Do you think that this is racism or just natural fear??

Question

Please do not take anything personally because I'm sure it works both ways & I really don't want to offend anyone I'm just alittle upset that I feel this way & want to know if I'm in the majority or minority. I used to live in NY & for those who are familiar there are black & white neighborhoods. In the South where I am now everyone shares the neighborhood. A close family friend would like me & my kids to come visit him this Spring in Harlem. But as embarrased as I am to admit this I am afraid to go. Not because I am predijudged because my friend is black but I'm afraid that the other people would not want us in their neighborhood. Do other people get afraid too? Please don't give insults as I already feel very bad for being afraid

Incubabe Thank you, this is really a sincere question but there are so many bigots on here & I just don't want to be thought of as one.

Answer 1

You better believe you ought to be afraid to go to Harlem or any other black inner-city neighborhood if you are white...I am sure that some black folks are gonna look at my answer and say "racism'...who gives a rat's @ss...the TRUTH is the TRUTH
... large black neighborhoods are dangerous because many of the people who live there are uneducated or into drugs or other crime...and many like to blame the white man for situations often of their own choosing - dropping out of school,having multiple kids without being married or having a means to support them outside of a gov't check, picking up a crack pipe, etc...stay the hell out of there!

Answer 2

I think you should not worry about your feelings, as I believe it is just natural fear; probably from what you have read about Harlem.

I'm black and when I went to New York, I wanted to see those neighborhoods (Harlem, Queens, etc.), however, the depictions I've seen on television, wide screen or read in books dictated absolute fear. New York is fearful all by itself - there was no way I was going to a place I was not familiar with and had heard bad things about.

But like the person said, if your friend thought you were a racist, he would never have invited you or continued to be your friend. It's nice to know that you guys are friends based on character and not color.

Answer 3

I think it is natural. I think anyone who is unaccustomed to an area would feel uncomfortable or fearful. Especially since Harlem is associated with crime. I would be nervous of going to any high crime area. I was invited to Honduras a few years ago and I felt the same way as you because Honduras has a high crime rate and as an American I thought that I could be a target. I am not racist; in fact most of my friends are Latin. Secondly I think some of the people in Harlem will be just as wary of you as you are of them, being that you are white and in a majority black area. Many urban blacks especially in New York are untrusting of whites based on their personal experiences. I think you should be honest with your friend and tell him your fears. If you do decide to go, I think if you stick with your friend and not go out alone you will be okay. You may find that the people are just as friendly as any other people once they know that you don’t mean them any harm.

Answer 4

You sound really sincere in your question, so I hope no one tells you off. I think it is both. I get scared to go in neighborhoods just like you do. It has nothing to do with the fact that the neighborhood is predominatly black, but it has everything to do with the neighborhood is run down, people are known to get robbed etc. You should visit your friend though, I am sure you will be fine.

Answer 5

There are areas where some people feel unsafe. This has nothing to do with any racial bias. My experience has been if you act like you belong there, you are generally accepted. If it is a particularly high crime neighborhood, then you may well be justified in feeling wary.

Personally, I feel right at home with any kind of people, as long as they are friendly. I have been in a lot of countries, and all the cultures I have been in, I have found people to be pretty much the same.

Answer 6

I think it is perfectly natural.

I live in the south; the other night, someone knocked on the door....I was at home alone with three babies. Of course fear set in, as no one was expected. I opened the door to find a black man there. I did not know him.

The fear of seeming to be a racist hit me, and I opened the door and invited him in. He was a perfect gentleman who had come for a legitimate reason. But had he been white, I probably would not have ever let him in the door.

Fear hits us in different ways, at different times. I lock my doors, house and car, at the sight of ANYONE I do not know. The children are not allowed to speak to ANY strangers, nor take anything from anyone.

I get nervous in new cities as well as old familiar ones, at different times for different reasons.

You are a step ahead of most simply because you recognize this fear in yourself.

Answer 7

it depends. there is a black neighborhood in richmond where they are basically all racist against white people and the crime rate is extremely high against whites in that area. on the other end of the spectrum there is also a white neighborhood in richmond where they are all also basically racist and the crime rate is high against black people. personally i won't go through either neighborhood because i am a white female with mixed children. so both neighborhoods scare me because both would hate me. if this person is your friend i doubt they would be asking you to visit if it was a bad area filled with black people who are racist against white people. some people are also just raised to think a certain way or to be scared of certain things/situations. if this person is your friend i would explain your fear to them assuring them it's not that you are racist it's just from past experiences living in NY and knowing how those neighborhoods where you lived were. i'm sure your friend will calm your fears and let you know the neighborhood he lives in is nothing like that. it's understanding that you would have apprehensions due to where you used to live. my black friends always used to joke with me when i lived at my parents house and they would have to come pick me up and say "no one is gonna come out with a shot gun are they?" i think partly they were joking and partly they were nervous because they weren't sure what to expect because of where we were from.

Answer 8

I think it's fear. Sometimes I get nervous about a neighborhood that I not familiar with.

Answer 9

This is a natural fear that comes from living in a racist world I think I can understand your concern - We watch movies, read books, see videos which show whites being beat up, criticised and bullied by blacks this increases sterotypes, racism, bigotry and fear.

Pray on it things are changing - hey Bill Clinton lives in Harlem now it ought to be safe.

Answer 10

i think it is a little bit of both many people grow up and that is all they know so there is nothing else left but the fear is a major role with it.