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My father warned me not to go out at night for a few weeks because there might have been some resentment towards African-Americans. His concern was that I might get shot and killed by someone who had a problem with Black people as a result of the election.
Statistically you have a much greater chance of being a victimized by another black person than by a white person. A MUCH greater chance.
In some cases, there are persons who will think twice about it, wondering about one's "authenticity" when it comes to being Black. Oddly enough, I wondered why some college students thought this way, seeing me dress in slacks and business casual. A friend of my put it like this: "Many people are used to seeing Black people a certain way. It isn't that they like other persons better than you, but more they aren't used to dealing with you. You are an intellectual, you don't crack jokes about a woman's 'backside', you speak in a way that isn't considered stereotypical, you have different interests. Some people have a hard time conceiving a Black person being this way". His final message being "All you can do is be you".
I think the reason many people fail to grasp it is because it isn't something to admit to.
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You are an intellectual, you don't crack jokes about a woman's 'backside', you speak in a way that isn't considered stereotypical, you have different interests.
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Great insights, GreenMariner. Although, I have to admit, a woman's backside is one of my favorite subjects!
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You are an intellectual, you don't crack jokes about a woman's 'backside', you speak in a way that isn't considered stereotypical, you have different interests.
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Great insights, GreenMariner. Although, I have to admit, a woman's backside is one of my favorite subjects!
Thank you. I usually try not to make jokes about that stuff. My insight is that many people don't understand many things. I still remember back in high school when I felt like I needed to "act Black". I felt that was the only way I might be considered "acceptable". This was specifically my freshman year. Deep down I was still an intellectual. I needed to embrace that.
Green_Mariner, you sound like an awesome individual. Don't know how old you are, but you sound like you would be well accepted with the gang 20-somethings of my daughter's crowd/friends. What I've noticed about that group, is they tend to not care about someone's race. It's real, not a show. I think with each generation the racism is diluted. Many of the people in her crowd of friends were the misfits in HS. The artists, intellectuals, and musicians who didn't fit as easily into the mainstream.
In the current era, it appears to me that the racism is less overt, and tends to be based more of initial perceptions and the stereotypes that we learn from family and society. Often, once one gets past the erroneous initial misperception they are fine.
Many of us have felt like we didn't fit well with any particular group at sometime. There are others who truly are not mainstreamers, but usually find a comfortable place with maturity. Usually, as we grow and mature we find others who accept us and see life from a view that is closer to our own view. And I most certainly believe geographical regions play into this. I don't fit well with the majority of the Oklahoma mindset, but find no problems meeting people who have views that are closer to my own. I fit in better in the Pacific Northwest, and even Montana which is similar to Oklahoma in many ways....just a hell of a lot prettier, LOL.
I'm 1/2 Muscogee and 1/2 White. I've lived in Western OK (very, very, very racist at the time I lived there), lived on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and lived in WA state. I mostly grew up in Tulsa, and went to a JH that was ~85% Black at a time when racial tensions were high. I've experienced racism directed at me from all angles. From Whites because I was NDN; from NDN's because I was 1/2 White; from other NDNs because I was a different tribe and 1/2 White, and from African Americans because I wasn't Black. It's all out there. We just have to find our own way to grow beyond the BS from the small minded and become confident in who we are as individuals. The true friends will become evident.
It can be scary to know that you might be arrested quicker, or attacked because of your ethnicity.
You sound like you're doing just fine, and I hope you soon get out and travel and live in other regions.
Racism is live and kicking in Oklahoma...I am an older college student and I live in a dorm for the summer and I was walking to the post office to change my address because I was fortunate enough to find a house while I am finishing my education. Well, the campus security was actually gonna harrass me until he saw that I was a person he worked with. He preceded to ask me questions until he got a call on his cell. It is so bad when you can't walk to a store or anywhere based on your skin color. The majority race in this neighborhood is white and if your not white you will be harrassed. Just in case you haven't figured it out yet I am not white.
Green_Mariner, you sound like an awesome individual. Don't know how old you are, but you sound like you would be well accepted with the gang 20-somethings of my daughter's crowd/friends. What I've noticed about that group, is they tend to not care about someone's race. It's real, not a show. I think with each generation the racism is diluted. Many of the people in her crowd of friends were the misfits in HS. The artists, intellectuals, and musicians who didn't fit as easily into the mainstream.
In the current era, it appears to me that the racism is less overt, and tends to be based more of initial perceptions and the stereotypes that we learn from family and society. Often, once one gets past the erroneous initial misperception they are fine.
Many of us have felt like we didn't fit well with any particular group at sometime. There are others who truly are not mainstreamers, but usually find a comfortable place with maturity. Usually, as we grow and mature we find others who accept us and see life from a view that is closer to our own view. And I most certainly believe geographical regions play into this. I don't fit well with the majority of the Oklahoma mindset, but find no problems meeting people who have views that are closer to my own. I fit in better in the Pacific Northwest, and even Montana which is similar to Oklahoma in many ways....just a hell of a lot prettier, LOL.
I'm 1/2 Muscogee and 1/2 White. I've lived in Western OK (very, very, very racist at the time I lived there), lived on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and lived in WA state. I mostly grew up in Tulsa, and went to a JH that was ~85% Black at a time when racial tensions were high. I've experienced racism directed at me from all angles. From Whites because I was NDN; from NDN's because I was 1/2 White; from other NDNs because I was a different tribe and 1/2 White, and from African Americans because I wasn't Black. It's all out there. We just have to find our own way to grow beyond the BS from the small minded and become confident in who we are as individuals. The true friends will become evident.
It can be scary to know that you might be arrested quicker, or attacked because of your ethnicity.
You sound like you're doing just fine, and I hope you soon get out and travel and live in other regions.
I haven't been to this thread in a while. It sounds like I might fit into your daughter's group of friends.
Racism is alot less overt than it use to be, but there are instances where the overt racism still happens. I've even been around it.
I haven't been that much of a mainstreamer either. I've had my own way of doing things. I don't have the typical mindset of many Georgians. Actually, the older I've gotten, the more I discover I don't fit into any particular mindset or mold.
Your high school experience sounds similar to mine. My high school was predominantly White(around 80%) and I had issues fitting in with both Blacks and Whites. I had issues with some Black students because I wasn't "Black enough" and from some of the White kids being "nerdy", "weird" or in some cases racism was involved. I think my high school experience has shaped me in some ways. It really made me want to travel more because I was just living in one place for middle school and high school and not really making many trips outside of Georgia. Odd thing is, I have no Georgia accent.
It can be scary to know that I could be attacked or arrested more because of my ethnicity. This also happens to White people too. I am learning this more and more. For years I used to think it could never happen because I was on the receiving end of things. Now I'm learning this is happening more than I know.
I hope to get enough money and travel more, because it's something I need to do.
I'm not sure exactly what your looking for.. if your seeking out a certain culture or environment, or if your trying to avoid racism, but here's a break down of the neighborhoods, and guesstimations on price range. From my experience it's more economically seg'd if anything..
I'm going to start with Moore, which is the up-and-coming town south of OKC (and just North of Norman,) This area is booming very rapidly, lots of new development both commercially and residentially. Great school districts. Its mostly middle class, some upper-middle class. It's more your yuppy or wannabe yuppy crowd.. The older homes, which were typically built in the 60's, 2-3 bedrooms, gas/electric, are anywhere from 59-80k, new construction starts around 120-140k, and can go up easily (I'm not sure cap, avg is 140-160 on new homes)
okc kind of runs right into Moore, as you head North. The edge where they meet is very nice, homes are either in new construction areas, mostly above $200k price range, older homes, about 80-90k avg. This runs into older neighborhoods as you drive North, it starts out with middle class/older couples, well kept homes, and gradually gets a lil rougher as you go north. I live in South OKC, I live just on the very edge of the middle class area, I have probably 60-70% hispanic neighbors, the rest comprises of elderly couples and young couples like myself, or some middle agers, who can afford newer homes, but prefer to invest or hold on to their money for retirement, etc. As far as I can tell most everyone around me is family oriented, steady income homes, middle class families. This area is typically $50-80K homes, from mid 1960s or so. (some go up to $100+, typically the two story homes, larger lots, or very well kept homes)
Just a few streets from me, it starts getting rough fast. These homes are typically smaller, older homes, less rent, I would guess $30k to $50k homes at best, rent typically $300-$400 avg./mo. Drug activity is high in this area, crime, attacks, etc. It is probably 70-80% or more hispanic, there is a lot of hispanic owned/operated businesses in this area, however, the neighborhoods are rough.
As you go further North, you hit another highway, I-40, and this area takes on a whole other atmosphere.. From the highway, up to about NW 23rd, it is slightly ghetto. By ghetto I mean a slew of old run down apartments, gang activity, homeless people (which we have on south side too) street walkers, etc. It's not horrible, but I lived there before, and was never comfortable. Its also a high industrial area (truck driving companies, factories, etc.) although there are some nice bars and restaurants here and there.
About from NW 23rd up, it gradually gets nicer, I think this is because of the diff in price range and the upkeep of buildings. Although there are still a few crappy apartments here and there, it gradually makes its way up to middle-class, and upper middle class, and a few very rich neighborhoods. I don't know price ranges, but it varies greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. As you go north, you'll eventually run into rural/country area, and that area is very nice, kind of expensive, but great school districts, etc.
This applies to the west side of North and South OKC, the East side is a whole other world. I don't know enough about it to describe it, because the only time I ever go there is the zoo, the children's musuem, and once or twice, the tinseltown movie theatre.. Other than that, I wouldn't venture there or live there without having to. Just my opinion..
Anyway this wasn't meant to offend anyone, just to try to give a good general idea to someone looking at this area.. I'm not trying to be a downer, I love where I live, and I really don't even mind the rough areas, there's a lot of nice areas too. And even our roughest neighborhoods aren't that bad compared to bigger cities. Racism is I'm sure still around some, but I rarely see it. Most people (and maybe bc I come from a younger generation) have blended families and groups of friends.. We have large asian communities, hispanic communities, muslim, black, white, and lots of other cultures I'm sure.. Anyway.. Good luck!
Location: In the basket with the other deplorables
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goodpasture
there are more mixed races and mixed race couples in this state than just about anywhere
Anyone can answer this question...what exactly are you guys considering a "mixed race couple" to be? No one is being specific. Are you talking black and white? Asian and white? Latino and white? Latino and black? What?!?!?
There's a small portion of me that is considering graduate school in OKC, so I am very curious to know.
Anyone can answer this question...what exactly are you guys considering a "mixed race couple" to be? No one is being specific. Are you talking black and white? Asian and white? Latino and white? Latino and black? What?!?!?
There's a small portion of me that is considering graduate school in OKC, so I am very curious to know.
From my experience, it's been primarily Native American/Anglo (that's what I am) and African American/Anglo.
Although it is becoming much more common to see the Latinas date white men as well. From what I've witnessed, there has always been openness to Asian/Anglo mixes as well.
This is a great state which has a lot of diversity. You'll run in to some idiots, but you'll find that everywhere. On the whole, it is very open.
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Although, I have to admit, a woman's backside is one of my favorite subjects!
Hope this helps..
