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Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland Calvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County
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Old 11-01-2011, 01:43 PM
 
572 posts, read 1,864,803 times
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Me personally, I just moved to DC from Atlanta, and I live in NOVA currently. but I also desire to move to a black area of DC and/or Prince George's County. I prefer to be around black people just like the people in the article. Why? Because those are my people; we share a common history, culture, and experience.

I don't necessarily have a problem living around different races; my main concern is that other races would have a problem living around me. There are whites and asians who do not want to live around black people; or they could live around black people, but they wouldn't want to live in an area that is majority black. To some people 3 or 4 black families on the block is a good neighborhood, but 13 or 14 black families is a ghetto.
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Old 11-01-2011, 01:53 PM
 
1,831 posts, read 4,421,031 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by meatkins View Post
My wife and I have had similar experiences. My wife used to teach in PG too and she had some kids in her 4th grade class that had never heard of Annapolis and thought Washington DC was the capital of MD. I've also tutored a 7th grader who didn't know who the governor of MD was. And that's the point I'm bringing up. It might be nice to live in a place where you can relate to everyone, but is that really healthy for the kids? My experience tells me no, but everybody has their opinion.
Well, some of that could be a product of cultural isolation. But it also sounds like a product of poor education. Kids come to you in 4th or 7th grade and DKS? I mean, the basics? What were they being taught in the earlier grades? Did they fail to absorb it, or just refuse to believe the facts? Because of cultural isolation and all?

Living in an all-black neighborhood is not cultural isolation in and of itself. It can be a refuge. But I haven't see a lot of interacting in any modern suburban middle-class neighborhoods. My experience has been that modern suburbanites tend to keep to themselves for the most part. I suppose just seeing neighbors who look the same and share similar values can be enough. There's some value to that.

I would place more value on diversity in education as opposed to diversity of neighborhood. That being said, a diverse neighborhood can be a great experience as well.

I think the number-one reason that whites and other minorities would avoid PG is the public schools, hands down.
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:00 PM
 
1,196 posts, read 2,924,180 times
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Originally Posted by meatkins View Post
No one is throwing PG County under the bus. I haven't said anything that isn't the truth about PG. I just brought the article up here for discussion not to bash PG. We have a lot of parts that aren't diverse, that's not negative, that's a fact. Is it really a big secret? I mean you act like someone said something about your mother that wasn't true. Aren't you an adult? You can't have an adult conversation without attacking people? If you don't like what is being said, then why are you even wasting your time? I remember you saying you went to Gwynn Park, judging from how juvenile you act, it doesn't seem that hard to believe.
Actually I did go to Gwynn Park, during one of the many influxes of black students to the school via magnet transfers (kids from Temple hills, Hillcrest Heights, Ft. Wash, Oxon hill, Largo etc) during a time when folks from Brandywine, Aquasco, Clinton, Accokeek, Baden, etc were not used to black folks coming that far into the "country", for any reason (Maybe to Eagle Harbor or Lamont's but that's another lesson)-

And what I realized, is it is usually not the whites who have trouble accepting or blending in with blacks, it is the blacks who seem threatend by "diffrent" black folks, and want the whites to identify with them only, and not other blacks who may have a diffrent background-

And by that last line you wrote, I can tell which one you are/were-
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:05 PM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,070 posts, read 9,501,752 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bowian View Post
Well, some of that could be a product of cultural isolation. But it also sounds like a product of poor education. Kids come to you in 4th or 7th grade and DKS? I mean, the basics? What were they being taught in the earlier grades? Did they fail to absorb it, or just refuse to believe the facts? Because of cultural isolation and all?

Living in an all-black neighborhood is not cultural isolation in and of itself. It can be a refuge. But I haven't see a lot of interacting in any modern suburban middle-class neighborhoods. My experience has been that modern suburbanites tend to keep to themselves for the most part. I suppose just seeing neighbors who look the same and share similar values can be enough. There's some value to that.

I would place more value on diversity in education as opposed to diversity of neighborhood. That being said, a diverse neighborhood can be a great experience as well.

I think the number-one reason that whites and other minorities would avoid PG is the public schools, hands down.
Unfortunately this is not indicative of schools but the lack of education as a priority in the home. In addition, most poor families don't have the means to leave the area to help their child experience new cultures, new cities, or new ways of life that gives them a broader view of the world they live in. It is pretty hard to travel if you're dependent on public transportation. Let's face it, how many parents will sit and watch National Geographic or PBS with their children as apposed to BET or MTV? And what about those who can't afford cable? And then those that can afford to get out and experience new places don't seem to care that their child needs those experiences. Both parent and teacher have to work together. Unfortunately, they are often strangers and even work against each other.
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:06 PM
 
1,831 posts, read 4,421,031 times
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Originally Posted by EdwardA View Post
I really don't get this fascination Black Americans have with Ancient Egypt.
Saying that "Black Americans" have such a fascination sounds disdainful and divisive and paints a broad brush. That would be like me saying, in response to your comment, that West Africans have an inferiority complex when it comes to Egypt and I don't get it. Why even go there?
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:23 PM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,923,748 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdiggs1 View Post
Me personally, I just moved to DC from Atlanta, and I live in NOVA currently. but I also desire to move to a black area of DC and/or Prince George's County. I prefer to be around black people just like the people in the article. Why? Because those are my people; we share a common history, culture, and experience.

I don't necessarily have a problem living around different races; my main concern is that other races would have a problem living around me. There are whites and asians who do not want to live around black people; or they could live around black people, but they wouldn't want to live in an area that is majority black. To some people 3 or 4 black families on the block is a good neighborhood, but 13 or 14 black families is a ghetto.
I definitely agree with that. That is one of the reasons why I can't move to an area that is 85% or more white or Asian. To me there are enough there that make the experience uncomfortable. With that reasoning I can understand why some blacks would want to live close to other blacks, but at the same time, there are places that are more tolerant of other races of cultures and some of them are in PG.
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:23 PM
 
692 posts, read 1,727,713 times
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Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
Just a perspective from a PG County teacher:

I've had many students over the years whose whole existence encompassed the area from SE DC out to Capitol Heights. Many of them had zero contact with any whites until middle school when they had a white teacher. Also, great numbers are surprised when we talk demographics of the US in one class or another. From their experience the majority of the US is black. I've even had a few tell me the statistics are wrong.

How old are these students? I've subbed in several of county's schools and I've never come across kids who think this way. In fact they tend to be more aware of different cultures and races.
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Old 11-01-2011, 02:27 PM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,923,748 times
Reputation: 3222
Quote:
Originally Posted by cool rob View Post
Actually I did go to Gwynn Park, during one of the many influxes of black students to the school via magnet transfers (kids from Temple hills, Hillcrest Heights, Ft. Wash, Oxon hill, Largo etc) during a time when folks from Brandywine, Aquasco, Clinton, Accokeek, Baden, etc were not used to black folks coming that far into the "country", for any reason (Maybe to Eagle Harbor or Lamont's but that's another lesson)-

And what I realized, is it is usually not the whites who have trouble accepting or blending in with blacks, it is the blacks who seem threatend by "diffrent" black folks, and want the whites to identify with them only, and not other blacks who may have a diffrent background-

And by that last line you wrote, I can tell which one you are/were-
You know absolutely nothing about me. You don't even know what my life experiences are and who I identify with. You and one other person are the only person who seem to be taking this personal. A few people on here have disagreed with me, but at least none of them have wasted their time trying to bait people in juvenile arguments.
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Old 11-01-2011, 03:15 PM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,979 posts, read 59,955,217 times
Reputation: 60542
Quote:
Originally Posted by liliblu View Post
How old are these students? I've subbed in several of county's schools and I've never come across kids who think this way. In fact they tend to be more aware of different cultures and races.

High school. The ones I run into now tend to be recent transplants from SE DC whose parents have moved them out to the Upper Marlboro area. You'll also get it from some Baltimore kids.
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Old 11-01-2011, 03:23 PM
 
1,831 posts, read 4,421,031 times
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Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
Unfortunately this is not indicative of schools but the lack of education as a priority in the home.
Sorry, you can't just blame the lack of knowledge about the capital of Maryland, or the name of Maryland's governor, on just the home. Public schools have to take the children as they receive them, then educate them. So, if a parent does not (or does) teach the child about current events school must. The schools are charged with doing so. If a child is in the 4th grade and thinks Washington, DC is the capital of Maryland (not even incorrectly guessing Baltimore, but DC no less), there is a failure, and it is not just in the home.

I am not one to ignore my own charge to eduate my children. But I am also not one to release a school system from its accountability. Not with the taxes I pay.
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