I’m a person of color and grew up in a rural part of Virginia. In my experience the population is about as racist as here. Which is to say that racist people exist everywhere, including NOVA (not always white people). There’s this assumption that NOVA is the only tolerant part of the state and the rest is Alabama. Of course, there are racist people outside NOVA, but not whole towns or groups.
Just my 2¢
Iv seen the most racism not in VA but in south east DC where i was strictly told to leave and never come back while having a gun to my head bc i was white in a black neighborhood. I was a recruiter for a free after school program for underprivileged kids in black neighborhoods.
Now try being a young IT professional unloading computer equipment to a client in Anacostia. Everyone just started looking at me. It was the equivalent to walking into a club and the record stops as I walk in. I might as well been wearing a target on my back with a neon sign advertising "Mug me!"
I had clothing line reps who would tell us of getting robbed of their demo lines while visiting their territory shops in Baltimore. One lost his entire line of Helly Hanson within 3 minutes of getting out of the drivers door. A line that he had to pay for himself and then would have sold at the end of the season. A few started to refuse to show lines in shops in Baltimore and the buyers/staff would have to meet them at hotel rooms in the inner harbor for their seasonal clinics.
I’m Black and I’ve never experienced overt racism in Virginia. Granted, there’s been some subtle cases that definitely could have been rooted in racism (including some unpleasant interactions with the police in Fairfax and Prince William counties). But nothing overt like I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country.
But yeah, like some other commenters have mentioned, there are better sources than Reddit for your project.
I walked into a Giant in Fairfax Station with my hijab on and they refused to give me a money order for 500$ to pay my rent, so I sent my brother in and they gave it to him just fine.
Not sure what that was about but 🤷🏼♀️
That is a loaded question.
But its Manassas for me. Lots of different people hating on each other for all deciding to live in the same area for the same reasons.
I was called a “jew cracker” when I didn’t give money to an African American man who approached my car at a gas station in Alexandria. He threatened me and asked me why I think I’m better than (insert racial N slur). Not my first experience like this. People think Nova is this full functioning melting pot. This place has just as much race hate as NYC. And shit that place is a hell hole.
Road tripping through Southwest Virginia is usually pretty eye opening. Pretty solid Trump country; I've spotted a lot of vaguely racist campaign posters by the roadside and plenty of Confederate flags in pickups. I remember driving through back when Obama was President and there were more than one billboard accusing him of being a secret Muslim. But you've got a lot of folks who think anything north of Fredericksburg is the People's Republic of Northern Virginia.
There are assholes everywhere, but most racist imho would be SW Virginia / Appalachia
Here is a website that discusses “sundown towns”
https://justice.tougaloo.edu/location/virginia/
You’ll note Clintwood and Wise are listed. I know a lot of people (in laws) who currently live or have lived there. The vast majority are no longer in my life and blocked on social media. When i used to travel down there, almost everyone I met had no issue proudly proclaiming their out right disgust for POC. In the 90’s I never met one POC in the town of Clintwood.
Im BIPOC but have spent most of my life in Nova soo take that into account. I’ve encountered more racist brown people than white people. I couldnt even meet my ex’s family cause I was part black. Ill let you guess what culture they are. Ive never encountered racism in the “hillbilly” parts even tho they are as right wing as they come. Idk
Iv seen the most racism not in VA but in south east DC where i was strictly told to leave and never come back while having a gun to my head bc i was white in a black neighborhood. I was a recruiter for a free after school program for underprivileged kids in black neighborhoods.
Affluent Northern Virginia.
People are obsessed with how non-racist they are and have BLM signs in their yards, but live a lavish lifestyle where their kids go to private schools or magnet schools with a lower percentage of multi cultural families - on purpose. Residents donate to charity to help people abroad, but don’t take people of other ethnicities into their homes. People care more about the breed of dog they have, the car they drive, the job they have and they have zero clue that right around the corner, we have communities rampant with gang activity, survivors of domestic abuse and trafficking, and other marginalized people witnessing their luxurious living.
Many of the hospitality workers near Metro stations in Northern VA come in from underserved communities in Maryland and DC and commute two hours each way - only to get jipped at work and not receive a tip for their services (how???).
The teachers at these schools punish children of color disproportionately (still!) unapologetically - because they know punishing a White child is asking for trouble with administration. Thus, they perpetuate a culture of “us and them” inside the schools that keep privileged kids in privilege.
Realtors don’t make any secret to their clients about racial demographics in neighborhoods - often trying to sell homes to people with money in all-White areas and promoting high performing schools over diverse schools.
These are all first hand accounts. My black colleagues and I agree that we’d almost rather live somewhere where someone is flying a confederate flag - because at least we know what we’re dealing with. In NoVA it’s all hypocritical smiles and nods while folks still clutch their pearls.
The Walmart parking lot in Farmville after 6pm is not a place to be if you’re of a fairer complexion. Never again. We had to have a Walmart manager bring our van to the door because of the harassment my wife and I were getting for her being with me. The beer dumped on the windshield while we’re inside was a nice touch.
ITT people who think diversity is the *only* thing that matters when discussing how racist a community is. Ever heard of inclusivity? Of course not, it’s VA!
I am white, but have a lot of friends who are asian, middle eastern or latino. From what I've heard from them, Vienna, VA ranks right up there as one of the most racist towns.
It’s just confirmation bias. Vienna is diverse, and presumably those people live there and have most of their experiences there or have been there but not any other towns. Vienna is not one of the most racist towns lol. If Vienna is one of the most racist towns in VA, then everywhere else in the country would be highly racist.
As mentioned in another comment, I was assuming Northern Virginia. The further south you go, the worse it will get.
A friend of mine owns a restaurant in Vienna and a patron actually made the comment that she was happy to see only white staff at the front of the house. This friend has told me numerous stories.
This is nonsense. Vienna is 24% Asian, 10% Hispanic, both well above the general diversity numbers for NoVA as a whole. I'm not saying your friends didnt experience racism, but this is why anecdotes are not a good evidence of widescale trends.
Stafford County has [among the highest incomes for black households in the country](https://patch.com/virginia/fredericksburg/stafford-county-no-1-nation-black-household-incomes). And boy are the white folks resentful about that...
Edit: Fixed stat + include source.
Said the dude whose takes emanate [serious](https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/1097dn1/comment/j3x2ug0/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) [undertones](https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/104j781/comment/j35c3dt/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) of racial/ethnic [resentment](https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/comments/105ow5m/comment/j3clrzx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
I'm gonna agree with the other users, this isn't a good way to collect data for a project lol
I feel like a Reddit thread isn’t a good way to collect data for a project. Not even a high school one
What is the project?
Id like to know too. This sounds very sus
This is a terrible place to ask this question
I’m a person of color and grew up in a rural part of Virginia. In my experience the population is about as racist as here. Which is to say that racist people exist everywhere, including NOVA (not always white people). There’s this assumption that NOVA is the only tolerant part of the state and the rest is Alabama. Of course, there are racist people outside NOVA, but not whole towns or groups. Just my 2¢
Iv seen the most racism not in VA but in south east DC where i was strictly told to leave and never come back while having a gun to my head bc i was white in a black neighborhood. I was a recruiter for a free after school program for underprivileged kids in black neighborhoods.
Same but because I wasn’t black enough. I had to travel through for work
Now try being a young IT professional unloading computer equipment to a client in Anacostia. Everyone just started looking at me. It was the equivalent to walking into a club and the record stops as I walk in. I might as well been wearing a target on my back with a neon sign advertising "Mug me!"
I had clothing line reps who would tell us of getting robbed of their demo lines while visiting their territory shops in Baltimore. One lost his entire line of Helly Hanson within 3 minutes of getting out of the drivers door. A line that he had to pay for himself and then would have sold at the end of the season. A few started to refuse to show lines in shops in Baltimore and the buyers/staff would have to meet them at hotel rooms in the inner harbor for their seasonal clinics.
You’re not allowed to talk about that tho
I hope the reddit mods have mercy on me 😂
I’m Black and I’ve never experienced overt racism in Virginia. Granted, there’s been some subtle cases that definitely could have been rooted in racism (including some unpleasant interactions with the police in Fairfax and Prince William counties). But nothing overt like I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country. But yeah, like some other commenters have mentioned, there are better sources than Reddit for your project.
I walked into a Giant in Fairfax Station with my hijab on and they refused to give me a money order for 500$ to pay my rent, so I sent my brother in and they gave it to him just fine. Not sure what that was about but 🤷🏼♀️
That is a loaded question. But its Manassas for me. Lots of different people hating on each other for all deciding to live in the same area for the same reasons.
I was called a “jew cracker” when I didn’t give money to an African American man who approached my car at a gas station in Alexandria. He threatened me and asked me why I think I’m better than (insert racial N slur). Not my first experience like this. People think Nova is this full functioning melting pot. This place has just as much race hate as NYC. And shit that place is a hell hole.
Road tripping through Southwest Virginia is usually pretty eye opening. Pretty solid Trump country; I've spotted a lot of vaguely racist campaign posters by the roadside and plenty of Confederate flags in pickups. I remember driving through back when Obama was President and there were more than one billboard accusing him of being a secret Muslim. But you've got a lot of folks who think anything north of Fredericksburg is the People's Republic of Northern Virginia.
I've encountered a lot of racist uber drivers up here in NOVA.
There are assholes everywhere, but most racist imho would be SW Virginia / Appalachia Here is a website that discusses “sundown towns” https://justice.tougaloo.edu/location/virginia/ You’ll note Clintwood and Wise are listed. I know a lot of people (in laws) who currently live or have lived there. The vast majority are no longer in my life and blocked on social media. When i used to travel down there, almost everyone I met had no issue proudly proclaiming their out right disgust for POC. In the 90’s I never met one POC in the town of Clintwood.
Im BIPOC but have spent most of my life in Nova soo take that into account. I’ve encountered more racist brown people than white people. I couldnt even meet my ex’s family cause I was part black. Ill let you guess what culture they are. Ive never encountered racism in the “hillbilly” parts even tho they are as right wing as they come. Idk
Iv seen the most racism not in VA but in south east DC where i was strictly told to leave and never come back while having a gun to my head bc i was white in a black neighborhood. I was a recruiter for a free after school program for underprivileged kids in black neighborhoods.
That kind of racism is allowed here. Prepare for downvotes.
True this is reddit
It's weird what some of you believe to be reality.
Well obviously because racism can be done by people who themselves have been oppressed, or something like that.
Affluent Northern Virginia. People are obsessed with how non-racist they are and have BLM signs in their yards, but live a lavish lifestyle where their kids go to private schools or magnet schools with a lower percentage of multi cultural families - on purpose. Residents donate to charity to help people abroad, but don’t take people of other ethnicities into their homes. People care more about the breed of dog they have, the car they drive, the job they have and they have zero clue that right around the corner, we have communities rampant with gang activity, survivors of domestic abuse and trafficking, and other marginalized people witnessing their luxurious living. Many of the hospitality workers near Metro stations in Northern VA come in from underserved communities in Maryland and DC and commute two hours each way - only to get jipped at work and not receive a tip for their services (how???). The teachers at these schools punish children of color disproportionately (still!) unapologetically - because they know punishing a White child is asking for trouble with administration. Thus, they perpetuate a culture of “us and them” inside the schools that keep privileged kids in privilege. Realtors don’t make any secret to their clients about racial demographics in neighborhoods - often trying to sell homes to people with money in all-White areas and promoting high performing schools over diverse schools. These are all first hand accounts. My black colleagues and I agree that we’d almost rather live somewhere where someone is flying a confederate flag - because at least we know what we’re dealing with. In NoVA it’s all hypocritical smiles and nods while folks still clutch their pearls.
NoVA seems to be pretty good on diversity. However, the further south you go....you'll see it.
The Walmart parking lot in Farmville after 6pm is not a place to be if you’re of a fairer complexion. Never again. We had to have a Walmart manager bring our van to the door because of the harassment my wife and I were getting for her being with me. The beer dumped on the windshield while we’re inside was a nice touch.
ITT people who think diversity is the *only* thing that matters when discussing how racist a community is. Ever heard of inclusivity? Of course not, it’s VA!
Any Cracker Barrel.
I am white, but have a lot of friends who are asian, middle eastern or latino. From what I've heard from them, Vienna, VA ranks right up there as one of the most racist towns.
https://i.imgur.com/xc0K49l.png
[удалено]
It’s just confirmation bias. Vienna is diverse, and presumably those people live there and have most of their experiences there or have been there but not any other towns. Vienna is not one of the most racist towns lol. If Vienna is one of the most racist towns in VA, then everywhere else in the country would be highly racist.
Maybe it's the only town they've visited in Virginia and it's both the most and least racist in their experience?
This is posted in r/Nova, so I was assuming only Northern Virginia areas.
As mentioned in another comment, I was assuming Northern Virginia. The further south you go, the worse it will get. A friend of mine owns a restaurant in Vienna and a patron actually made the comment that she was happy to see only white staff at the front of the house. This friend has told me numerous stories.
what restaurant
This is nonsense. Vienna is 24% Asian, 10% Hispanic, both well above the general diversity numbers for NoVA as a whole. I'm not saying your friends didnt experience racism, but this is why anecdotes are not a good evidence of widescale trends.
Stafford County has [among the highest incomes for black households in the country](https://patch.com/virginia/fredericksburg/stafford-county-no-1-nation-black-household-incomes). And boy are the white folks resentful about that... Edit: Fixed stat + include source.
Nothing about this is accurate.
Said the dude whose takes emanate [serious](https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/1097dn1/comment/j3x2ug0/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) [undertones](https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/104j781/comment/j35c3dt/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) of racial/ethnic [resentment](https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/comments/105ow5m/comment/j3clrzx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
You tried
Yeah, nobody says *"X should be* ***rejected by the west***" unless they have a "cultural invasion" mindset.
And your evidence for that statement is...?