Charlotte is Not Diverse Enough
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1/23/2011
I have lived in Charlotte for 16 years. I am an African American male, and I know for a fact that Charlotte tends to cater to the white community. In fact, whites move about the city/town as though they expect such privileged treatment. I have noticed the only way you can be given the benefit of the doubt among whites in Charlotte is if you act submissive to them. I love the ambiance of the city. I love the fact that it is four hours from the ocean and two hours from the mountains, however unless you have very deep pockets you are shunned in Charlotte. Forget about enjoying the freedom of choice when it comes to interracial dating. People do date interracially, however the sentiment is that it is frowned on. I had a white woman tell me once, "You're a very attractive man, but you're a black man, and I couldn't see myself dating someone that I would never marry."
There is a lot of racial profiling done by the police department. Not just the officers, but the branches of the police department over extend themselves to find trouble among African Americans (and I assume other races as well). A city official once referred to a predominately African American area of town as a Moral Cess Pool.
Sensitive improvements have been made. Charlotte has an African American Mayor (Anthony Foxx), and Police Chief (Rodney Monroe), still white collar ambitions by high brow Caucasians who don't have minorities best interests at heart, run the city.
I have enjoyed living here for the most part, and anyone else may as well, just as long as you don't expect wide sweeping diversity (because you won't find it here). The closer you get to most mainstream whites the more you find the old south attitudes among them. Bottom line is, if you are white and or rich in Charlotte, life here is cake. If not, it will be comfortable as long as you don't expect the pleasure of diversity.
Mr. | Concord, NC