Does Milwaukee have a racism problem? I have wanted to visit... (Brookfield: middle-class, fit in)

[sportslover]

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news...ican-americans

According to that article and youtube vids I have seen, Milwaukee is a horrible place for blacks. I am bisexual and black so i look for places to visit or move to where i will be comfortable. Is racism really that big of a deal there? Do you know anyone black that likes it there?

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by sportslover

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news...ican-americans

According to that article and youtube vids I have seen, Milwaukee is a horrible place for blacks. I am bisexual and black so i look for places to visit or move to where i will be comfortable. Is racism really that big of a deal there? Do you know anyone black that likes it there?

I know several Black people who claim to like it here, but they're middle and upper-middle class, and have social skills that allow them to fit in with mainstream (white middle-class) culture very well. A few of these people live in the suburbs or in quiet residential parts of the city. The remainder are urbanites who live in Bay View or the East Side (trendy neighborhoods). Most of these folks I know are gay or lesbian.

Milwaukee is certainly not the best place for Blacks, as there is a high degree of racial and class segregation. It seems that the situation is worst for less economically privileged Blacks residing in distressed neighborhoods. I know of some well-to-do Blacks who left the Milwaukee area due to the mediocre economy and the lack of a well-developed Black middle class such as that found in cities such as Atlanta. But I know others who like it here because they have good jobs and a solid social network. Some have loved it, and others have hated it. A lot depends on your specific situation.

There is racism here, though I'm pretty sure it's similar in scope to other mid-sized Rust Belt metros. Some say that progressive cities in the South (Atlanta, Charlotte) are better for Blacks, but that also may depend on your career and economic class.

Milwaukee is a reasonably good place for LGBTQ+ folks. There are lots of resources, neighborhoods, businesses, etc. that help provide a supportive atmosphere. But again, there are more supportive cities elsewhere, and there are many more unsupportive communities elsewhere. Milwaukee's LGBTQ+ communities can be a bit clubby, especially for older people, and people who are student-aged probably meet with fewer barriers.

[Master Jay]

The best advice I can give: Come see for your self.

I, personally, prefer to leave out labels as much as m possible. That is my personal practice, because I believe labels can cause too much separation.

So ok, I'm Hispanic. I experienced prejudice several times in my life in the city, the suburbs and the exurbs of Milwaukee.
I do not need to live in an exclusive Hispanic area nor do my shopping and dining in exclusive Hispanic areas.

BECAUSE I follow my personal practice that I just mentioned! I go wherever I want. I give people the same courtesy I would want. I will converse with anyone. Find topics that can bring a connection.

I even met the above contributor, Empidonax. We had a great conversation, and a wine at an old school deli called Groppi's, on the city's south side.

Milwaukee, despite the negativity of violence or segregation CAN be a great place. Friendly, warm, welcoming, supportive, etc. .. Like anything in life, just look around and you will find it!

[mrkool]

If you are scared by lefty reporting from our local media, or dumb stereotypes of mean old "racist" Whites, then you should probably avoid Milwaukee. (Local media is obsessed with any small story that might show White "racism," while over-representing blacks in any and every story portraying them in a positive light). And that is precisely why people get these distorted views of reality.



If anyone doesn't believe my claims about local reporting, just watch our local evening newscasts for at least a week.

[Jim Mac]

Every city has a racism problem

[Frostnip]

I'm from the Milwaukee area. My general experience is that the area isn't any more personally racist than the rest of the Midwest - like, in terms of the number of overtly racist people in the population, or how openly racist individuals will behave. Milwaukee's issue is institutional, systemic racism. So not a big hurdle for visitors (unless you have the bad luck to run afoul of the county or city police). It's not like you're subjecting your kids to the Milwaukee Public School system or whatever.

[trooper40below]

Mod cut: Quoted post deleted.

I just want to say as an African American I strongly disagree with [mod cut]. Since I'm African American I will address this like this. I moved to Milwaukee from NYC not long ago. This has nothing to do with liberal or democrats none of that. There are no program at all benefitting blacks. I don't know what brrabit is talking about or referring to here. Milwaukee certainly has its issues and in my view is no different that any midwest city or even NYC for that matter is going through.

My experience and observation is this, Milwaukee is segregated. However the city is cool and personal racism doesn't exist generally. Systemic racism is different and Milwaukee has that, but that said the city is great and you should have a great time. Like others have said come see for yourself. Anyone injecting political ideology into is just being ridiculous in my opinion. There is a lot to do typically in the summer and the winters are very cold in Jan and Feb. Milwaukee is pretty much a major metropolis so expect metropolis things if you get what I'm saying. Milwaukee has everything NYC and Chicago has so you should be fine to answer your question. I also live in Mequon which is a suburb of Milwaukee and so far everyone has been very friendly to me. The northshore areas, Grafton, Cedarburg, Germantown, the falls, Brookfield everyone has been typically friendly. I haven't spent much time in southern Milwaukee so I don't know how it is that area outside of Bay View.

I think you will like it and trust me Milwaukee is as racist as any city in America...including Atlanta. I hope you get my point when I say this. You'll be fine here in a nutshell.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by sportslover

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news...ican-americans

According to that article and youtube vids I have seen, Milwaukee is a horrible place for blacks. I am bisexual and black so i look for places to visit or move to where i will be comfortable. Is racism really that big of a deal there? Do you know anyone black that likes it there?

You do know Milwaukee is a majority black city right? Obviously a whole Bunch of blacks like it there Lol!

[landlord6]

Originally Posted by matzoman

You do know Milwaukee is a majority black city right? Obviously a whole Bunch of blacks like it there Lol!

And we will most likely have a black mayor too.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by matzoman

You do know Milwaukee is a majority black city right? Obviously a whole Bunch of blacks like it there Lol!

Milwaukee's Black population is starting to decrease. Milwaukee never really had a Black majority. It has a Black plurality. Blacks reached 39% of the population in 2010. As of 2020, it has dropped to 37.8%.