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I am an African-American teacher and single mother interested in relocating to a small town in Western North Carolina. I am doing research on the demographics in that region. I am not interested in Asheville because it is too big. I am a woman of strong faith and would like to be in an area with African-American churches. I am looking for suggestions for an area to live in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The percentage of African-Americans in the Mountain Region is very small compared to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. Rutherford county in the foothills (Forest City & Spindale) would probably be your best bet.
Boone has a very active and wonderful Black Mennonite church. True, the percentage of African Americans is low here, but you are welcome, as far as I'm concerned! There are great opportunities here too, and it's relatively safe, safer than any larger city. It is slightly more expensive to live here (housing is the highest cost), and winter can be a hassle at times though. Like everwhere, there are tradeoffs. If you like, I can put you in touch with Pastor Reggie at the Mennonite Brethren Church. He can help you decide much better than I can. Let me know . . .
Thank you for the information. I may take you up on your offer in the near future. I am still doing my research and I don't anticipate making this move before the end of this year. I am just trying to make sure this move is right for me and my son.
If you feel that Asheville is too big, Hickory, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, etc. will all be much too large for your taste. As someone has already posted, Rutherford county is probably a good choice for you. I live here and I love it! We have 3 public high schools and middle schools, 1 charter high school/middle school, several elementary schools and two Christian-based private schools. There are several close-knit African communities within the county, and we even have a museum dedicated to our African-American history. We are in the foothills of the NC Mountains - about one hour east of Asheville. Lake Lure and Chimney Rock are closer to Asheville and still located within the county limits.
There are at least three African-American churches located within the county - there are probably more that I am unaware of. We are a small county consisting of small towns and a lot of rural areas, and a lot of friendly folk!
As a resident of Western Carolina, I live near where Tenn, Ga and N.C. meet at their borders, which are made up of small towns. I've lived here for about 5 years now after moving from So. Fla. Over these past years, I can easily say I can count on my two hands the number of African-Americans that I've seen in these area. These areas are very economy poor communities...where there are no jobs or factories work to be found. The area is beautiful with it's mountains, which is why there's alot of 2nd homes or vacation homes in the area. If it wasn't for the fact that we are retired, we would never be able to survive if we needed to have jobs. I would suggest looking around the Charlotte area or northward. Where you could still live in a country atmosphere......but live close enough to a larger city for better job opportunities. Good luck in your search..
I think your reception in the mountains would probably be more friendly than most places because there are so few non-whites in the area. I witnessed a nurse working in North Wilkesboro and she was just one of the nurses. Actually I think she was one of the head nurses but I can't be sure about that. I realized that her status there was much different than it would have been in the Charlotte area, for instance. I don't think anyone thought of her any different than just another human being. She acted very confident and very comfortable in her job.
Most mountain communities are very Christian. Maybe that is what makes the difference. I was taught that all people are made by God and should be respected for that reason.
You may want to look for the elevation or size of town. I would like to see the day that you would ask for information on just a teacher looking for work. The race of a person should not matter.
As a resident of Western Carolina, I live near where Tenn, Ga and N.C. meet at their borders, which are made up of small towns. I've lived here for about 5 years now after moving from So. Fla. Over these past years, I can easily say I can count on my two hands the number of African-Americans that I've seen in these area. These areas are very economy poor communities...where there are no jobs or factories work to be found. The area is beautiful with it's mountains, which is why there's alot of 2nd homes or vacation homes in the area. If it wasn't for the fact that we are retired, we would never be able to survive if we needed to have jobs. I would suggest looking around the Charlotte area or northward. Where you could still live in a country atmosphere......but live close enough to a larger city for better job opportunities. Good luck in your search..
I lived in the Murphy / Hayesville area for 8 years, and there is a very active community of color in Hangin Dog. We now live closer to Asheville, and I can tell you that one of the high schools here is, shall we say "very stuck in the 50's", and not in a good way. Just my opinion, from what I've seen.
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Thank you for the information
