14th Street is Boom Street

[CityGirl332]

Originally Posted by PK12

With due respect, there's far fewer white gangbangers, thugs, pregnant teens, drug dealers, robberers, etc.. definitely more so at the youth level. Be it anywhere. The methheads out in the West Coast are an exception though



DISCLAIMER: I am not white.

Here's a question for you, who has the planes (and ability) to fly illicit drugs into the U.S. Here's a little hint, it's not the black teens selling drugs on the corner.

Here's another question, who stole over a trillion dollars from the global economy? Here's a hint, inner city D.C. welfare moms, gang bangers, pregnant teens, etc, do not comprise of the rich all white/Jewish banking elite.

Also, it's quite telling that you state, "the methheads out in the West Coast are an exception..." Why are they an exception? In reality, this nation has plenty of poor whites, however, they are mostly spread throughout rural areas. But the media rarely focuses on the white community's pathologies.

[Horace Horsecollar]

The problem with DC is the lack of intermingling among people from different ethnic groups. The white yuppies tend to hang out with other white yuppies and Asians. The black professionals are often shunned by these groups and deemed inferior despite similar social status. A friend of mine recently told me about how he attempted to break into some of these predominately white social circles and has faced a great deal of rejection and ridicule by the non-black professionals on a daily basis. It's unfortunate, but I can assure you that his experience is not just an isolated experience. It's clearly the norm for many professional blacks in the city.

Now, the treatment of blacks by these yuppies is not overtly racist, but is presented in a more subtle way that is intended to make the victim feel unwanted. It truly boggles my mind that people claiming to be so liberal passively discriminate against those with darker skin tones. In my experience in DC, I've come to realize that non-black yuppies despise successful professional blacks more than the stereotypical "ghetto Blacks". They almost view the black professionals as being imitators and refuse to take them seriously. I see this problem becoming even worse as the city continues to become a gentrified yuppie paradise. I guess that we're just the hired help that needs to be seen and not heard. After all, everyone knows that us blacks are simply "scary inhuman creatures" and "entertainment".

[KStreetQB]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

You know, it's not just the fact that it's white people who are moving in, imo. The race thing is sort of the subscript. It's the fact that it's rich white (or seemingly rich) people that are moving in and throwing their weight around.

I would understand that part, and I have sympathy for the point you make, but the ethiopian guy who owns the corner store on my block gets more static than I do. The Chinese family that lives across the street from me practically run from their car to their door. Neither of them are newcomers. Neither of them are welcome. It's not a simple matter of being displaced by rich white people. It's a relatively pervasive 'us vs. everyone' mentality.

Originally Posted by CityGirl332

No one likes being displaced. Why is this such a hard concept to grasp?

Of course no one likes being displaced. Speaking directly to the experience of being displaced: it's not a lot of fun. Until I bought, I was displaced my entire adult life by rising rents or lack of job opportunities - I even took a job in Wyoming because it covered room and board. I never once thought of myself as a victim, that someone else was to blame for my circumstances, or that I was entitled to renting somewhere in perpetuity, or that I should be afforded any special control over larger developments. That's an unrealistic expectation, but it's somehow a point of righteous indignation here.

My neighborhood is at least a little insulated from that trend with thousands of people living in subsidized housing that aren't getting pushed out and hundreds of new class-A affordable units coming to the neighborhood through new developments (not something that was afforded gentrifying neighborhoods until recently). The long-term owners are either minimally impacted or are going to sell for a tidy nestegg and there is significant black gentrification.

I feel for the renters who are displaced, but what's the alternative? DC has the most robust support systems in place of just about any municipality. Do we keep the abandoned buildings, the empty store fronts and a dearth of economic opportunity in place in order to keep rent down? How has that really worked out the past 40 years?

Originally Posted by CityGirl332

You are correct, there is hostility and a sense of entitlement that exists in DC, but based on my various dealings, it's largely prevalent in the white community.

Care to elaborate?

Originally Posted by CityGirl332

Here's a little advice: you wouldn't have to provide extensive disclaimers, or mention your black work colleagues and Guyanese ex, if you actually took the time to learn something from your exchanges with the black residents of D.C. When you attend the next community meeting, simply observe and listen.

There's nothing more annoying than a person who is new to the "community," but somehow believes that they know more about the "community" than the indigenous residents. You do not have the answers to the myriad of problems which exist throughout D.C. It's very unbecoming and to be quite honest, most members of the D.C. community will not be interested in dealing with you, if you treat them in a child-like fashion, or purport to know right off the bat what they are about (because they happen to be black D.C. natives).

Much like your suggestion that I don't know any black people had no basis in fact, neither does the false premise that you have set up here. I have spoken at 3 ANC meetings in 4 years. Hardly any new comers speak at our ANC meetings, quite frankly. I attend and observe almost all of them. I participate in neighborhood volunteer and social events.

It's funny to me that on one hand you think that someone cannot make general observations about trends in a community based off of direct experience, but you can somehow successfully make up scenarios about specific individuals in a complete absence of direct experience with them.

Originally Posted by CityGirl332

Many black Americans have ample exposure to white Americans (you still represent the majority in the States), and as a result, are extremely familiar with the white community, so yes, it would be stupid to state "you don't have enough exposure to white people." Finally, something that we both agree on. Moving right along...

And yet you are skeptical that someone would have any exposure to black Americans in a predominantly black city (or multiple cities in this case).

Originally Posted by CityGirl332

I'm amazed that you haven't relocated yet. Why live amongst so many resentful blacks who carry such heavy chips on their shoulder? Seriously, all that you have to do is pack up and call a moving company. I doubt that the blacks in DC will miss your presence.

No worries, I'm sure Clarendon, will welcome you with open arms.

Perhaps you would like nothing more than for me to move to Clarendon, but finding that an uncomfortable topic is relevant enough to broach on an online forum is not the same as finding that it is impactful enough for me to pick up my life and move.

[KStreetQB]

Originally Posted by Horace Horsecollar

The problem with DC is the lack of intermingling among people from different ethnic groups. The white yuppies tend to hang out with other white yuppies and Asians. The black professionals are often shunned by these groups and deemed inferior despite similar social status. A friend of mine recently told me about how he attempted to break into some of these predominately white social circles and has faced a great deal of rejection and ridicule by the non-black professionals on a daily basis. It's unfortunate, but I can assure you that his experience is not just an isolated experience. It's clearly the norm for many professional blacks in the city.

Now, the treatment of blacks by these yuppies is not overtly racist, but is presented in a more subtle way that is intended to make the victim feel unwanted. It truly boggles my mind that people claiming to be so liberal passively discriminate against those with darker skin tones. In my experience in DC, I've come to realize that non-black yuppies despise successful professional blacks more than the stereotypical "ghetto Blacks". They almost view the black professionals as being imitators and refuse to take them seriously. I see this problem becoming even worse as the city continues to become a gentrified yuppie paradise. I guess that we're just the hired help that needs to be seen and not heard. After all, everyone knows that us blacks are simply "scary inhuman creatures" and "entertainment".

That's the second time this has been mentioned in this thread. I work with some very accomplished black lawyers and lobbyists; they are highly respected. No one takes them for a joke. I don't see them having much trouble socializing; and to say that you could drop a thug in their place and they would move more adeptly through affluent DC social circles is absurd.

I'm truly curious; how is the subtle rejection and ridicule that your friend experience different from what anyone else experiences, and how do you know it's attributed to race? I can't count how many uncomfortable events I've attended or how many disinterested conversations I've been a part of. That's just part of socializing. If I took offense to the social slights that come my way, I'd be a pretty angry guy. I don't even know how one goes around trying to 'jump' into a specific social circle.

I'm not saying that you don't run into racism in professional or liberal circles; but I will say that taking hyperbole to 'scary inhuman creatures' levels is pretty out there.

[Yac]

I don't see this thread going anywhere constructive.
Closed.
Yac.