Comments on: Racism or Engineering Your Life? http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/ A WordPress.com weblog designed to encourage African Americans to leave urban centers and buy land in the South and Midwestern United States. Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:12:43 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Corporate Gift Club http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-498 Corporate Gift Club Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:33:39 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-498 Great website, nice tips, thanks for sharing Great website, nice tips, thanks for sharing

]]> By: ywwvc http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-75 ywwvc Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:36:58 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-75 Good site!!! Good site!!!

]]> By: journeyman http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-36 journeyman Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:39:03 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-36 Hey Leah! Thanks for the comment ... and yes, I resonate with all you said. I lived in DC for 2 years ... 2000 to 2002. It wasn't easy. I should have done it when I was young. I came away feeling that it's easier for Easterners to move west than it is for Westerners to move east. "Yall more pragmatic back there than we are. If you see a Californian in DC and he or she isn't in a gang, wave a hand over their "deer caught in the headlights" eyes and tell them to get on a bus and go home. (smile) DC ... While I remain very impressed by what I saw there ... I just never found the code to "get in." (I'm told I didn't stay long enough.) But the real thing that's weird about your message is that I've been wondering about farms in the rural Pennsylvania for the past 2 days. Can you give me some info on areas that are cool? I seriously doubt that Pennsylvania is as complicated as DC is... but I'm somewhat ... shy about getting that close again without more info first. Like I say on my blog, this time when I move, I don't really care about who lives nearby ... but I just don't want to encounter TOO much racial hostility. Benign neglect will be just fine if it's not friendly. I want to put some sweat equity in before I flip it anyway, then move to a nicer place around Jackson, Mississippi. When I look at the crops I want to raise and the animals I want ... along with the projects I want to do, Mississippi or another place near a black university seems best. Did you see (I never thought I'd be saying this) ... but ... um ... er ... did you see "Opra" when she did her special on building that school for African girls?? HUGE time spirit. I'm thinking that it's all spiritual you know ... and if I get a farm... and build it up ... WHO am I going to leave it to? Might as well adopt a few of those AIDS Orphans from South Africa and put them to work. They'll never be hungry and they'll get a good education... and I'll grow my heart some. That's why being close to a black university is important. Perhaps some Pan-Africanism can take place. There are also ideas about creating a writers and artist colony. There is soooo much work we're going to have to do as a people to contradict and re-build our co-opted culture. So send me some info about rural Pennsylvania. That first one doesn't have to be near a black university ... but it should be within an hour's drive to an urban center (mid-size or larger.) Take care and I hope to hear from yall. Oh ... and what's your Master's in? Fred. Hey Leah!

Thanks for the comment … and yes, I resonate with all you said. I lived in DC for 2 years … 2000 to 2002. It wasn’t easy. I should have done it when I was young. I came away feeling that it’s easier for Easterners to move west than it is for Westerners to move east. “Yall more pragmatic back there than we are. If you see a Californian in DC and he or she isn’t in a gang, wave a hand over their “deer caught in the headlights” eyes and tell them to get on a bus and go home. (smile)

DC … While I remain very impressed by what I saw there … I just never found the code to “get in.” (I’m told I didn’t stay long enough.)

But the real thing that’s weird about your message is that I’ve been wondering about farms in the rural Pennsylvania for the past 2 days. Can you give me some info on areas that are cool? I seriously doubt that Pennsylvania is as complicated as DC is… but I’m somewhat … shy about getting that close again without more info first.

Like I say on my blog, this time when I move, I don’t really care about who lives nearby … but I just don’t want to encounter TOO much racial hostility. Benign neglect will be just fine if it’s not friendly.

I want to put some sweat equity in before I flip it anyway, then move to a nicer place around Jackson, Mississippi. When I look at the crops I want to raise and the animals I want … along with the projects I want to do, Mississippi or another place near a black university seems best.

Did you see (I never thought I’d be saying this) … but … um … er … did you see “Opra” when she did her special on building that school for African girls?? HUGE time spirit. I’m thinking that it’s all spiritual you know … and if I get a farm… and build it up … WHO am I going to leave it to?

Might as well adopt a few of those AIDS Orphans from South Africa and put them to work. They’ll never be hungry and they’ll get a good education… and I’ll grow my heart some. That’s why being close to a black university is important. Perhaps some Pan-Africanism can take place.

There are also ideas about creating a writers and artist colony. There is soooo much work we’re going to have to do as a people to contradict and re-build our co-opted culture.

So send me some info about rural Pennsylvania. That first one doesn’t have to be near a black university … but it should be within an hour’s drive to an urban center (mid-size or larger.)

Take care and I hope to hear from yall. Oh … and what’s your Master’s in?

Fred.

]]> By: Leah http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-35 Leah Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:40:48 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-35 BRAVO. I just found your blog and it is excellent. I have you bookmarked and will definitely continue to read. I am a black female who grew up in rural Pennsylvania and miss it terribly. I now live in the WDC metropolis and boy is it different. I love what you had to say about self-sufficiency. I work for the government and I can't tell you the number of our folks that I come across on the job who have been living in the same APARTMENT for 20 and 30 years. This isn't NYC where folks live in apartments their entire lives. They thumb their noses at people like me who don't dress, have a flashy car or all of the other things, but I own a home and have a masters degree. I was taught that education, home ownership and self-sufficiency were priorities in life. BRAVO. I just found your blog and it is excellent. I have you bookmarked and will definitely continue to read. I am a black female who grew up in rural Pennsylvania and miss it terribly. I now live in the WDC metropolis and boy is it different. I love what you had to say about self-sufficiency. I work for the government and I can’t tell you the number of our folks that I come across on the job who have been living in the same APARTMENT for 20 and 30 years. This isn’t NYC where folks live in apartments their entire lives. They thumb their noses at people like me who don’t dress, have a flashy car or all of the other things, but I own a home and have a masters degree. I was taught that education, home ownership and self-sufficiency were priorities in life.

]]> By: journeyman http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-34 journeyman Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:59:58 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-34 Well said ... all the more when you factor in this morning's economic news reports concerning worry (a.k.a. "impending doom") about a possible upcoming global recession. Who suffers most during economic downturns? Like the depression ... how much better it is to have land to grow your food, fresh chickens and eggs, and one or more cows? Well said … all the more when you factor in this morning’s economic news reports concerning worry (a.k.a. “impending doom”) about a possible upcoming global recession. Who suffers most during economic downturns? Like the depression … how much better it is to have land to grow your food, fresh chickens and eggs, and one or more cows?

]]> By: exe http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-33 exe Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:54:12 +0000 http://blackfarms.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/racism-or-engineering-your-life/#comment-33 People are walking across deserts in order to get in to the U.S. , meanwhile those of us who have been here for generations have not taken the time or put forth the effort to at least own a piece of it. Why should we worry about the club or the weekend, or flashy cars when it is much more important to own our own forty acres. When I was growing up in the midwest we knew people who were poor but owned their house and a few acres. These people were always able to eat well, sell what they didn't need, and house relatives who required assistance. Self suffiency is a critical component of success. People are walking across deserts in order to get in to the U.S. , meanwhile those of us who have been here for generations have not taken the time or put forth the effort to at least own a piece of it. Why should we worry about the club or the weekend, or flashy cars when it is much more important to own our own forty acres.

When I was growing up in the midwest we knew people who were poor but owned their house and a few acres. These people were always able to eat well, sell what they didn’t need, and house relatives who required assistance. Self suffiency is a critical component of success.

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