Where do 20's & 30's Black singles hang out? (Minneapolis: fit in, hair salon)

[Mystery_Person]

2blessed2stress, funny how this went from just asking where to meet other singles into a debate on race......

Not being from the Twin Cities area, I can't really tell you. I just found it funny that people (that includes everyone who mentioned race, even me) found in necessary to mention race at all. People are people, but sometimes cultural differences make a world of difference. 2blessed2stress I hope you find somewhere you feel comfortable.

"Wrong!! America is no longer a melting pot but now that there are so many minorities, each ethnic group can just associate with people from their own race without problems. There is few people mixing anymore, no melting, just freezing everyone out that is not part of their race/culture."

Just as an aside (I read this and had to comment on it after the fact). The history of the American continent shows that a "melting pot" has never really happened, most often in colonial times is was armed camps of people from the same area living together, the "melting pot" idea has really come only in the modern era. It's more a stew with chunks of cultural identities here and there mixing, but only when they choose to. Sadly, it does truly seems that the culture that dominates (percentage-wise) makes all the rules, it's the same in other countries as well, look at the gypsy culture in Europe against the established culture and government.


Anyway, that's just a bit of typing from someone no one knows or cares about.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Dingler

America is going to be one big melting pot....mix in, they wont bite.
===================
Wrong!! America is no longer a melting pot but now that there are so many minorities, each ethnic group can just associate with people from their own race without problems. There is few people mixing anymore, no melting, just freezing everyone out that is not part of their race/culture.

Actually, I don't think the USA was ever a melting pot. People have always associated with other people just like them. For instance, in the old days of immigration, Italians most likely associated with Italians, Irish mostly associated with Irish, Blacks mostly associated with other Blacks, and so on. I think today it is because we have closer proximity to one another that we see notice it more.

[JenLee]

Hold on a minute, please. I remember being young and single and deciding to go to Chicago on my own for a vacation once. I didn't know anyone there; I wanted to tour some museums etc. and just get away from everyone I knew. (This was in the late '60's or early 70's). I rode the El and a bus; and I got on the wrong line. It didn't *bother* me; but I definitely *felt* different because I was the only white person on the El and bus I got on.

That is one of the few experiences I've had of being in a minority and feeling the difference. It's a feeling I will never forget (probably because of the racial climate at that time).

I can sympathize with 2blessed2stress. For someone "newly single" 2blessed would probably like to start dating again -or at least enjoy looking!

[nooneknowsmyname]

Originally Posted by golfgal

We don't belong to a "country club" but we do have a membership at a public golf course. I have no idea how many black are members.

2blessed--I guess if I worked in an office of all blacks it wouldn't matter one way or the other to me. This is the whole point I am trying to make--what difference does it make? Are we all not PEOPLE first?

But you don't work in an office of all Blacks, so it is difficult for you to speculate how you would feel. As a matter of fact there are very few places in the US where Whites are ever in the minority insofar as numbers are concerned. We are all people, but because we come from different racial backgrounds we have different experiences in the US and those different experiences can shape our cultural preferences as they might pertain to food, clothes, what we like to in our spare time, how we express ourselves verbally and non-verbally, what we like to do at parties, how we entertain, the things we talk about, and a myriad of other day to day activities in which we all engage. The best example I can give that might make sense is that although men and women are people first, men and women have different experiences in the US which explains why women sometimes understand women's intentions better than they do men and vice versa. Everyone understands although men and women spend time together, there are times when men prefer to hang out with their male friends and when women prefer to hang out with their female friends. No one thinks that there is anything wrong with this. So why is it unusual that Black people might on occasion want to seek out other Black people with whom we share a common experience? Black people--particularly Black professionals-- spend a good deal of our lives around white people. When we want to relax, it is nice just to be able to take it easy, be able to let our hair down and be ourselves around other people whose experiences as Black people in this society mirror ours.

[JenLee]

In my last post I told of an experience where I did feel different in a situation where I was the only white person.

I've also been in a number of places where I was in the minority or the only white person but didn't feel like I was different from anyone else. I don't know why someone would feel different or not; I'm just saying that I'm sure that there are times it's comfortable and times it isn't.

[nooneknowsmyname]

Originally Posted by JenLee

In my last post I told of an experience where I did feel different in a situation where I was the only white person.

I've also been in a number of places where I was in the minority or the only white person but didn't feel like I was different from anyone else. I don't know why someone would feel different or not; I'm just saying that I'm sure that there are times it's comfortable and times it isn't.

I read your response. However, my post was responding to golfgal's, not yours. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I can answer Golfgal's question about how many blacks play golf at her public golf course, the answer is alot. After all, who wouldn't want to hang out with a bunch of stuffy white people and talk about how Rosemount high school is the greatest institute of education on the planet and how buying a house in the south-southwest suburbs, Northfield and Stillwater is the greatest possible way you could spend your $500,000-750,000?

[nick is rulz]

^ lol and also lmao

[2blessed2stress]

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

Call the calvary? Insert whiny voice? Yea, I guess all white people are afraid of blacks and other minorities. You want to be equal....yet you want to go find black only clubs, etc. Which is it? Your true feelings are seeping out, bud.

I don't know what all white people *are*. Hmmm. Where did I say ONLY black clubs?? Alright. WOW. YOUR true feelings are POURING out. "you want to be equal". Am I not equal right now??
Good job...

And I am woman so...not your bud. Thanks

[2blessed2stress]

I've been gone. Slig. Love it.

JenLee, as you said in your 1st post, you certainly NOTICED and FELT a certain way being the only White person on the train/bus. I grew up in Chicago on the south side of the city. Yes, being in Mpls now is almost like culture shock.

Nooneknowsmyname - well articulated. Thanks