Comments on: Why is our Green City so White?

By: elephantjournal.com

elephantjournal.com — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:08:17 +0000

Doing everything left?

By: Jay Winston

Jay Winston — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:00:14 +0000

“Colorado, unlike most of the Eastern United States, was never a slave state.”

Ummmm…really lame argument. While northeastern states had slaves early on, the vast majority of their African-American populations, like those of California and Illinois, arrived during the “great migration” of the Jim Crow era.

By: 3OH!3: Don't trust 'em. | elephant journal

3OH!3: Don't trust 'em. | elephant journal — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:19:08 +0000

[...] variety—is like shooting fish in a barrel: too easy. 3OH!3, since it’s inception in whitey-white Boulder and going back to their more emo/hipster/rock days, has been a witty, boys-just-wanna-have-fun band [...]

By: Carole

Carole — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:08:56 +0000

I visited Boulder in the spring of 2008 from a major city in Ohio. As a school administrator I was eager to learn about the school system so I visited one of the Boulder high schools where a friend was teaching. I was amazed to see the "sea of white" in the school and in the city, itself. I felt an absence of the diversity which I have experienced most of my career in education and as a resident of a major city. I was also surprised at how the lack of African-Americans was somehow uncomfortable. Having taught in a school district which was primarily white when I started teaching there to now with a 100% black student body I couldn't imagine life without friends and/or co-workers who are African-American. And further, I am not a left-leaning liberal. In fact, I am a conservative Republican. It seems to me that Boulder does not represent the good-side of being liberal. It's not inclusive as much as it is exclusive. With my reitrement income I would even be excluded—bachelors, masters, and specialist degree and all,.

By: Suzanne Lainson

Suzanne Lainson — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:33:58 +0000

You know, I was just thinking back about my high school days. It doesn't come to mind much, because it was quite a long time ago. My first two years of high school I was at one of the more diverse schools in Omaha. It was probably 25% black. Quite a lot of mixed dating at the school considering this was back in the 1960s. Then I moved to the Philippines and went two years to high school there. It was on a Navy base and quite a few kids were multi-racial.

When I was in college, my parents lived in Norfolk VA and then in downtown Washington DC. In DC I'd say our neighborhood was probably 60% black. That's where I hung out during vacations. Over the years I've dated some black guys, gone to some black music clubs, etc. I just don't think about it much because it was part of my life.

I didn't move to Boulder to avoid blacks. I moved here to get a master's degree. And then I bought a cheap condo and stayed.

When I think urban, I think city. Urban as in high density living in a downtown environment. Urban planning, that sort of thing.

By: Suzanne Lainson

Suzanne Lainson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:41:34 +0000

The issue of diversity in Boulder always comes up. So what are the options:

1. More low cost housing. There are lots of people living in and near Boulder who'd like this. I don't think it would change the diversity mix at all because there are underserved populations here already who should be first in line to benefit.

2. More diversity at CU. Yes definitely should be an on-going goal. Outreach programs to accomplish that, yes.

3. More diversity at local companies. Sure. I'd like to see that.

4. A better mix at public schools. That's an on-going situation. It's currently more about finding a way to better way to address the needs of the kids already here than to find ways to get kids from outside the district to move here.

Beyond that?

I think the best way to develop a pipeline for new residents in Boulder is through the university. And to develop a bigger population of students to draw upon is something that begins at schools through out the state. Whatever can be done to increase educational opportunities for every child is something I'd like to see. My daughter graduated from a public high school in Pueblo and then went to the CU-Boulder engineering school, which is actively trying to recruit more women and minorities into its programs.

By: Suzanne Lainson

Suzanne Lainson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:24:07 +0000

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I've dated black guys. When I think urban, it isn't about race. It's about buildings and traffic. Cities tend to have tall buildings, which I don't like because they shut out the sun, parking is expensive, and traffic is a problem. I'm not a suburb kind of person, either. I don't like all the fenced in backyards. Boulder is a small town in size. I find that suits me best.

I moved to Boulder to go to graduate school at the University of Colorado and decided to stay. The reason I went to CU is that I could get in-state tuition. When I graduated, I bought a tiny condo here. It was a matter of economics. Even if I wanted to relocate to Denver, it's a lot cheaper for me to stay here.

I think a lot of people end up in Boulder because they go to school here and stay. I'd like to see more diversity at CU. And perhaps if that happened, Boulder would become more diverse, too.

By: nat turner

nat turner — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:22:47 +0000

thank you. no, really, i needed a reason to believe in people today. now i can put the AK down and keep on reading.

By: nat turner

nat turner — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:21:39 +0000

you must be one dumb white woman. the words 'urban' and 'black' aren't synonymous. on second thought, you are not just one, but represent all the dumb white women of america with your ignorant, racist, classist, did i mention ignorant statements.
tell me, how is it that white people can be so ignorant when they have stolen, excuse me, i mean been given endless opportunities. why try to sugar-coat the truth, miss lainson, you obviously don't like the urban lifestyle, ie, black people. so just admit that's why you like living here, because black men scare you? because of the violence? afraid sambo might come and rob your virginity?
please, black people live outside of cities. we like mountains and fresh air. but you know what we don't like? hypocritical fake white liberals

By: Nat Turner

Nat Turner — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:15:27 +0000

You might be stupid enough to believe that because there was no institutionalized slavery that means there were no slaves. Not only is that historically inaccurate, but remember Dred Scott? The whole point of that Supreme Court case that you apparently didn't learn about was that even if slavery was not legal, keeping Africans and their descendants slaves was still legal in free states. Truly, that is besides the point. Chicago, California both places were there was not slavery, but there are black people. So your black/slave link is pathetic at best, but really just plain stupid.
More importantly, some of you white people need to as yourselves the more important question: how is it that boulder is so white, yet white people come from Europe? No, seriously, you really don't belong here at all, and your legacy on this land amounts to rape, pillage, slaughter and theft. There are only so many white people in Boulder because they have no shame about stealing other people's land. I mean, come on. Have you even ever been to Settler's Point, the location where white people massacred the Arapaho? Or you thought naming a street after them was enough? Maybe you don't get it, but you don't have a right to be here. You've confiscated beautiful, that doesn't belong to you or your ancestors, and made it impossible for anyone else to live here. As if it weren't pricey enough for what it is, your white hegemonic oppression makes a mere walk down Pearl St. simply unbearable. I can go weeks at a time without seeing a non-white person. I was less afraid as a black person in Montana, and I mean that! I am less afraid as a black person in the South.
The problem with white people in Boulder is that they do not see is as a problem that everybody else is white. I say if you love white people so much that they are the only people that you want to see, that's fine. Go back to Europe. Nobody wants you here anyway. So please, just go back.