Racism in Middletown (Baltimore, Columbia, Frederick: how much, house, job market)

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by tw71

IMO, you're likely to find what you expect to find, anywhere you go.

I can't really speak for Midletown, as I've only passed through it while driving. But geographically, it's something like a 1.7 square mile area. It's, frankly, a pretty insignificant part of Frederick County as a whole. (Not saying it is or isn't a great place to live, work, attend school, or what-not. Just saying that it's one of many rural areas that make up the county as a whole.)

Any time you have a small enough community, you've got the possibility that the words and actions of a few tend to speak for the whole to a much greater extent than they would in a larger place. So sure, in a town that small, it only takes one or two racist idiots to mouth off a lot and suddenly, they're capable of projecting that image over the whole town (assuming the majority just ignore it and don't make an equal effort to refute it).

But for the record, I live not that far away, in Brunswick. I'm white but I'm married to a black woman and we have a blended family, with 2 of her kids from previous relationships (both mixed race) and my daughter who is white. We haven't run into any bigotry or discrimination in the area, so far. In fact, I see more misunderstanding from visitors who make incorrect assumptions than anything else.

(EG. A woman came into town a while back to write some restaurant reviews, and made some pretty negative comments about Brunswick - largely based on her seeing a Confederate flag waving in front of a home. Well, guess what? That home belonged to a life-time resident of Knoxville, not Brunswick (but she obviously didn't pay attention to where the city boundaries were while driving along). AND, he volunteered for years as a Civil War re-enactment guy. That's why he had the flag up! I believe he recently passed away and someone took his flag down after that.)

In my life Middletown seemed to be one of the most ass backwards cities I've ever lived in. I'm in a similar situation (mixed). The school (elementary, middle, high) served all of Middletown, MD. From driving though there I can tell the demographics hasn't changed.

People there also seemed to be very "narrow minded". I told students that I was born in Columbia, MD. They didn't know where that was or what part of Maryland that was!!!! They assumed I'm meaning Columbia..... Because it would be easier for them to envision me being born from there.

I was discriminated by teachers, students and staff alike. My parents were discriminated by staff there as well.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

In my life Middletown seemed to be one of the most ass backwards cities I've ever lived in. I'm in a similar situation (mixed). The school (elementary, middle, high) served all of Middletown, MD. From driving though there I can tell the demographics hasn't changed.

People there also seemed to be very "narrow minded". I told students that I was born in Columbia, MD. They didn't know where that was or what part of Maryland that was!!!! They assumed I'm meaning Columbia..... Because it would be easier for them to envision me being born from there.

I was discriminated by teachers, students and staff alike. My parents were discriminated by staff there as well.

How many kids in Columbia know where Middletown, MD is? My guess is not very many either.

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

How many kids in Columbia know where Middletown, MD is? My guess is not very many either.

Well that's because Middletown is insignificant, so who gives a ****. But I'm sure Columbia, MD kids and people know most other parts of MD when you tell them.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

Well that's because Middletown is insignificant, so who gives a ****. But I'm sure Columbia, MD kids and people know most other parts of MD when you tell them.

What is the basis for this claim, other than your own personal bias?

Middletown is certainly not significant to someone from Columbia......but as you learned, Columbia isn't significant to people in Middletown either. Why would it be? Columbia is a large bedroom community in another county. Why would a kid from Middletown ever step foot in Columbia, or hear about it except in passing?

You are making some big assumptions hear based your own feelings about the areas. So you don't like Middletown, or Baltimore, or parts of Baltimore County. Who cares? Other people clearly do and chose to live there.

They don't need nor are seeking your approval before moving there, only what you know. You are yet to show that you can separate what you know, from the histrionically harsh "anti" agenda you wish to present. I mean you need to dip REALLY deep in the well to throw stones at Middletown, it has a 3% poverty rate, a median household income of over 112k, and 58% of the 25+ population has a bachelor's degree or higher.

But hey, they didn't know the particular suburb YOU were from, so they must be "narrow-minded."

Middletown Maryland Economy 2013 data with income, earnings, employment, labor force, commute, jobs, equality, transportation compared to Braddock Heights, Jefferson and Myersville
poverty rate from 2000 census data on Wikipedia

[steppinthrax]

Bump!!!

[P47P47]

Rudy's Welding Service and Cold Beer

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by P47P47

Rudy's Welding Service and Cold Beer

What about it?

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

What about it?

Interesting combination of business.

Located in Middletown.

[MrMaryland455]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

I graduated Middletown High School in 2000. I haven't been back since. I remember being bullied and called the N word all the time back then. Just curious has the environment changed much. My parents even suffered verbal harassment etc..

I'm so sorry to hear that man 4real....They don't call it fredneck for nothing......Im black and I grew up in Montgomery county and never experience that

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by MrMaryland455

I'm so sorry to hear that man 4real....They don't call it fredneck for nothing......Im black and I grew up in Montgomery county and never experience that

Frederick is fine. Yeah I know of the Fredneck moniker....

Middletown was real bad when I was there.

I remember a few white kids were chasing after me when I was walking home. They came to my doorstep and used sticks to hit my front door. They were screaming "Get out of there ******!!!!".

I remember the school hired a group to come in and show a presentation (race sensitivity training).

I even remember teachers partaking in this behavior.