Its sucks being a college educated BLK male in Chicago. (Oak Park: employment, vs.)

[Time and Space]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

Here even white neighborhoods that aren't upscale are almost entirely single race. To the extent that racial separation exists in other large cities (no one's talking about Bent Fork, Oregon), it's largely a matter of class. As much as I don't like it ,race and class are largely linked but class seems to have nothing to do with it here. I can understand limited amounts of racial minorities on the Gold Coast, but nobody gets priced out of, say, Irving Park.

This city seems to have taken a giant paint color wheel and made sure nobody more than one shade apart lives next door to each other.

My posts to this thread may lead one to believe otherwise, but I do like Chicago a lot, I just wish it would join 2011 in like other major American cities.

"Race and class are largely linked"?l

Why? is that by design? Why are race and class largely linked?

If two people graduate from the same college, get the same degree...how is race and class still an issue...explain....

Originally Posted by Aleking

People most certainly do get priced out of Iriving Park. Right or wrong, one of the main reason places like Uptown and Rogers Park have maintained diversity is because of concerted effort to sustain a large amount of below market rate housing. There are plenty of people (usually ethnic minorities) for whom a $500 a month place is too expensive.

As for your final note, I think Chicagoans like it the way it is. People like the idea of diversity but aren't so fond of it in practice. The day Lake View, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and the Gold Coast start becoming diverse, is the day property values plummet and their residents flee to Naperville.

There are plenty of people (usually ethnic minorities) for whom a $500 a month place is too expensive.

Why? again is that by design?

I mean if people graduate from the same college, same degree...how does the 'white person' go on to earn more and can afford a $500.00 apartment, where as his classmate, who's 'black' cannont...

Please explain why that is?

And to the OP...I feel for ya...

Your an induvisual with your own induvisual experiences that have made you you...unfortunatly, you'll never be looked at by society that way...

You could of just as well been born Irish or Italian...and the people in the communities you want to mingle with, would auto matically accept you by default...until you did something wrong...

But as a black man, or male of color...your always 'wrong' until you proove your right...and often times in real life...you don't ever get that opportunity...the doors close in your face before you can proove otherwise...

[vicnice]

Havent read the whole thread, but I am a YBP male in Chicago visiting from DC, and I went to Wriglyville....for Sunday football....OMG what a mistake. Not integrated at all, and every person there was the same "Type" (like looking at a picture of Romney and Perry).

DC is segregated, but there is a riptide section of race in the middle of the city (and maybe in Chicago that is mid/south loop or something.....not sure...headed there soon). I do have to say that I can see how it would be hard being a YBP and maintaining your identity in Chicago.

[urza216]

Oh, man. THIS thread again??

Since this thread wasn't revived to say something incredibly profound, I personally think this one should've stayed buried..

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by vicnice

Havent read the whole thread, but I am a YBP male in Chicago visiting from DC, and I went to Wriglyville....for Sunday football....OMG what a mistake. Not integrated at all, and every person there was the same "Type" (like looking at a picture of Romney and Perry).

DC is segregated, but there is a riptide section of race in the middle of the city (and maybe in Chicago that is mid/south loop or something.....not sure...headed there soon). I do have to say that I can see how it would be hard being a YBP and maintaining your identity in Chicago.

I am a black professional transplant and have never had a problem with my identity in Chicago. I dont do the Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park social scene due to obvious reasons that you've mentioned.

I've been living in West Lakeview for two months and I'm writing to advise that it offers a lot of convenience with amenities and public transportation but lacking on diversity compared to other parts of the area.

Please dont draw a complete picture of the area based on the bar scene in Wrigleyville.

[vicnice]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I am a black professional transplant and have never had a problem with my identity in Chicago. I dont do the Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park social scene due to obvious reasons that you've mentioned.

I've been living in West Lakeview for two months and I'm writing to advise that it offers a lot of convenience with amenities and public transportation but lacking on diversity compared to other parts of the area.

Please dont draw a complete picture of the area based on the bar scene in Wrigleyville.

Not at all. I am headed to South Loop to check out that area as well. I got the heck out of Wriglyville fast.....(but there were a few joints I would probably go back to). Is the South Loop the melting pot area for Chicago?

Honestly, DC is just the same though....if you are YBP in Georgetown or Clarendon, you are going to get a few off key stares. But in DC people are about money, jobs and power, so race kind of takes a backseat to the "greater good", here in Chicago, much of it feels the same, but.....not really.

[urbanpln]

I am a black male who is not so young anymore (mid 40's) but, moved here as a well educated young man. I have had a very successful and rewarding career here. I believe it's still a great city for well educated black men. D.C. probably offers way more but, there is so much opportunity here for those who want to take advantage of it (before the recession) .

I have a friend, also a black male, who is an attorney. He moved to L.A. two years ago after marrying a beautiful woman who grew up there. He moved back to Chicago this past August. He told me this city was better for his career and he liked it much better. I also know quite a few other black men who are in the financial industry and earn between $150K to $500K per year. Have you ever heard of John Rogers(check wikipedia)? He owns Ariel Capital, the largest minority owned mutual fund firm in the country. He employs people of all races but, also makes an effort to find and hire young black talent. Also, it's not just pure luck that Obama rose to prominence here. "Think about it".

Any brother who is well prepared can make it here easily. I continue to travel throughout the city, dine at some of the better eating establishments and, drink at some of the better watering holes and I've never encountered any issues.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by urbanpln

I am a black male who is not so young anymore (mid 40's) but, moved here as a well educated young man. I have had a very successful and rewarding career here. I believe it's still a great city for well educated black men. D.C. probably offers way more but, there is so much opportunity here for those who want to take advantage of it (before the recession) .

I have a friend, also a black male, who is an attorney. He moved to L.A. two years ago after marrying a beautiful woman who grew up there. He moved back to Chicago this past August. He told me this city was better for his career and he liked it much better. I also know quite a few other black men who are in the financial industry and earn between $150K to $500K per year. Have you ever heard of John Rogers(check wikipedia)? He owns Ariel Capital, the largest minority owned mutual fund firm in the country. He employs people of all races but, also makes an effort to find and hire young black talent. Also, it's not just pure luck that Obama rose to prominence here. "Think about it".

Any brother who is well prepared can make it here easily. I continue to travel throughout the city, dine at some of the better eating establishments and, drink at some of the better watering holes and I've never encountered any issues.

I think you're missing the original point of the thread; it wasn't about career opportunities but social opportunities.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Drover

I think you're missing the original point of the thread; it wasn't about career opportunities but social opportunities.

Did you miss his last sentence?

I'm not in a position to offer anything like authoritative advice on this subject, but I suspect that part of the perceived problem is that if you're from outside the dominant group and you're trying to socialize with the dominant group it can be very difficult to judge peoples reactions to you. In any social interaction, people may just not like you for any number of personal reasons, or for reasons that have nothing to do with you. So if you're a young person who's new to an area and getting used to a new city, a new post-academic lifestyle, maybe a new regional culture and new people, it can be hard even for people who are the same race and roughly the same economic class as the people they're trying to get to know. Throw in race and I would guess that it can get even more complicated. Do they act strange around me just because they're cliquish in general? Do they act strange around me just because I'm new? Do they act strange around me because they don't like my clothes? Do they act strange around me because I'm black - and if that's the case, is it just because they're not used to seeing a lot of black people in which case I can just be bright and confident and win them over, or is it because they're really actually racists and if I stick around and act bright and confident it'll just **** them off?

I'd like to think that most of the white people in places like Lakeview and Lincoln Park who act uncomfortable around black people do so only because they're not used to hanging out with black people and not because they're actively racist, so if more black people decided to persistently make friends in the area, it would become more integrated and less tense. But I honestly don't know if that's actually the case.

[DC's Finest]

Originally Posted by vicnice

Not at all. I am headed to South Loop to check out that area as well. I got the heck out of Wriglyville fast.....(but there were a few joints I would probably go back to). Is the South Loop the melting pot area for Chicago?

Honestly, DC is just the same though....if you are YBP in Georgetown or Clarendon, you are going to get a few off key stares. But in DC people are about money, jobs and power, so race kind of takes a backseat to the "greater good", here in Chicago, much of it feels the same, but.....not really.

I'm in Gtown everyday and I have never had an issue or anyone stare at me? Blacks live in GT too. Check out P Street from time to time.

[Time and Space]

Originally Posted by Drover

I think you're missing the original point of the thread; it wasn't about career opportunities but social opportunities.

I think the two are kind of linked...where there are career opportunities, there will be social opportunities...

Social circles, or networks, are prominant in corporations and or firms...

If one is denied opportunity to get in the door, ones not going to get to meet the shakers and movers of whatever industry or career field they're in...

And this is what often hurts career advancement for college educated black males who want to broaden their social portfolio...

They're often allowed to participate in the work side, production side fo the equation, but after work are shut out...and forced to go back and hang out with Jerome, from 45th and Colfax.