Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well,
I certainly am not one to rain on the parade, but I will comment on few things. I am a early thirties professional black female who has been contemplating a move to Texas for a couple of years now. I have been to Houston, Dallas, and Austin. I actually visited Dallas and Austin two summers ago. After reading many of the postings, and although the responses are from "open minded" people, it's obvious that responders are not black. Why is that important to point out? Well, as much as an individual from the majority race states that a certain area is open or "tolerant", which always rubs me the wrong way.... Oh, thanks for tolerating me! Anyway, unless you recieve feedback from minorities regarding the core question, I am doubtful that your question of acceptance can truly be answered. I remember visiting Austin and noticing that there was one major highway that runs through the middle of the city. The west side of town is beautiful...large homes, downtown area, lakes and recreation, where white people live. Well then there was the east side of town... older homes, mostly habitated by blacks and hispanics. I think there are gentrification projects going on on this side of town, which also can be contriversial. This geographical line, however subtle as it may seem, spoke volumes to me and truly turned me off from living in Austin. Every once in a while I reconsider it as I meet new people who are from there. They talk about how open minded and tolerant Austin is and then I realize that they're from the majority race, white. Then I will meet a black person from Texas and I share with them my desire to relocate and my research on Austin and Dallas. It's so interesting the contrast in their response to the same question... Unfortuantely, the response speaks not of overt racism, but subtle discrimination, surface level acceptance and a lack of black professionals. Perhaps to you this means very little. I currently live in Denver, CO, which oddly enough, Austin reminds me a lot of. While completing my Bachelors degree, I lived in Boulder, CO, which is a city, that just like Austin, proclaims diversity, acceptance and "tolerance". The funny thing is the demographics speak of a overwhelming 98%+ white majority. This town has a history of overt and subtle racism.
DECIDE FOR YOUR SELF...AGAIN notice that you did not receive any response from any black professionals. Perhaps, I am wrong, but I had to share my perspective.
I too found that East/West thing strange. We're having to relocate to Austin and that freeway divide really is troubling. Over and over on the boards I read "stay away from the East side", "all the trouble is on the East side", etc, etc. My sister lived in Austin and she acknowledges there is a divide. It didn't take me long to figure out where the money was. Forget about living on the lake, or in what is considered to be the "best" school unless you're rolling in the dough. Personally I find your response enlightening and truthful. I question how schools are rated and I question the divide in the city between East and West. Why in the hell did someone put a freeway right in the middle?? I seriously don't get it. And I realize it's none of my business OP but why would you want to leave Europe?
I live in NW Austin - on the more 'affluent' side of the highway - in a nice neighborhood with good schools and fairly big, well-kept homes. Most of my neighbors are middle-class families; mostly white, some Asian, some Hispanic, some black ... in fact at least four of the homes I can see from my front window are owned by black professionals/families.
We are a normal Austin neighborhood.... blacks may be in a minority but there is zero tension, zero problems, we are all good friends and neighbors .... we chat by the mailbox, our kids play together, we meet up at the pool..... no issues at all. I can't speak for all of Austin but I think we are fairly typical for this type of area.
Some of these latest responses are funny. What city have you ever lived that doesn't have a "bad" area or didn't have certain areas where the housing was less expensive?
This city is diverse but not calling it so based on the location of where people choose to live is a little ridiculous. If you can afford to live in the nicer areas of town, no one is stopping you and I highly doubt anyone will judge you based on your color but more so your character.
lol well Im a black professional and Dallas is constantly in the top places for best places for African Americans to live and work. The problem with Austin is the black population isnt as big as Fort Worth, Dallas or Houston population. It still though have a healthy black population. I think you would be accepted in Austin it is one of the most liberal cities in the state and generally accept everybody. The city of Austin is actually trying to bring black professional into Austin.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,789,849 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexander
Hi Guys, ... please forgive me for the blunt nature of my question but i have a huge life altering decision to make on where to move to when i return to the States from Europe in the next few months. I am a Black writer and aspiring flimmaker in my late 30's who works as a waiter/bartender to pay the bills and i'm in desperate need of the straight unvarnished, warts n' all , good bad and ugly TRUTH about the social dynamic of the city of Austin in terms of integration, tolerance and inclusiveness. I should mention i was born and raised in Alabama( some bad memories ..which is why this question is so important), lived in Venice Beach and South Beach and I'm currently living in the North of Italy . Of course i have read many, many wonderful things about Austin and it really seems like it could be the perfect place for someone with my interests but unfortunately in my research I have also read some rather disturbing things regarding racial incidents involving the Austin police and incidents that seem to occur at the nearby college campuses and surrounding areas. Am i misinformed ? Is this old news of the past and not a concern or reality of the present. Is there a Black part of town and a White part of town where all the wonderful things are? Are interracial couples welcomed and accepted and In addition to the Hispanic citizens, are people of color employed in the Bars, Shops and Restaurants downtown? Please, Please educate me you guys and let me add that no offense is meant by my questions I just sincerely would like to know once and for all if Austin is cool but maybe slightly less cool for a person of color. Thanks very much guys for sharing what experiences/info you may have!
Alexander
The short answer is no. In spite of what you may have seen or heard, there are no progressive types, hippies, political liberals, open-minded or otherwise tolerant and accepting people anywhere in Texas and particularly in the Taliban-like outpost of Austin.
Who are you gonna believe - me or your lyin' eyes?
Remember, Austin was an officially segregated city well into the 1960sl Schools, housing, and public facilities including hospitals had separate facilities for white and for blacks/hispanics. The history is not particularly pretty and that kind of urban design does not disappear in 50 years. But every Southern city and most northern ones too have some quite disturbing history.
Austin is not an AA utopia but it is an accepting city and creative work is valued here.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,789,849 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by lolsearch
Well,
I certainly am not one to rain on the parade, but I will comment on few things. I am a early thirties professional black female who has been contemplating a move to Texas for a couple of years now. I have been to Houston, Dallas, and Austin. I actually visited Dallas and Austin two summers ago. After reading many of the postings, and although the responses are from "open minded" people, it's obvious that responders are not black. Why is that important to point out? Well, as much as an individual from the majority race states that a certain area is open or "tolerant", which always rubs me the wrong way.... Oh, thanks for tolerating me! Anyway, unless you recieve feedback from minorities regarding the core question, I am doubtful that your question of acceptance can truly be answered. I remember visiting Austin and noticing that there was one major highway that runs through the middle of the city. The west side of town is beautiful...large homes, downtown area, lakes and recreation, where white people live. Well then there was the east side of town... older homes, mostly habitated by blacks and hispanics. I think there are gentrification projects going on on this side of town, which also can be contriversial. This geographical line, however subtle as it may seem, spoke volumes to me and truly turned me off from living in Austin. Every once in a while I reconsider it as I meet new people who are from there. They talk about how open minded and tolerant Austin is and then I realize that they're from the majority race, white. Then I will meet a black person from Texas and I share with them my desire to relocate and my research on Austin and Dallas. It's so interesting the contrast in their response to the same question... Unfortuantely, the response speaks not of overt racism, but subtle discrimination, surface level acceptance and a lack of black professionals. Perhaps to you this means very little. I currently live in Denver, CO, which oddly enough, Austin reminds me a lot of. While completing my Bachelors degree, I lived in Boulder, CO, which is a city, that just like Austin, proclaims diversity, acceptance and "tolerance". The funny thing is the demographics speak of a overwhelming 98%+ white majority. This town has a history of overt and subtle racism.
DECIDE FOR YOUR SELF...AGAIN notice that you did not receive any response from any black professionals. Perhaps, I am wrong, but I had to share my perspective.
Thanks....
You're right, there are certainly neighborhood boundaries in Austin (as there are in any city of comparable or greater size) but I think that to paint in broad strokes about where "blacks and hispanics" live versus "white people" is inaccurate and your implication that Austin and other cities that not only profess progressiveness but actually realize it are in fact insidious harborers of subtle racism tells me a bit about your relative open-mindedness (and perhaps paranoia).
If we really examine neighborhood divisions, we will find that they are drawn socio-economically more than anything else. Successful professionals want to live where the other successful professionals live and they don't care about neighborhood demographics. Not today, not in Austin.
Well, I've driven thru Austin a few times. I've found all ethnicities on both sides of that great divide I-35. I've also noted the large non-affluent living conditions east of that highway. While for many, living east of I-35 is not a choice or can't find a way out, but the existence of the east side conditions pre-date anybody's civil rights movement and pre-dates any person alive in Texas today, excepting perhaps Ann Richards.
Those conditions exist as part of a historical placement of cultures. As ethnicities merge those areas will change, as lolsearch above observes changes on the east side. But it's up to the residents of the east side to live the change... wait, this is not a paid political commercial.
Well,
I certainly am not one to rain on the parade, but I will comment on few things. I am a early thirties professional black female who has been contemplating a move to Texas for a couple of years now. I have been to Houston, Dallas, and Austin. I actually visited Dallas and Austin two summers ago. After reading many of the postings, and although the responses are from "open minded" people, it's obvious that responders are not black. Why is that important to point out? Well, as much as an individual from the majority race states that a certain area is open or "tolerant", which always rubs me the wrong way.... Oh, thanks for tolerating me! Anyway, unless you recieve feedback from minorities regarding the core question, I am doubtful that your question of acceptance can truly be answered. I remember visiting Austin and noticing that there was one major highway that runs through the middle of the city. The west side of town is beautiful...large homes, downtown area, lakes and recreation, where white people live. Well then there was the east side of town... older homes, mostly habitated by blacks and hispanics. I think there are gentrification projects going on on this side of town, which also can be contriversial. This geographical line, however subtle as it may seem, spoke volumes to me and truly turned me off from living in Austin. Every once in a while I reconsider it as I meet new people who are from there. They talk about how open minded and tolerant Austin is and then I realize that they're from the majority race, white. Then I will meet a black person from Texas and I share with them my desire to relocate and my research on Austin and Dallas. It's so interesting the contrast in their response to the same question... Unfortuantely, the response speaks not of overt racism, but subtle discrimination, surface level acceptance and a lack of black professionals. Perhaps to you this means very little. I currently live in Denver, CO, which oddly enough, Austin reminds me a lot of. While completing my Bachelors degree, I lived in Boulder, CO, which is a city, that just like Austin, proclaims diversity, acceptance and "tolerance". The funny thing is the demographics speak of a overwhelming 98%+ white majority. This town has a history of overt and subtle racism.
DECIDE FOR YOUR SELF...AGAIN notice that you did not receive any response from any black professionals. Perhaps, I am wrong, but I had to share my perspective.
Thanks....
I can understand why you would hesitate to believe the responders because they are coming from non-black posters.
But I think the same goes for believing a poster who doesn't even live in Austin, verses people who live here.
You may have a very superficial view of Austin just from driving around and seeing the good side verses the bad side of town. I would agree with reverse's comment that that's a typical city setup and not a good indication of a city's willingness to accept other cultures.
Austin has a smaller black community than many other cities - 10% according to the 2000 census. I don't think it's fair to conclude that the reason the numbers are low as a result of "subtle discrimination or surface level acceptance." If that were true, then the flipside would have to be true - that there's less discrimination in cities with larger black populations.
My opinion on the OP's question is this-- I am a white woman, so perhaps I don't know anything about what it is like for a black man in Austin. I have, however, lived in quite a few cities as an adult - in the east coast, west coast, and the south. Regardless of your race, you can pick up on attitudes of a city just by hearing comments of neighbors, coworkers and friends, and I can honestly say the people I know in Austin are very open-minded and accepting. I don't hear the the kind of ugly comments that I've heard in other cities.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
