Are there any areas near IUP with a decent black population? (Pittsburgh: home, high school)

[Oddity]

I am 16 year old Jr. in highschool from Delaware I'm planning on going to Iup next year after my senior year is done, I hear that the town of Indiana and it's surrounding areas has a high white population and while I'm not racist in any, way, shape or form I just don't want to feel out of place when I go off campus, I know Pittsburgh is near Indiana but that's still more than an hour's drive away, I doesen't have to be an area completley filled with black people just with a decent amount. Thank you in advance.

Edit: Meant Indiana instead of Iup in the title

[I_Like_Spam]

I guess the largest permanent black populations near Indiana are in Johnstown and in New Ken.

IUP is really making an effort to encourage African American students from PA's major cities to come to their school- according to local papers.

[gg]

I drive through that campus on the way to a family member's home and there are not many, but within the student population I can't imagine that mattering much. You are a college student and there to get a degree, not worry about being of a color. The campus has grown over the years and the town is looking pretty good. Up that way, I don't think you would encounter anything like in some small backwoods areas. If you go north the black population can be zero in many towns, but south getting closer to more and more population it would be not noticed.

Of course if you are going to wear pants down to your ankles, underwear hanging out and a hoodie all the time to do the inner-city "I don't care" game then you may bring some problems on yourself. Just being honest.

[Oddity]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

I guess the largest permanent black populations near Indiana are in Johnstown and in New Ken.

IUP is really making an effort to encourage African American students from PA's major cities to come to their school- according to local papers.

That's good one of my teacher's told me about the school (she went to Iup for college) and she said I should push the fact I'm a minority.

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I drive through that campus on the way to a family member's home and there are not many, but within the student population I can't imagine that mattering much. You are a college student and there to get a degree, not worry about being of a color. The campus has grown over the years and the town is looking pretty good. Up that way, I don't think you would encounter anything like in some small backwoods areas. If you go north the black population can be zero in many towns, but south getting closer to more and more population it would be not noticed.

Of course if you are going to wear pants down to your ankles, underwear hanging out and a hoodie all the time to do the inner-city "I don't care" game then you may bring some problems on yourself. Just being honest.

Yeah I understand where your coming from, I just think it would be awkward to walk around a town being one of the few black people there but as long as the town isn't backwood I won't have a problem.

[bradjl2009]

I know a few black people from high school who went to IUP and they seem to like it. The area around the town is rural and nearly all white but that's how most rural areas are in this part of the country.

[Uptown kid]

The nearest town with more than two black family's would either be Jenneate or Kew Kensington/Arnold. Although from what I know the part where New Ken & Arnold are predominately black are home to: gangs, drugs, riff-raff, MAJOR blight, MAJOR litter/trash in the streets. Weather it be Jenneatee, Arnold or New Kensington they are all FAR away

[zip95]

Originally Posted by Oddity

I am 16 year old Jr. in highschool from Delaware I'm planning on going to Iup next year after my senior year is done, I hear that the town of Indiana and it's surrounding areas has a high white population and while I'm not racist in any, way, shape or form I just don't want to feel out of place when I go off campus, I know Pittsburgh is near Indiana but that's still more than an hour's drive away, I doesen't have to be an area completley filled with black people just with a decent amount. Thank you in advance.

Edit: Meant Indiana instead of Iup in the title

Your not thinking about it correctly. IUP is a college town and all college towns are perfectly fine. Everything you will ever need will be within the protective bubble of the college town. Outside of this bubble you will find 1970's Alabama racism combined with Appalachian poverty, but you will never have any reason to leave the protective college bubble so don't worry about it. Also, it's not really a white/black issue, It's more of a rural conservative vs liberal metropolitan issue. White people come in many different flavors, just like black people.

[Oddity]

Originally Posted by zip95

Your not thinking about it correctly. IUP is a college town and all college towns are perfectly fine. Everything you will ever need will be within the protective bubble of the college town. Outside of this bubble you will find 1970's Alabama racism combined with Appalachian poverty, but you will never have any reason to leave the protective college bubble so don't worry about it. Also, it's not really a white/black issue, It's more of a rural conservative vs liberal metropolitan issue. White people come in many different flavors, just like black people.

Here in Delaware our college towns are small and generally more boring than the average, so I really don't have experince with what life on the average college campus would be like, I assumed that most people in isolated college towns went to the nearest big city for fun.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by zip95

Your not thinking about it correctly. IUP is a college town and all college towns are perfectly fine. Everything you will ever need will be within the protective bubble of the college town. Outside of this bubble you will find 1970's Alabama racism combined with Appalachian poverty, but you will never have any reason to leave the protective college bubble so don't worry about it. Also, it's not really a white/black issue, It's more of a rural conservative vs liberal metropolitan issue. White people come in many different flavors, just like black people.

It sounds like it will be good for the OP to be outside of his comfort zone.

Originally Posted by Oddity

Here in Delaware our college towns are small and generally more boring than the average, so I really don't have experince with what life on the average college campus would be like, I assumed that most people in isolated college towns went to the nearest big city for fun.

The closest bit city is Pittsburgh. IUP students can't afford to regularly go to Pittsburgh for fun.

They have to make their own fun where they are. Maybe you consider it boring but it is what it is.

Every other town (New Ken, Arnold, Jonnstown & Jennette) people mentioned will be even more boring than Indiana.

If you wanted to have bit city fun, you would need to pick a school that's located within a big city.

[Benzman66]

Indiana has its own strip for weekend partying by IUP students and the locals. The main road thru downtown Indiana has plenty of bars and clubs. It's almost like Carson Street in Pittsburgh on the weekends during school season.