.I have relatives who live in southeast Texas as well.And I have known a number of preachers that served churches in east Texas who have told me stories about the racism there.There are stories in the news that have shown the racism there.You can simply do a search on city data and find that a number of towns smack in the middle of an area (east Texas) with a large percentage of AA's have almost 100% white population.Why and how would that happen?No one has said that everyone there is a racist,only that it will be encountered more there than in other places around Texas,especially if you are black.

If you wish to argue this point,start with answering the question about the all-white towns there,instead of just posting that you've never seen any racism.

First of all, I never said that there was no racism in southeast Texas. Also, you are confusing east Texas with southeast Texas (and trust me, there is a difference).

Many older people are stuck in their ways and prefer the company of their own race, which is why (I believe that) the largely segregated neighborhoods still exist. From my own experiences, whenever a group of blacks moves into a predominantly white neighborhood, the white people pack up and move.

To be perfectly honest with you though, my gripe about the area mostly has to do with education. There are many ignorant people in Beaumont simply because they don't have the luxury of a hugely diverse community and that the young people have very few role models that represent them in a positive light (even though there are MANY successful people from the golden triangle area; most of them are/were too embarrassed to be honest about where they came from though...doing the area a huge disservice) or simply say that you can come from this area and be somebody (that, IMHO, is changing dramatically though). It's mostly just relations between black and white people and everyone tends to keep to themselves.

[i am just me]

Also, the fact that there are racist people in southeast Texas is irrelevant because racism is EVERYWHERE...some communities just happen to practice their bias more subtlely.

(I tried to add this to my previous post but I had trouble with the edit function...)

[Marlow]

All of a sudden, I'm finding myself turning into a cheerleader for Corpus Christi.

If you come to Texas to check out the Beaumont area, I encourage you to drive down the coast to Corpus Christi. There are not many African Americans here--the majority of people are Hispanic--but I haven't heard of any overt racism toward AA people. I work with several AA women in a professional capacity and have never heard them complain about anything.

Anyway, housing is affordable although taxes and insurance are high. But, as elsewhere in Texas, we don't pay a state income tax. Wages tend to be low, but that does not seem to be a concern for you at this point. It's a relaxed, laid back, life style.

You could look at acreage in the Orange Grove area if you wanted to be a little ways out of town. Or, in town, you'd most likely find a yard big enough to grow all the vegetables you could eat.

Crime is different in different parts of the city, of course. Where I live, there is some property crime (lawn mowers stolen out of open garages, etc.) but I'm perfectly comfortable walking my dog at 10 p.m. in the neighborhood.

Anyway, I encourage you to add it to your list of possibilities. And I'd be happy to try and answer any questions you might have.

[lifertexan]

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Also, the fact that there are racist people in southeast Texas is irrelevant because racism is EVERYWHERE...some communities just happen to practice their bias more subtlely.

Yes,there are racist people everywhere.Most communities,though,don't go to the extreme of actually running off all the black people in a community.It takes a lot of racists in one area to achieve that.And this is in s east Texas.

And I didn't reference almost all-white neighborhoods,I said towns.Big difference.

[jmerriman2006]

i have been here in southeast texas only a 8 months.and i do not like it..maythere is no help here.i have been out of a job about 2 months. every agency i went to no help.iam from little rock, arkansas.maybe some people can take this type of living. it is set back in time.

[jread]

Originally Posted by i am just me

For all you people who are so bent on bad-mouthing southeast Texas, I would just like to know when was the last time you were in the area?

I was born in Port Arthur and grew up in Orange (where a lot of my family still lives), so I think I have every right to talk about the "Golden Triangle".

That said, it is a socially and economically stagnant place and it has been that way as long as I can remember. I would never recommend it to anyone. It's polluted, backward and very racist. Beaumont is not as bad as the others but it has enough problems to keep it from being a first choice. I'm amazed when I go back home to visit for holidays, etc. and notice the "N-word" being used in public places as if it's perfectly acceptable.

To the original poster, you would do much better in central or north Texas. You might also check out the outer fringes of Houston, which has lots of cheap land.

[NOTAM]

i would have to agree with the other poster, that Corpus Christi would be better for what you want....and you can find affordable acreage in Orange Grove area....which is very close to Calallen which has just about everything you need and is nice, clean, modern. or you can look at Sinton too for land
though it is largely hispanic, i dont think that black folks are discriminated against here. that is just my gut feeling. i live an hour south of Corpus but i work in Corpus on my days off every few weeks, so i have gotten a taste of it...

[HimeKarisuta]

You have to watch out in central cities sometimes too. The city with the most liberal reputation, of course, is Austin. Just last year there was a cop found out to be a member of the KKK in Georgetown though, just 30-40 min. from Austin. I would suggest doing significant research into relations in the city of your choice.

[jread]

Originally Posted by HimeKarisuta

You have to watch out in central cities sometimes too. The city with the most liberal reputation, of course, is Austin. Just last year there was a cop found out to be a member of the KKK in Georgetown though, just 30-40 min. from Austin. I would suggest doing significant research into relations in the city of your choice.

I don't consider anything outside of Travis County to have much to do with Austin and the things that make it what it is. Honestly, anything outside the city limits is pushing it.

Georgetown, on the other hand, is far away and in Williamson County. It has absolutely nothing to do with Austin in my opinion.