Being Black in Wisconsin (Appleton)......... (Milwaukee, Luck: to rent, property tax, to live in)

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by peace_love_midwest

As far as Wisconsin goes, I've lived in Milwaukee, Madison, & Appleton, where I currently live. I like all three cities for all different reasons--while Appleton is by far the smallest of the three, I also feel that it has very friendly people & that the population is becoming increasingly diverse, albeit with a smaller population in general, that increase in minorities is still relatively small compared to larger urban areas. However, in my neighborhood alone (a fairly quiet, older neighborhood w/ period houses and giant tree-lined streets) we have people of all backgrounds, varying in ethnic diversity, class, or sexual orientation all living side by side and I have yet to see a problem among any of us. I believe that most everyone I know here in Appleton is able to recognize diversity and acknowledge and embrace our differences, which is part of what makes this smaller midwestern town a great place to live.
So many of my friends from other places have commented on how surprised they were by all that Appleton actually had to offer--martini lounges, activist groups, coffee shops, lots of bars & pubs, ethnic restaurants, the Appleton Art Center, outdoor festivals, the farmers' market, live music, Lawrence University, international business--I think there are a lot of things that could make your life & home in Appleton a great one if you decide to come our way! Best of luck with your decision-making--hopefully we can welcome you to our city in the future!

Sound like Appleton could be a good place. Hopefully, yesterday's bad elements are dwindling.

[socalid]

Hello all. I am glad I found this site. I am thinking of moving to Appleton and just wanted to know how the attitudes are towards mixed-relationships. Also how is the job market for college grads.. Thanks for the info.

[socalid]

I am moving from California soon. What do Appleton folks look at mixed-relationships? How is the job situation for college educated black men?

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by socalid

I am moving from California soon. What do Appleton folks look at mixed-relationships? How is the job situation for college educated black men?

Appleton/Fox Cities is very accepting of mixed relationships, that shouldn't be an issue whatsoever. As far as the job outlook is concerned, I'm not too sure. I would imagine it depends much on what field your degree is in.

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by jjacobeclark

Appleton/Fox Cities is very accepting of mixed relationships, that shouldn't be an issue whatsoever. As far as the job outlook is concerned, I'm not too sure. I would imagine it depends much on what field your degree is in.

I'd like to say thanks to everyone that posted in this thread, My wife and I are a mixed couple and are looking to leave the South East sometime soon and were thinking Minnesota or Wisconsin might be a nice change. I've always heard that most of Wisconsin wasn't too bad with racism and things like that. I'd say honestly that most of the upper midwest states are lacking more black people due to the extremely cold weather.

When my wife moved to Tennessee from Louisiana, the winters we had here in Tennessee messed with her bad, always sick. lol our winters here are like a trip to Florida to what you folks up there get.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

I'd like to say thanks to everyone that posted in this thread, My wife and I are a mixed couple and are looking to leave the South East sometime soon and were thinking Minnesota or Wisconsin might be a nice change. I've always heard that most of Wisconsin wasn't too bad with racism and things like that. I'd say honestly that most of the upper midwest states are lacking more black people due to the extremely cold weather.

When my wife moved to Tennessee from Louisiana, the winters we had here in Tennessee messed with her bad, always sick. lol our winters here are like a trip to Florida to what you folks up there get.

I may catch some flak for this post, but I'll dare to be candid.

Wisconsin has a weird and nearly irreconcilable history of progressivism and reactionary conservatism, so please be careful with some of your assumptions. The rural portions of the upper Midwest can be inhospitable to minorities, if nothing else but from a sheer lack of ever having to deal with minorities and not really knowing how. Demographically, the rural north is not like the rural south -- it is VERY white. The responses to minorities can range from mere indifference to awkwardness to passive-aggressive hostility. It might bring some bare comfort knowing that at least outward hostility is a thing of the past.

But if you're not willing to settle for a mere lack of outward hostility, you really need to pick and choose carefully. Some of the smaller cities are suitably progressive such that race won't be a major issue, especially in the university towns like Eau Claire, La Crosse, Appleton, and especially Madison. And even in these more "open-minded" cities you may find some of the population is so eager to accept you to the point of being patronizing. Such is life in a mega-white state that, save Milwaukee, hasn't had to seriously address race relations.

And for what it's worth, cold hasn't been the reason why there aren't a lot of black people in the upper Midwest, lest we forget there are substantial black populations in very cold places like Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. It has more to do with the history of slavery and the history of black migration patterns. No slavery in Midwest = few black descendants; furthermore, major industry that drew huge waves of black migration circa 1920-1960 was limited to urban centers, hence concentrated black populations in urban centers and very little black population in rural areas.

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by ComputerBlue

Hello I was considering one of my destination cities to be Appleton. I'm a single 30 year old black professional in the IT field and I was wondering if I could fit in that type of city. I hear alot of negativity about milwaukee and how segregated it is. And hear alot about racial tension. I'm originally from Orlando, Florida and now reside in Dallas, Texas and I'm trying to find a decent city or town up north where it's not so hot most of the 12 months of the year. But Appleton caught my eye and it seems it has alot of computer jobs and a thriving economy. At the same time I don't want to be close to major urban sprawl just want to have a peaceful existence lol. Does the same racial tension reside up there? And are there bad neighborhoods I need to avoid? And are there neighborhoods where I can leave my keys in the ignition over night? lol

Dude, don't leave your keys in your car overnight anywhere these days, LOL!

That having been said, geez, Appleton is up by Green Bay. Since the number of blacks up there is significantly less than Milwaukee, it's probably in all reality more racially liberal. I think it's fair to say that where black communities get large in number or percentage, *that's* where you'll find the most intolerance.

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by Drover

I may catch some flak for this post, but I'll dare to be candid.

Wisconsin has a weird and nearly irreconcilable history of progressivism and reactionary conservatism, so please be careful with some of your assumptions. The rural portions of the upper Midwest can be inhospitable to minorities, if nothing else but from a sheer lack of ever having to deal with minorities and not really knowing how. Demographically, the rural north is not like the rural south -- it is VERY white. The responses to minorities can range from mere indifference to awkwardness to passive-aggressive hostility. It might bring some bare comfort knowing that at least outward hostility is a thing of the past.

But if you're not willing to settle for a mere lack of outward hostility, you really need to pick and choose carefully. Some of the smaller cities are suitably progressive such that race won't be a major issue, especially in the university towns like Eau Claire, La Crosse, Appleton, and especially Madison. And even in these more "open-minded" cities you may find some of the population is so eager to accept you to the point of being patronizing. Such is life in a mega-white state that, save Milwaukee, hasn't had to seriously address race relations.

And for what it's worth, cold hasn't been the reason why there aren't a lot of black people in the upper Midwest, lest we forget there are substantial black populations in very cold places like Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. It has more to do with the history of slavery and the history of black migration patterns. No slavery in Midwest = few black descendants; furthermore, major industry that drew huge waves of black migration circa 1920-1960 was limited to urban centers, hence concentrated black populations in urban centers and very little black population in rural areas.

Yeah, As a rule (atleast for myself) I've never cared alot for midwestern states. I always liked Wisconsin and Minnesota due to the wilderness aspect of them well, atleast in some areas of the states. I've never been to either so really any info I get on them I take with a grain of salt. Most black people I've known that live in the South have told me that they, quote, are " tropical people " and would never live in the cold and snowy north.

I've been to Chicago and hate it. Chicago seemed extremely racially segregated to me and the same goes for Indianapolis and Cincinnati too. I've been to St. Louis about 500 times and they are pretty segregated too. It's amazing the differences between the north and south when it comes to race and race relations but the media continues to portray the south as the most segregated area in the U.S.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by JMadison

Dude, don't leave your keys in your car overnight anywhere these days, LOL!

That having been said, geez, Appleton is up by Green Bay. Since the number of blacks up there is significantly less than Milwaukee, it's probably in all reality more racially liberal. I think it's fair to say that where black communities get large in number or percentage, *that's* where you'll find the most intolerance.

It depends on the volume of the diversity and the attitudes too.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Drover

I may catch some flak for this post, but I'll dare to be candid.

Wisconsin has a weird and nearly irreconcilable history of progressivism and reactionary conservatism, so please be careful with some of your assumptions. The rural portions of the upper Midwest can be inhospitable to minorities, if nothing else but from a sheer lack of ever having to deal with minorities and not really knowing how. Demographically, the rural north is not like the rural south -- it is VERY white. The responses to minorities can range from mere indifference to awkwardness to passive-aggressive hostility. It might bring some bare comfort knowing that at least outward hostility is a thing of the past.

But if you're not willing to settle for a mere lack of outward hostility, you really need to pick and choose carefully. Some of the smaller cities are suitably progressive such that race won't be a major issue, especially in the university towns like Eau Claire, La Crosse, Appleton, and especially Madison. And even in these more "open-minded" cities you may find some of the population is so eager to accept you to the point of being patronizing. Such is life in a mega-white state that, save Milwaukee, hasn't had to seriously address race relations.

And for what it's worth, cold hasn't been the reason why there aren't a lot of black people in the upper Midwest, lest we forget there are substantial black populations in very cold places like Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. It has more to do with the history of slavery and the history of black migration patterns. No slavery in Midwest = few black descendants; furthermore, major industry that drew huge waves of black migration circa 1920-1960 was limited to urban centers, hence concentrated black populations in urban centers and very little black population in rural areas.

Very good and on point post...

For Wisconsin, besides Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Beloit and recently Madison, you won't find too many communities with at least a decent concentration of black people. I guess LaCrosse, Green Bay, Janesville and Eau Claire, along with the Fox Cities have Black communities, but most of that is pretty recent.