Help Please. Where do professional young blacks live in Longview TX?

[tmtex]

Stay out of Jasper

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by tmtex

Stay out of Jasper

Especially if you buy crack cocaine on credit and don't pay your dealer.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by sbuttrflyy

Longview is a terrible place for black people, rich or poor. It is a horribly segregated town where they are always trying to ensure that black children are disenfranchised from better schools, blacks that work and mind their own business are still harassed by police and there are no efforts from the city to blend together and work together for the overall improvement of race relations. Longview was the site of a huge race war in the 60s and the sentiment has not changed. They may plaster on a smile, but when you go looking for a job as a black person, get ready for your application to be thrown in the garbage because of the sound of your name. Have seen it happen where I worked. No support to keep parks, pools and activities open on the black side of town, so the the youth is clueless about what to do with themselves. I live more south now closer to Houston (not in it) and am much happier because the people are more genuine and friendly and have the same struggles so they relate better to each other. I would never move back to Longview.

I know this is old but as a Black native of Longview I have to speak on this one.

So I grew up in Longview in the 80s,90s and graduated in 02. I’m a proud Lobo and grew up south of Hwy 80 aka the “Black side of town”.

Ok for starters there’s not really a Black professional presence. There’s middle class Black families and individuals. I grew up in a Black middle class family. Dad worked at a power plant. Mom worked at a Bank. There were middle class Black families, hard working blue collar families and poor lower income communities. Most of my social circle consist of Black kids in middle class. Now the main issue with Longview is it lacks big city amenities. Growth is pretty stagnant and imo it’s not generally progressive. Matter fact several people (older people) like it that way. A lot of people my age move out of Longview not because of “racism” but because it’s too boring and stagnant.

Now let’s talk about racism in Longview. Does it exist? Yes it exist in Longview, it exist everywhere in America. Now I’m 38 and lived in Longview pretty much everyday till I graduated Longview High School in 02. Stayed for close to a year in 05 and go back regularly to visit Family and Friends. On my way now as we speak. Racism in Longview is generally covert. Meaning if you run into it it’s usually in subtle ways. Black people in Longview are not docile or don’t wreckless eye ball. Black people are generally everywhere in the city. Several schools in the school district are predominantly Black. Black students are the dominant ethnic group at Longview High School.

I say that to say, if White people were overtly racist in Longview as you claim them to be they would probably be met with a violent response. I remember if anybody White fixed their lips to say the N word then that was your ass. Longview also has a fair share of Black cops that patrol south of Hwy 80. They grew up on that side of town. Also more Black people live North of Hwy 80. That’s where most of the new growth and development is in Longview.

Racism in Longview is not any different than major metropolitan areas all throughout America. Matter fact I’ve encountered OVERT racism in parts of Northern Dallas suburbs and The Woodlands than I ever have in Longview. Even in liberal Austin.

The thing is Longview has over 20% percentage of Black people. From my experiences Racist people are more bold when there’s a small percentage of Black people. There’s also Black representation in the local government.

But I’m not saying Longview is a utopia. It’s not. If you’re moving here from a bigger city you’ll be disappointed. Unless you’re looking for a slow pace of living.

Also correction, Longview was the site of one of the worst race riots in United States in 1919. Not 1960, matter fact several cities across America had race riots that summer. It’s called Red Summer of 1919. Also one of the reasons it got so bad was due to Black citizens actually fighting back. Several Black Men were armed and ready to protect their community.