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I see every day that race here in Huntsville/Madison is ever disappearing, We do have deep rooted black communities as we have some very deeply rooted communities as they make us who we are as a city. If a person is looking to live in a city of deep rooted black culture, I don't think you will find a lot of that here anymore,but there is pockets thru out our great area. Huntsville is a well diverse city, with lots of muliti racial families of all races and colors and creeds. Huntsville has schools that seem more black than white and then you have schools that are balanced and then you have more white than black. If anyone ever comes up to me and ask me if I feel welcomed or safe in the area because of my life style I will be able to say absolutely . I have found that this city and the surrounding area has let the old south of racism die away. This area has a Army base and it is safe to say that it has helped us move into the right direction. I have found that racism is not a problem here. I am proud to proclaim that as a fact. People can have there belief about a race but that does not mean they push it on others. I have one teenager left in high school at Bob Jones High and he is a multi racial person is Irish/African/Spaniard/and Indian, He loves his school and he has only come home mad one time for a boy calling him the N word and he stopped the boy and explained who he was and why he was calm and explained what bulling was and that what the N word really meant and how offensive it was to not just his black side but his Irish side as well. He has love for everyone and makes it a point to educate people about race every chance he gets. He and his older brother have never felt out of place here. If anyone calls Alabama out for it's past then that is just sad. what happened in and around us back in the day is over and we have built a wonderful community here, and we here have seem to leave the past back where it belongs. we made new history and that history is one to be extremely proud of and that's why we have been named in so many list of the best places to raise a family. We were named the best place in America for African American's to retire in a magazine . Does anyone feel different from me about the area and why and what are your experiences .
I see every day that race here in Huntsville/Madison is ever disappearing, We do have deep rooted black communities as we have some very deeply rooted communities as they make us who we are as a city. If a person is looking to live in a city of deep rooted black culture, I don't think you will find a lot of that here anymore,but there is pockets thru out our great area. Huntsville is a well diverse city, with lots of muliti racial families of all races and colors and creeds. Huntsville has schools that seem more black than white and then you have schools that are balanced and then you have more white than black. If anyone ever comes up to me and ask me if I feel welcomed or safe in the area because of my life style I will be able to say absolutely . I have found that this city and the surrounding area has let the old south of racism die away. This area has a Army base and it is safe to say that it has helped us move into the right direction. I have found that racism is not a problem here. I am proud to proclaim that as a fact. People can have there belief about a race but that does not mean they push it on others. I have one teenager left in high school at Bob Jones High and he is a multi racial person is Irish/African/Spaniard/and Indian, He loves his school and he has only come home mad one time for a boy calling him the N word and he stopped the boy and explained who he was and why he was calm and explained what bulling was and that what the N word really meant and how offensive it was to not just his black side but his Irish side as well. He has love for everyone and makes it a point to educate people about race every chance he gets. He and his older brother have never felt out of place here. If anyone calls Alabama out for it's past then that is just sad. what happened in and around us back in the day is over and we have built a wonderful community here, and we here have seem to leave the past back where it belongs. we made new history and that history is one to be extremely proud of and that's why we have been named in so many list of the best places to raise a family. We were named the best place in America for African American's to retire in a magazine . Does anyone feel different from me about the area and why and what are your experiences .
As a fellow African American, I can agree with how proud you feel. It really is a great feeling that we can finally begin to move forward. Let's take this coming month to be thanksful for what we have.
I agree with your statement for the most part, but I believe there are still some deep rooted issues that need to be resolved tied to education and money that would make the area better than it is already. In the last 15-20 years I would say this has gotten worse and not better in the city of Huntsville.
I am glad life is idyllic for you. For myself, I have found that as racism, as perceived from whites, (which seems to be what you mean), recedes, it increases from blacks.
White racism can be insidious , but black racism is brutal in that it is so in your face. Such as how 'passive resistance' was embraced from the demonstrations to now be used on the job place to 'show' people you will do as you please.
The sad part about this separation in the mind of blacks is that it turns off white people who are totally open to knowing and liking new people, black or not. I am totally dismissive when I encounter the game being played in a store or wherever. When I am in a hurry and need information I find a white person to help me knowing that the chances are high I will get 'the attitude'.
So I guess I am saying to you that it does cut both ways. It would be nice if everyone did not walk around with a chip. But life is too short for me to wait for the majority of any race to decide to participate in the great community.
I have my friends who are black and they feel the same. I am sad for them knowing that they are judged by many other people as potentially some of the game players when in fact they are just wonderful real people.
I'm sick of race frankly. But I hardly acknowledge it in my life at all. I have more to do than play the game.
I hope you will understand the view from the other side. But a story such as yours makes me glad. I am glad to know that there are more people willing to use other criteria for judging people and more importantly the quality of people and how they conduct themselves in life. That is what is important.
Many of my above statements are surely generalizations, but happen enough to need to be acknowledged as one of many realities. Fortunately there are the people I deal with in life who are black and are individuals that function in such a productive and self respecting way that I never think of race with them at all. And these are not close friends just nice people I encounter in the paths of my life. I reserve my thoughts and feelings for them and not the people out there still working the game.
Thanks for the chance to vent in spite of the trepidation I feel about a thread like this.
raj
Last edited by raj kapoor; 01-31-2014 at 08:56 PM..
I've personally enjoyed a better climate with regards to race relations in Huntsville better than anywhere else I've been. That said, when I moved to South Huntsville I finally found out where Huntsville was keeping its near 60% white population. The place I lived the first 3 years I was here was entirely black. Additionally, when I told people where I lived they commonly gave me a sympathetic look and informed me that I was living in a bad neighborhood. One time I was even told "well that explains a lot" when a person with a rather negative opinion of me found out that the Sparkman Wal-Mart was "my Wal-Mart". Where I lived on the North side of town was easily the safest, cleanest, and overall best place I've ever lived.
It has always been hard for me to understand how all of the houses between North and South Huntsville were generally built at the same time, but over time have come to house distinctly different demographics of people. When people talk about buying a home whether it be on these Forums or in conversation, North Huntsville is always regarded as a no-fly zone. There are definitely reasons to not buy a home in North Huntsville, but personal security is - in my experience - typically the number one reason offered. I always wonder if part of the perception about North Huntsville has more to do with the color of its residents rather than the actual safety of living there. Yes, I know that most of the violent crimes that occur in Huntsville are on its North side. But they are almost always related to illicit drug trade, and there are still really nice neighborhoods that are never part of such dealings.
This self-imposed segregation of people can only contribute to problems in the future. I always wonder if I made a socially responsible decision when I decided to buy my home on the South side. But then, for the sake of the investment of my money and my children's education, this was the right decision for me. There is a systemic fault that aids in these decisions in addition to my suspicions of racism. I know that school district rezoning has a strong opposition on this board, but I've been wondering if that could possibly help.
With regards to your post, raj, I enjoyed it and agree with you. My post would lean more your way if you hadn't already covered those things I felt should be brought to the table. My favorite part is this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by raj kapoor
It would be nice if everyone did not walk around with a chip. But life is too short for me to wait for the majority of any race to decide to participate in the great community.
The redeeming quality that Huntsville has is the opportunity that it provides for people of any racial or class background. I have found that in this town one only needs to work hard to live a life that is better than what your father had.
Good thread here. Having come from NY, and lived in South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama, among others, I've experienced I think all different kinds of attitudes. I rather enjoy the climate here, and have had no real issues with race. I think the base very strongly has influenced that as it brings in people from all over the country and different nations as well. I know every once in a while I'll get a look from someone, and just tend to ignore it as their problem and go about my way.
As for different parts of town, yeah, I even look at some parts of North Huntsville and tend to think it's more of a almost "hood" type feel. I was born in Brooklyn and have lived in the "hood" so I do know of what speak, when I say that. I certainly don't judge anyone from there, unless they come out and show me otherwise, and more often than not, that's what I have been shown. I stopped at a gas station once, and this...charming fellow, had his 2 or 3 yr old child in there, and was just acting like a typical thug. Carrying on and cursing in front of and to his child, just straight wrong. I'm sure he's not typical, but if too many people see folks from an area acting like that, they are going to generalize everyone in the area like that. I admit, I did after the few experiences like that in the area.
I guess what I'm saying, is that for the most part, I've seen a lot more tolerance and different people getting along than most people up north expect, when I say I live in Alabama. I like it here, and have no plans to leave.
I'm not saying that it's racist here, but I will say that I absolutely notice a difference between the races in Huntsville. I'm going to preface what I'm going to say with the fact that I've lived in/around Northern Virginia my entire life, either on military bases or very close to them, and I never noticed much different treatment of people of diverse races. Also, I am Black, if that helps to understand my point of view...
Alabama is, well "different." I have never experienced outright racism here or in VA, but here in Huntsville, behavior based on race permeates the atmosphere, you know, like someone passed gas, everyone smells it, no one wants to admit they smell it, and it's still there.
Trying to find a hairdresser when I moved here was like pulling teeth. I like to go to race-neutral shops, like Regis or JCPenney. I walked into a Regis here and got the look like "why are you coming 'here' to get your hair done?" Called a Mastercuts across town and got the surprised voice over the phone, too. I finally did find a place/person I'm very happy with, after some searching.
There seems to be an unwritten rule around here that if one is Black, you're kind of expected to go to/have gone to an HBCU or be part of a Black frat/soror group. Several of my Black coworkers have been taken aback when I throw out the name of my alma mater because it isn't what I "should" have done.
Two of my good friends are White, and I notice the stares I get when we go out for lunch/dinner with our sons. We get stared at by both Whites and Blacks; it's almost as if hanging out with the opposite race just isn't normalized here yet.
I have been told my likes/dislikes are not like those of the "typical" Black woman. What is that supposed to mean?? I have many more examples, but I don't want to be the Debbie Downer of this thread. I like Raj's idea that he wants to be done with race. I do, too. I just think the whole thing is stupid. Why can't we just be who we are without having connotations attached? I'm glad to hear many people haven't experienced what I have, but Huntsville still has a ways to go on the race factor.
I'm not saying that it's racist here, but I will say that I absolutely notice a difference between the races in Huntsville. I'm going to preface what I'm going to say with the fact that I've lived in/around Northern Virginia my entire life, either on military bases or very close to them, and I never noticed much different treatment of people of diverse races. Also, I am Black, if that helps to understand my point of view...
Alabama is, well "different." I have never experienced outright racism here or in VA, but here in Huntsville, behavior based on race permeates the atmosphere, you know, like someone passed gas, everyone smells it, no one wants to admit they smell it, and it's still there.
Trying to find a hairdresser when I moved here was like pulling teeth. I like to go to race-neutral shops, like Regis or JCPenney. I walked into a Regis here and got the look like "why are you coming 'here' to get your hair done?" Called a Mastercuts across town and got the surprised voice over the phone, too. I finally did find a place/person I'm very happy with, after some searching.
There seems to be an unwritten rule around here that if one is Black, you're kind of expected to go to/have gone to an HBCU or be part of a Black frat/soror group. Several of my Black coworkers have been taken aback when I throw out the name of my alma mater because it isn't what I "should" have done.
Two of my good friends are White, and I notice the stares I get when we go out for lunch/dinner with our sons. We get stared at by both Whites and Blacks; it's almost as if hanging out with the opposite race just isn't normalized here yet.
I have been told my likes/dislikes are not like those of the "typical" Black woman. What is that supposed to mean?? I have many more examples, but I don't want to be the Debbie Downer of this thread. I like Raj's idea that he wants to be done with race. I do, too. I just think the whole thing is stupid. Why can't we just be who we are without having connotations attached? I'm glad to hear many people haven't experienced what I have, but Huntsville still has a ways to go on the race factor.
Thank you for your reference.
(being told you are not typical is being told that you are a unique individual. A nice compliment)
There seems to be an unwritten rule around here that if one is Black, you're kind of expected to go to/have gone to an HBCU or be part of a Black frat/soror group.
This thread is strange to me and I don't get it. What in the world is HBCU. Are we being trolled? I hope it is not Huff Buffer Credit Union (HBCU)?
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