Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC Stephanie C.

Williams MAT 116 May 22, 2011 Lance Eaton

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC My community is a good representation of all races. You will find Whites, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans (including Central, South, Mexican, and Puerto Rican Americans), Muslim and Arab Americans, Asian American, Chinese and Japanese Americans. I live in a community that is low income but if you walk maybe two blocks down you will find that my neighborhood also has the very well to do or what some call middle class. We all have a common goal to have better life for our children than the one we live in either low income or the middle class neighbors. Due to the economy we are having a struggle accomplishing this goal. You can tell this that many homes are being foreclosed. The website named Trulia states that there are 777 homes as of 2011 this is increase from 2010are foreclosed in my zip code t. This is a sign that we all are in the same situation right now, which is trying to survive. In my community, I see that the people in government in Greensboro, NC treat African Americans better than other cities I lived in. Guilford County Commissioner Melvin Skip Alston spearheaded the opening of the City of Greensboro open the International Civil Rights Center & Museum on February 1, 2010. The first Civil Rights sit-in which was February 1, 1960 in Greensboro, NC and to bring awareness to the Civil Rights movement Commissioner Alston came up with the idea of creating the museum. The museum is the original F.W. Woolworth, Inc. where the original sit-in happened. It is great feature in our community because it brings attention to the plight of African Americans in the South. I feel with endeavors like the museum it helps to support my race in my community. Now my community does not give good representation of the Hispanic race. News & Record reports that a Elon University political science professor released a study in April, 2009 that Alamance deputies pull Hispanics for traffic stops 1,344 time over four years instead of the

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC 494 times the sheriff reports. Also in Guilford county in July, 2009 approve the 287 (g) which allows local officers to check suspects citizenship and detain them for deportation. Now this not a good representation my community gives people of other races. My community treats myself and others who look like any other small suburban. We all get along and tolerate each other. At Christmas time there are the annual feeds the hungry campaign or Give a Kid Coat for families who cannot afford food or coats for the family which most communities do to support less advantage. What I have noticed is there are not as many private schools as I have seen in other cities I have lived in. The schools seemed to have mixture of all races represented. The funny thing about the neighborhoods in my community is that you can be travelling down one street and see homes that the middle to upper class live in and then down block on the same street and you can condemned homes, drugs, and housing projects. Greensboro has kept the mixture of the poor and rich in the same area. I havent seen too much difference in my neighborhood but one incident I can think of is a restaurant owner was upset because he has gotten tired of people not speaking English and the restaurant owner not understanding them put a sign that stated NO SPEAK ENGLISH, NO SERVICE I feel that my community has a positive representation of all races except for this one incident. Yes at my employer it does have information Equal Employment Opportunity which gives you the right to work in a place of employment without any discrimination. Also sexual harassment policies have been set up at my job. The manual also shows dress codes and how to take calls. It does not necessarily focus on group of people but since I work with a diversity of people the manual is for all.

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC Now my employer does practice unfairness because it hires teenagers and college students, so it tends not follow the company manual. Once incident I can think of I was sent home because of a skirt that manager felt was too short, but on the other hand her friend comes in with a low cutting dress and that is fine. This job is like any other job it is who you know so what they do practice is unfairness to all races. I feel our local media does not represent me as individual or a race in good ratio. Out of three news affiliates there are only about 9 African Americans on television to report the news. With numbers like these as an African American our representation in front of the camera is not much of a representation. As for new reports they definitely represent us in negative and positive of African Americans, I will say more negative. The seemed to feature news reports that show that African Americans are either getting caught in doing a drug deal or killing someone. I tend not to see many positive stories as other races are shown. Similarities between me and the people in government in the City of Greensboro, NC are that we both want better communities. They are condemning houses and make beautification of our neighborhoods that are in the worst neighborhoods to make these neighborhoods look better not only for community but for potential residents of the community. With making changes to my community it seems like that City Council has my concerns met. Now they do not represent me well because in a community I use to live in they are trying to reopen a landfill that was closed. The City wants to open reopen a landfill that is a majority African American and Hispanic low-income neighborhood. The community is fighting stating that health concerns and smell will destroy the community. Over a decade ago the City had stop sending household trash to landfill because of neighborhood protests. The city feels

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC now because of this decision they are losing money. Currently right now they are transferring the garbage to other landfills around the suburbs of Greensboro. It would save the city $5.2 million a year if they reopen the landfill. The residents want to fight like they did before, but this time it did not work because as of May 3, 2011, City Council approved to reopen the landfill. Now the community wants to hire a lawyer to stop the bids from trash companies and to stop the reopening of the landfill. With incidents like this once again our City Council has no regard for low-income. Even though they are trying to save money but at whos expense. If I could resolve any inequities in my community is the way Hispanic community is treated. They are treated like second class individuals. First, I would hold community events causing all races to intermingle with each other. Next, I would go to County Commissioner to see about having free classes for the community to learn street Spanish. Finally, I would see if our law enforcement, EMS, and fire department to learn a Spanish also. For example a surrounding county in my neighborhood Law Enforcement took the initiative to learn street Spanish so that they can be able to assist their Hispanic community much better. We also have a large population of Native Indians in North Carolina. I would have schools teach more about these people and possibly make it possible that Native Americans in North Carolina feel that they have a lot of assistance. For my African American community there is not too much I would change because I feel that Greensboro, NC is very diverse in the way they treat all races. As an African American in Greensboro North Carolina, I am very happy where I live. Discrimination is not felt in this city as much as it has been felt in other cities I have lived in. My city government tries to represent African American and other minority races by creating museums and holding classes

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC so that government can assist ones who do not speak English. Just like any other city government, they government in Greensboro will have opposition people who disagree with the way the government is run. Hopefully, one day we will all live in harmony without any injustices in government or i

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC Trulia, Inc. (2011). Foreclosure. Retrieved from http://www.trulia.com International Civil Rights Center & Museum (2010). Retrieved from http://www.sitinmovement.org Witt, Gerald. (2009, July 10). 287(g) approved for Guilford County. News & Record. Retrieved from www.news-record.com Ahearn, Lorraine. (2009, April 9). Dueling immigration protests in Alamance County. News & Record. Retrieved from www.news-record.com Nelson, Kristin, (2011, May 19). No English, No Service Sign Triples Business. Fox 8. Retrieved from www.myfox8.com. Regular Meeting Tuesday 17 May 2011 5:30 p.m. Council Chamber. (2011). Retrieved from http://greensboro.granicus.com/ Lehmert, Amanda. (2011, April 27). Reopening landfill more likely. News & Record. Retrieved from www.news-record.com Alamance Co. Law Enforcement Learns Street Spanish. (2011, March 1). Fox 8. Retrieved from www.myfox8.com.

Being a Minority in Greensboro, NC n our communities.