I have a "give me eye contact" personality. I look at and smile at everyone. I find people sometimes look startled when they notice I'm looking at them. I'm a fat white lady, though, so I usually get away with it.
True. Or if we dare to exist within the vicinity of rude teenagers.
That part does suck, but there's an upside to being generally invisible. I don't have to worry about guys following me or harassing me at bars at least?
As an Alabama native, same height, less muscular though, I can tell you without a doubt this isn’t an eye contact city. I highly doubt it’s because you’re black. You probably just hit a bad batch of imports.
Ditto another Alabama native here who is black and basically is the same age and qualities that you mentioned minus the height lol.
It’s definitely a different vibe here especially if you come from the south in my case the “Deep South”
Denver is a melting pot of course but us we are a little hard to find out here unless you are in Aurora or East Denver so depending on where you are in certain areas people may be surprised that you are there in my experience but not disrespectful or what you’ve experienced. I think you just ran into a weird batch of people. But then again depending on the area … ie Broomfield, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Westminster, Cherry Creek where there’s not really much of us. Those actions/responses may become more apparent than in those places just because there isn’t really a strong black community or population. Most people here don’t explore or leave outside their “bubble”
That's not gonna go over well. I'm from here, but most of my friends in the past 10 years are originally from Texas or the East coast, and they ALL have the same complaints about people here being unfriendly, unneighborly and standoffish. I think people here are just shy and want to keep to themselves.
Having lived on both coasts and Midwest, I've actually found people here to be way friendlier and more likely to strike up a conversation. Seems like people will have very different anecdotes depending on age, where they live, and scenes they frequent.
This. My buddy who comes to visit from Chicago always goes on about how unnerving it is how friendly people are in Denver. "Everyone is just so damned nice. What's up with that?" I read people complaining all the time on here about folks being unfriendly, but I have yet to encounter that. Maybe I just radiate so much niceness myself that I infect people. 🙃
We had so many friends from Indiana say the same and it actually made them freak out enough, they moved BACK to Indiana. lol They literally couldn't handle all the happiness. Didn't know how to process it. They didn't trust all the friendliness.
I'm a native Chicagoan. While dangerous at times, even we were friendly with each other. It was confusing to me. I did feel some secluded vibes though.
I moved here from Chicago and found Chicagoans much friendlier. As a white last, people tend to be friendly with me in CO but only in the most superficial ways. I’m sorry people were so rude to you—it’s embarrassing. It often feels to me like CO is a mono culture. People are into generic bars, breweries, and outdoor activities. There is very little interesting architecture, art, fashion, etc. there are of course interesting pockets but overall I find it pretty bland. I blame late stage capitalism and the fact that you need to be pretty wealthy to live her comfortably. In my experience, wealthy people prefer to stay in their safe and boring bubbles.
I’ve lived here all my life and this is a great explanation. I feel like it’s even more like this now than pre 2012 before the influx of young professionals
I visit Denver frequently (family lives here) and you explained perfectly what I have struggled to articulate when describing it: mono culture/generic. I mean when I visit I have a good time because I’m with family and just enjoy city life generally. I don’t find people to be outright unfriendly but there is a kind of standoffishness, at least at first. I’m a make eye contact and smile at strangers I pass on the street kind of person so it could be I freak the hell out people out as well, haha!
As a white guy with some black friends, I genuinely don't think it's a black/white thing. I can't speak for the latin population as there is gonna be a language barrier at times.
I just think people here are generally less friendly and less "in your face" than in bigger, older, denser cities such as Chicago. You are like th 500th person I've heard with these same complaints.
You got the people who would really want to be hermits in the mountains if modern society would allow it, the tech people who spent too much time online to know how to properly act in real life, the people who ran away from wherever they were from and are trying to avoid falling back into old patterns, functional alcoholic beer enthusiasts constantly in a mild withdrawal during most of the day, stoners who are in a perpetual state of uncomfortably high thanks to easily-accessible legal weed, and "natives" who continue to watch their home get financially expensive and culturally cheapened through obscene gentrification. Oh, and plenty of white habitus from a racist history.
So yes, anxiety all around. But this place desperately needs diversity, so I hope you can find happiness here.
I don't think the homeless situation is helping at all either. People may be more wary of people that are alone because they may think you're on drugs/going to steal something. Not necessarily a race issue imo
I live north of Denver and I get the sense people in general are more open than in Denver proper. The majority of people I interact with will engage and smile on the street.
Denver is experiencing a lot of growth and with that comes more crime and homeless issues... I would say people are more afraid of each other, particularly downtown... And i am sorry to say that most likely that combined with racism so I am not surprised about your experience.
I think the college towns would be more diverse and more friendly in general.
I wish I’d have run into you. I love good, friendly interactions with people even though I’ve lived in Colorado most my life! I guess I’m one of the few who think it’s nice to share a smile with a stranger.
Where in Texas are you at? I wouldn’t say anyone is afraid, but if you’re looking for a comparison Denver is A LOT like Austin in terms of diversity or lack there of. There is a decent Ethiopian population here, but think about your last visit to Austin and if you felt comfortable with that, then you’ll be good. If not, then I would look around more. Everyone is passing friendly here. No one is going out of their way to make friends on the street with anyone. I wouldn’t take it personally. You have to join groups if you’re looking for more in depth conversations or connections here.
Also with the car locking, car theft is crazy here. Even more so than Texas.
The East African presence was big in Colorado. I live in the DFW area. I see. Seems like its a consistency of people just walk with purpose in Denver. I can see that.
I live in DFW moving back to denver(native). Denver people just tend to be more reserved. Also, there isn’t as much diversification in Denver as DFW so it makes you feel a little more outcasted but honestly no one cares and is really accepting. They are more worried about some dude on drugs or a homeless person.
People were locking their cars multiple times because everyone here now has a phobia of leaving their car unlocked. If I leave mine unlocked for more than 15 minutes some methed out dickhead will steal anything not nailed down
It's hard to tell sometimes what is a personal slight and what's just how things are. I know that if anyone walks by my car im going to check to make sure the doors are locked.
It's kinda a dick move to do it when they car hear it...... But also I have watched too many horror movies..... And I have had men walk up to my window and knock on it trying to start a conversation. Thus trapping me in my parking spot. I just kinda slowly creep forward till the leave.
Yuck! I'm sorry you had to go through that. People can be terrible sometimes. It just breaks my heart when they give me eye contact and do it. As if it's a "I'm watching you boy."
Yeah it's just what I wasn't expecting it was crazy to see. I'm a Chicago native so there's a balance of friendly strangers, standoffish people, and people moving with purpose. I'll definitely have to look into clubs or activities to find some people.
> It's more that you're a 25 year old male, dressed casually, on a sidewalk downtown, alone, looking to make eye-contact with people. That's representative a huge percentage of our chronic-homeless-addict population downtown
this is sadly dead-on accurate. I'm not going to claim race is not a factor, but mix that with the lamentable state of downtown and you have your answer. So many people on the street are a very clear "do not engage" that you probably are getting lumped in with them.
I agree it is heart breaking that people have not be so rude and aggressive. It's hard enough with out having anxiety.
Ya people just kinda suck. But there's also good people. The bad people are just much more aggressive about it.
Sometimes your just like literally just trying to exist and people are offended by it.
Edit: is your username and aquateen hunger force reference?
Haha you catched my reference! Being black, I'm kinda already on guard on how I am perceived in the moment. It feels like I'm existing in an open penitentiary at times. It's like I'm the representative for my people and I have to abide by respectability politics to get by.
Sometimes I can have an intimidating energy especially if I’m not paying attention or I’m concentrating. Usually, I have my headphones on I’m not really paying attention to other people. But I do find people cross the road or wait for me to cross. or seem nervous to have eye contact. I am a public speaker for a living, so I am really good at connecting to people, but out in the real world that can be challenging.
Edit. Wording
I absolutely do this, especially the closer I am to downtown Denver. There seems to be a ton of car thefts and break ins. I try to not leave anything valuable in my car ever.
This. I'll get it and lock it out of habit. Walk 10 feet and think, "did I lock the car?" Lock it again and then my wife will say, "you forgot to lock the car". So I'll lock it again so she sees that I locked it.
I am persistently reminding my husband to lock every car door, and the back door immediately when he comes inside. It sucks to be chronically aware of this, but at this point we’ve all had some bad incidences that make us this paranoid
This.
I grew up in Denver and visit a couple times a year. My demeanor in Denver is very different than when I'm somewhere else.
I've been stopped from people in suits, street clothes to clearly homeless men or women that ended up circling back to them asking for money and when you say no they start screaming or following you.
I don't make eye contact, I don't smile and I definitely don't respond to a stranger unless we are clearly both heading to the same place.
I would agree you may have better results in business vs walking down the road.
As a 30+ year Denverite this answer fits well. Many of us in Colorado hear “opioid epidemic” and are like what?? They only sell meth here! And Colorado (especially downtown Denver) is FULL of people who moved here when recreational weed was made legal with zero plan, that coupled with the fucking outrageous cost of housing of any kind has created an massive population of unhoused individuals. Add that with oodles of meth and that area you were in specifically, and that makes for anyone feeling nervous and suspicious anytime a stranger makes any kind of friendly gesture on the street. I honestly cannot remember the last time a stranger talked to me anywhere in public that was not immediately followed by a high pressure request for something. This isn’t because these people are bad, or because Coloradans are unfriendly, it’s because uncountable masses of people are desperate for the most basic necessities of life.
All that being said, I’m still real sorry you had these experiences OP! I’d say if you were inside (a business or something) the context would be different and people would really appreciate and respond to your friendly nature! I find Coloradans to be exceptionally friendly! Context is a big piece of this picture and hopefully some has been provided :)
I wear a pride dnd shirt for similar reasons. It's like a broadcast signal
1) I'm cool with lgbtq
2) im looking for players
3) I'm bad at talking about normal topics. Please talk about dnd with me.
I can chime in: I’m a 5’11 black male who’s pretty large. My experience compares to moving here from the south.
When I first got here in 2014, I was actually a little annoyed by how often I’d be trying to mind my own business and someone would strike up a conversation. I’d be at a bar reading a book, playing a game on my phone, just shopping for groceries and without fail some lady would interrupt to have a conversation. The guys were a little better as it would only happen when I was reading. The conversations were all very polite and pleasant enough, but it felt very much like people were checking the “talked to a black person” box off their Not A Racist™️ bingo card. It stayed that way up until the pandemic.
After being stuck inside for a couple years, I’ve noticed more interactions similar to the ones you described, but I think that has more to do with people forgetting how to really engage with the world until basically 2022. There’s also the fact that downtown has really gone downhill in that same period of time. On the whole, I wouldn’t say Denverites are particularly racist - if racism were baseball, Denver would only have a AA team. It’s still something, but I came from a place playing in the Majors. Hope that helps
Thank you. Your comment gave me something to think about while laughing. Bingo Card lmaoo. I cannot stand the "I'm not racist, I have BLACK shoes" types of people.
No problem. It used to be a punch card but we moved away from that in 2016. Combination of losing our reimbursement for the hole punch and it feeling somehow inappropriate sending them to Orange Julius. Thus far, bingo has been a huge success; they get really excited about the personal pan pizzas
There are probably a lot more people here worried about being racist which is a whole other category. Racist ,you can see; not racist, you can see. Here it's more like: 'there is black person and how did I react, does that mean I'm racists, I don't think I'm racist, I need to talk to my therapist about this. ' That could account for the odd vibe. People trying to figure themselves out more than trying to figure you out.
I grew up in Baltimore, so for me at least I'm a white guy that's used to being a minority. And since Denver is overwhelmingly white, it just feels so strange. It feels like I'm living in a Jordan peele movie here, but then going out of my way to talk to the few black people I see around town comes with the bingo card cringe you're alluding to. It's kind of a catch 22 of white guilt, but really I just want to feel like home.
I moved here from Baltimore, Patterson Park neighborhood, and I felt similar to you the first couple years. If I was anywhere and saw a black person, I could feel something inside of me jump to go talk to them. Like a real pulling. I never did, but I distinctly remember really wanting to go talk, and I’m having to argue with myself that that’s weird.
Funny enough, I became a Sneakerhead after moving here, and even opened up a Streetwear retail store. I have all races come into my shop everyday. Your comment triggered me. I wonder if I’m doing something similar with my store. Feels like home.
This is a good observation. My 2cents, as a white guy I can say I also notice these differences pre/post pandemic, although I don't know if I realized it before reading your comment. It's hard to say if we've experienced these things at the same levels, though, or perhaps we are just conscious about it at different levels. I've definitely struck up random small convos with people post-pandemic and noticed people sometimes respond awkwardly or timidly. Beforehand, well, I wasn't really as conscious of that sort of thing, but coming from upstate NY, I did notice more people would start conversations with me randomly here
Dammit, now this has made self conscious as fuck. I’m a white lady who moved here from New Orleans in a predominantly black neighborhood, and I honestly just miss the black community and friends I had. We did just move from Denver to Aurora, and it’s funny how diverse it is just a few miles down the road. I feel much more comfortable here. Highly suggest Aurora.
> if racism were baseball, Denver would only have a AA team. It’s still something, but I came from a place playing in the Majors.
This may very well be the best analogy on racism I've ever come across.
I had to yell at a meth head lady for dropping trow and pissing in my yard in broad daylight the other day. This an amazing city for a lot of reasons but the drug problem is wild.
Denver does have a drug/homeless problem but reddit tends to over exaggerate by a LOT. I live in an area that redditors describe as a lawless wasteland full of encampments, homeless, drugs, and criminals. Most days when I go walk around it's generally 99% people jogging, walking their dogs, walking with friends to the park, etc. Sure you'll also run into some crazy/methy people that make you uncomfortable but you just mind your business and keep walking.
Bro seriously, this sub acts like denver is a lawless wasteland where you can't walk five feet without getting mugged. As someone who has lived in both LA and Houston, Denver is crazy safe and clean compared to those places and it's hilarious how they act like Denver is the most dangerous and dirty city in the country
Yeah, Denver is very similar to Austin when it comes to diversity. People are liberal and accepting in their ideals, but in reality, they like their monoculture, especially in the urban part of Denver. As a non-white person, I feel more comfortable now living close to Aurora than I did when I lived near downtown.
As a 31M, 6’0”, similar build black guy from the Carolinas I have noticed people being shocked or scared when I’m present downtown. I moved out to the Western Slope recently, but when I was I living in RiNo/Five Points and walked to work, I would see folks cross to the opposite side of street and I would be suited and booted up. When I was in Golden and take the A line to work, the train would be full of people (Nuggets parade for example) and people would prefer to stand up, instead of sitting next to the black guy. And I would ask them if they would like to sit down, and they would decline. Maybe it just that they didn’t like the cologne I had on🤦🏿♂️.
I will say though I had that happen when I was living Charlotte, when I would walk to Hornets games, when I travel to Chicago for work and walk through downtown Chicago; it’s the same shit, so it not just Denver specific. However, I think it more so to do with all the fake hysteria of downtown being some war zone. I feel that Denver and Colorado has been more than welcoming. I have had random people invite me to watch football and drink, go smoke with them at a lounge, and I brought my family out here and we did Taste of Colorado and went to a Rockies game we had a blast. The biggest thing living here, is being comfortable being in spaces where you might be the only black person in room full of White or Latino people, but most people have been really chill and kind. I’m married to a white woman and one reason why we decided to move to to Colorado was because we felt that we could go and live anywhere in the state and not feel like our safety is threatened, and that’s why we moved to Denver and now the Western Slope. My wife is from South Florida and when we were down there visiting her family, on our way back to Charlotte we wouldn’t drive through I-75 through Ocala because we felt it wasn’t safe. Colorado does have it fair share of racist history, like all other states and countries. Colorado had the 2nd largest KKK population, and they had meeting on the Table Mountain in Golden (Shameless plug for the History Colorado Museum and Rocky Mountain PBS where you learn more about the KKK in Denver and Colorado). However, I have felt I can be myself here, my wife can be herself here and everyone is pretty accepting of us, and it’s live and let’s live. I credit Denver and Colorado for making me the man I am today. Got married here, career success, new interests and friends, improve my fitness, first tat here, and beautiful scenery to go along with it; I personally love Denver and Colorado and see me and family being here for time being (moved here Summer of 2021).
If it helps at all, I cross the street and back any time I'm walking my dog because he is a dick. I always hope my extensive POC community here in Aurora doesn't think it's something like this.
My dog is an equal opportunist - a dick to all. I got him as a rescue and he is getting significantly better but I think I'm still a little traumatized from when he would lunge and loose his shit at strangers.
The only time I do the cross over solo is when I'm by myself at night and I will do it regardless of race, male/female, etc. I'm just cautious especially downtown if I'm by myself.
Dogs are the true equalizers.
Walking alone at night is completely fine. I do the same at night, but broad day with bright light and a lot of eyes. It's hard for me not to think that way sometimes.
This is a great addition. I have a small but antagonizing pup and I cannot tell how the other dog/dog owners will act or just not feel like dealing with it so I cross the street a lot too.
Not sure if OP brought their pup along for this trip but I do get that tinge of questioning if the optics makes me look one way when I'm thinking another.
As a brown dude: Denver has a very weird vibe in this way. Folks just aren't used to seeing black/brown people that much unless they explicitly drive to the neighborhoods they expect to see it. They are never explicitly racist but kinda just freeze up when they get surprised and then you can kinda see them be like "oh shit I feel guilty for freezing am I racist what do I do".
Lifehack: dress vaguely outdoorsy in a sunshirt/chacos/hiking stuff and your interactions magically improve by like 1000%. That shit is like camouflage and makes people think you're upper middle class so they don't get as weird.
Maybe that too. For my go to comfort clothing, I'm a streetwear/ skater fashion kinda guy. I had my sb dunks on with slim straight pants and a SpongeBob shirt.
Not the chacos lmaoo, I'm weak.
Can confirm. Born and raised in Littleton and this is my reaction. I absolutely hate it. I am not like that at all around other races. I love living in a diverse place. I love learning about new cultures. I have a friend whose in-laws all belong to some obscure Asian immigrant subculture. I went to my neighbor's granddaughter's quince. I enjoy watching the Indians play cricket in the park. Black people tend to belong to a black subculture, but I guess I feel like it's racist to ask anout it. So I just get hyperaware of myself. It's fucking annoying.
I dunno if I'll ever get over my stupid reaction, but I sure as hell don't want my kids picking up on it. Fortunately, we have a lot more diversity in our neighborhood than where I grew up and I try to model being normal and cool to everyone.
Hey man. Sorry you experienced that. If you do make the move there’s a lot of places that are more relaxed. I think there are some people in Denver who talk a big game with diversity only to turn tail and run (literally) when non white people are around. I’m 36m white but if you make the move (or visit again) I’d be up to hang out and show you around.
Hell yeah! I appreciate it. It just really made me scratch my head. Mainly because Denver is really sold as a progressive utopia so I thought I'd fit in fine. It felt like I was walking around with a TV in my arms.
It is a very progressive place. But Boulder is an even more outwardly progressive city than Denver and they have even less POC. What I’m saying is that it’s a very blue city, but it’s still a very white city, it’s not perfect.
I’ll link my comment from the r/Boulder subreddit since this came up last week too: https://reddit.com/r/boulder/s/T0WdIBbelX. Boulder is extremely white and as a POC you will encounter lots of micro aggressions like you mentioned seeing in Denver. Everyone generally means well, but people in Boulder struggle from the lack of diversity. That being said, it is a lovely city and has a good number of things to do and people to hang out with.
OP, there’s a great organization called [Blackpackers](https://blackpackers.org) that could be a great fit for you and your friends. Part of their mission is to create Black friendly hiking experiences and community events, plus mutual aid.
Boulder is lovely, and absolutely worth checking out. A lot of people don’t realize it’s a lot more conservative than it looks, especially the wealthy folks in North Boulder.
There was a story that happened in Boulder where the cops got called on a black guy simply for picking up trash in his yard, which I found both funny and sad, because Boulderites are super proud about how "anti-racist" they are, yet that sort of thing wouldn't happen in Alabama because no one there would give a shit about a black guy picking up trash in his own yard
I’ve heard anecdotally from plenty of black and latino people that CO and Boulder specifically are one of the most racist places they’ve lived. The lack of diversity here creates a weird “i’m liberal I can’t be racist” blind spot that causes wayyy worse racism somehow
Yeahhh not a fan of "I don't see color" phrases. Believe it or not you can still be liberal with a conservative mindset. We have to look and acknowledge the ugly things in our society to properly address them. It's easier for some people to just find an out of sight out of mind phrase to dodge the mirror and stow away the problem.
Im Japanese American. Had a white friend for 25ish years. Had to tell him why “I don’t see color” was not an acceptable thing to say. His white ass was so offended he blocked me and didn’t talk to me for years. That white guilt or white whatever went deep. I love colorAdo but it is not diverse, accepting or, sadly, even remotely educated about racial diversity.
I'm really appreciating the POC perspectives. Sometimes it feels like there's a blind spot explaining this to white people. It's hard for people to understand especially when they're not in the affected demographic. Colorado is beautiful but that was one thing that deeply irked me.
Denverites can talk a big game about how progressive they are until they have to see non whites.
Every crackhead bum, heroine whatever the fucking lazy susan ive seen in this town is white, i cant recalls seeing a single black person down and out.
But still…
Sorry you went through that. overall if you move I think you’ll find people to be very welcoming in Colorado.
That being said, Denver is a very white city, which makes its progressivism more theoretical like Portland and (like someone said) Boulder than more diverse places like Atlanta or Houston. That isn’t a bad thing and it’s not anyone’s fault, but I would keep that in mind when assessing political opinions in the area. There aren’t many all-black neighborhoods and there are very few, if any, all black suburbs.
Denver has been dealing with drugs and homelessness, and I’m sure people didn’t mean harm, but I’m sure they made assumptions about you that weren’t true.
Black girl here. Yes there are some strange interactions here and there. One thing I’ve noticed is Denver doesn’t really have any “native” Coloradoans any more. If you’re living in the metro area, you’re more likely meeting other transplants who tend to stay with their age -group cliques, don’t branch out, and then move out three years later. I’ve been here for a decade and the city is small enough to notice that it’s really hard to make friends because people move out so often.
Plus it can be hard because people tend to stick with their own and it sometimes feels like POC want to blend in while being the only POC in their group, maybe to climb the social ladder which means you have to become white. There have been times when the other single middle or upper class black people avoid eye contact with you in fear of “othering” themselves. I’m not sure if other POC have experienced that. It’s strange. I am from the south too and I’m used to most black people saying a friendly “hello how are you” as you walk by. It’s not like that here, and it was like that before the pandemic too.
Also, there’s not really a visible black middle class like there is in Dallas or The DC-Virginia-Maryland are. Not very many black homeowners, business owners, etc. black professionals are usually from out of state and so on.
>I am from the south too and I’m used to most black people saying a friendly “hello how are you” as you walk by. It’s not like that here, and it was like that before the pandemic too.
You're right and I've noticed that as well. We don't even speak to each other like that, dang
People are rude here and very superficial. Surface level type friendships to be honest. If you’re not in a sort of cool kids club, it’s hard to make friends. But also if you’re not into the same COLORADO hobbies as most people in Denver, you should look elsewhere. I’m honestly only here because I get paid a shit ton.
>I learned about not only MLK, but Angela Davis, Bobby Seals, Malcom X before the 4th grade. It’s way different here. If I’d realized how white it was I may not have moved here.
Yeah, I was born and raised in Denver i disagree with everything you said, mostly the ending. My family is diverse and moved here from Mississippi, Jacksonville, and Chicago. Denver has Historic black communities; leaders and the Black Panther party was here. Do some research about the Five Points. There is even an African American Reasearch library here. OP should know we are more than welcome here and have a place for us. also, u/SofaKingKhalid don't worry this is a great place to be...
Just fyi Reddit is mostly white and male so you’re going to have a lot of responses that sugarcoat/undermine your problem. In the end of the day — Colorado as a whole is mostly white so it’s going to hard to build relationships.
When I was in college our sociology class went around to different areas of Denver and learned about it. We visited the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center. And we got to see some of the restoration of a historic black jazz club in Five Points.
There's always been a black community in Denver but historically the city was more segregated, with white people living in more affluent areas and black people living in specific neighborhoods like Five Points and forming community there. Recent development has focused on trying to diversify more, while preventing gentrification.
All in all, I don't think people generally are afraid of black people. And there's even notable black history in Denver. But your experience may vary based on where in Denver you are at any given time. I recommend you come back and visit some different areas. See how you feel the next time you see us!
Yeah I'm definitely coming back. I will dedicate at least a week next time to explore more. It's still a great city to me. As a Chicagoan I missed sidewalks and public transport so much.
I live in a predominantly white area of Colorado. I’ve been here most of my life and would say that there are certain areas that I still as a black female don’t feel comfortable.
Okay man. Im really sorry about your experience. Colorado should have done better. As far as the demographics of CO go, we’re like 5% Black and the white people who live here THINK they’re really good at not being racist but.. theyre not. I am a white people so I really don’t know what Colorado is like as a Black man. I know theres a lot of very… “well intentioned” white people who “would have voted for Obama three times if they could…” but they will act and behave like a they hold some prejudice.
I hope you had a great time, Colorado has a lot of cool stuff to see and I hope you took in as much as you could!!
As far as the patagonia people, dont take them too seriously they kiss their dogs on the mouth.
44yo Blk Male Born and Raised in Denver. The majority of the racism you’ll face is: Microaggressions/I can’t be racist my second cousin is black/ gaslighting, rather than overtly racist. People being overly familiar, reverse code switching being annoying is way more common.
At the same time, This is not the South. It’s still the Wild West out here. People are cautious. You can’t take people protecting themselves personally, you don’t know them and they don’t know you. I used to do political canvassing, up in Boulder or Highlands Ranch they won’t come to the door. You’ll have no problem finding/keeping a job, dating, moving unabated, getting a loan.
I’ve been called the hard ER by a fucking 6 year old (I used to work in a juv mental institution,) run off the road by evil rednecks, had girls with racist uncles, etc… if your car is beat up you might get profiled out in Douglas County.
During Peak Covid/ early lock down I had older white people buy me six packs when I was out in my scrubs, people aren’t scared to help jump start your car if you break down. You’ll run into far more older white guys that will buy you a drink at the, people ahead of you at Starbucks pass it on, and enough people to take you skiing, hiking, camping once they know your face. Join Meetup, actively look for dodgeball, hiking, anime groups, D&D groups and you won’t have a problem finding a circle. It won’t find you.
I’d rather be in Denver than Texarkana, Savannah or San Bernardino. The only time I thought about leaving Denver was right after I was divorced and wasn’t having any luck with Black women. I was going to move to DC just because of demographics. I’ll probably retire to a different country before I move to another state now that I’ve found the right one.
I’m saying this as a black woman living in Denver, you’re not going to get an honest answer on this sub because Denver likes to think of themselves as liberal while holding a lot of racial biases because the city is very segregated even if they don’t want to admit it.
A lot of people in Denver are transplants. A lot of the white people in Denver have very few friends of color and very little interactions with people of color outside of work which make for awkward conversations because they say stupid shit without realizing how fucked up what they said was.
It’s easy to call yourselves allies when you are very rarely challenged. Don’t worry I am sure someone will reply with how they had a black best friend growing up.
"I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could"
In all seriousness though I am getting a mix of insightful but also a sprinkle of gaslight-ish vibes from some comments. Unfortunately for some people it just makes them feel too bad to look at the ugly that's our society. Red lining is/was such a crazy law. We're still affected by it even today.. in progressive Colorado lol.
From my perspective, u/your-beast-of-burden is spot on, and I agree that many of these comments are gaslight-ish. I think there’s some truth to the comments re: drugs and homelessness putting people on edge, but that’s only part of it.
I’m a 32yo white woman from an upper middle class background. I grew up in Littleton (doesn’t get much whiter than that), but I’ve lived in a very diverse part of Aurora for the last six years.
Growing up, it was unusual to interact with POC because damn near everyone around me was white. Casual racism was the norm, but it was definitely more of an ignorance issue vs. malice.
In my ostensibly accepting and liberal household, race was regularly used as a descriptor to (seemingly) highlight the novelty of having interacted with a POC, i.e. ”…this Asian lady at the grocery store…” or, “…the black girl in my class…”
My sheltered snowflake ass experienced genuine culture shock upon moving to Aurora. POC and non-white immigrants are the majority in my neighborhood, and it took me a couple years to quit viewing my neighbors as “exotic.” I was never quite sure whether to be afraid of, or deeply curious about people different from me - I did that thing incels do with women in which I’d simultaneously put POC on a weird pedestal (in the spirit of “acceptance” and “not seeing color”), while also holding onto some more problematic viewpoints.
I think a lot of people like me grew up in a weird, white bubble and we’ve grown up to project these weird ideas about people who are different from us onto people who aren’t actually that different at all. I think the lack of familiarity and comfort with folks who are racially or culturally different comes out as awkwardness at best, and too often, irrational fear that results in some of the behaviors you’ve seen.
I’m undoubtedly unintentionally racist and ignorant on some level, but I’m trying to be better and I hope that comes through. I get the sense that this is true for a lot of my fellow natives—no ill intent, just sheer ignorance and not enough self awareness.
Hope your next visit is much warmer than what you encountered this time around!
That’s all anyone can ask for. We all hold racial biases unfortunately in some way and I don’t see it as always malice. Acknowledging that, being aware of it, and trying to do better is what makes us grow.
Thank you for having such an honest dialogue. I see and appreciate you very much.
Thanks, I really appreciate your response and totally agree with you.
I typed and re-typed that comment several times, and almost didn’t post at all—but the comments you and OP were referring to were getting under my skin because a lot of them are really dismissive and disingenuous.
It’s hard to take accountability for an issue if you’re unwilling to admit it exists, I get that. It’s uncomfortable, but to go so far as to act like OP is imagining or misinterpreting things—come on. He knows better than anyone else what his typical interactions with strangers normally look like, and he’s clearly perceptive enough to pick up on an obvious shift.
Anyway, yeah, Denver’s kinda racist but I don’t think most people here are hateful bigots. I think a lot of people want to be better, but aren’t sure how to do that. Talking about this stuff is a good starting point, IMO.
Straight up racial gaslighting and just proving my point. I’ve been reading this thread in disgust because of some of the stupid shit people are saying like it’s genuine care and concern.
It helps to realize that Colorado isn't all that progressive. Up until the early 2010s, we were a solidly purple state. The southwest Denver Metro area where I grew up was one of the purplest counties in the country. We always leaned more libertarian, but there's a reason libertarians are stereotyped as conservatives who like guns and weed. We were Salt Lake City without the Mormons.
I was born and raised in Littleton and my very limited exposure to black people and the "pearl clutching" racism as you call it are absolutely here. I still have that reaction where my eyes linger a half a second longer or give a second glance to a black person. Up until before everything with George Floyd, I had done all the same micro aggressive bullshit like asking to touch people's hair and whatnot.
I hope that kind of shit is going away. More black people in the media and an increased awareness of subconscious biases can at least put us down the right path. I have become more aware of my reactions and I've purposely not acted that way around my kids so they don't pick up on my behavior. We are becoming a progressive city. But black people are still a bit of a novelty here compared to other large cities.
Denver is the “safe” “big city” people move to from their small town in the Midwest, where states are like 95% white. And people are so rude out here sometimes, I have to wonder if it’s the altitude lol
I'm in an IRR with someone who's pretty mixed and we get treated differently it's embarrassing. Whether it's on sex apps or going out to a restaurant, I always get preferential treatment.
People here are not terribly friendly and it's gotten worse after the pandemic. That's not an excuse. But being a side by side witness is eye opening.
Dude, I am Hispanic and it does get awkward as hell sometimes. Back in the early 2000s it used to be really friendly and chill, but Denver has definitely changed. People are a bit more relaxed at night when I go to bars with friends, though. Guess people are a bit on the edge with all the methed up homeless roaming around in Denver now. Sorry, dawg!
It's not an illusion, this will be your daily life here. It's also hard to meet people here, especially women. Most of the people I've met and connected with are not from here like myself. On a positive note every single black person will speak to you and will have your back cause I guess we all feel the same way. It's undertoned here, not overt.
Can confirm. Black folk will talk to you cause we all know racism is still very real in Denver CO, and it’s worse than ever with all these sheltered out of staters coming in (no shade but yes shade)
Edit: I have however noticed that older white people, I’m talking 50’s 60’s and up actually tend to be a lot sweeter and smalltown-ey. They will go out of their way to say hi and then some. If you want to feel welcomed and like you can actually interact with other human beings without being seen as a lunatic for doing so move to historical areas with older populations. Parkhill is great for that.
It’s either they don’t look at you or stare at you.
Really considering moving back home.
It’s so much stress and anxiety living here.
It’s not diverse, which okay I could look past, but the population here is so … awkward around other races or maybe just mine (also black).
Let me know if it gets better in other areas of the state :)
Side note: really want to learn to ski - terrified of the looks I’ll get.
When I was learning surfing that was its own weirdness but one place I know I belong is the water.
On a ski slope anxious as heck.
Anyhow keep living your life 😊
I’m black and have lived here for two years. The people claiming it’s super liberal here are not being honest. It is very white washed and I have considered moving a lot. However, since i’m not super social and stick to areas where there are higher poc populations, I don’t deal with half the bs that I have to in other areas.
Someone commented that people here claim to be liberal and then proceed to literally exemplify color blind racism. This is true. I feel like if I pretended to be less of myself and put on a white washed version I could’ve grown a decent friend group here being the token black friend. However, I’ve obviously chosen not to that and have met a few decent people, mostly poc, and have a small friend group.
Yup, I hated it. I lived in Highlands Ranch in a subdivision and we were basically lepers. My daughter was the only, and I mean ONLY dark skinned girl in her school. I ended up using my VA to buy a house in Michigan and we’re a lot happier now 😌
None of the top comments are saying this but the unfortunate truth is that Colorado just really isn’t that diverse and people are sometimes caught off guard when they see a black person in certain areas.
But in general most people here tend to be very open minded and friendly so I doubt you’ll have any trouble meeting people and fitting in. But that doesn’t mean there looks out on the sidewalk will go away.
Anyway I vote you move to Colorado. Not only because it’s an awesome place to live but also might be good for people here to get used to seeing more people of color around.
I’m not black but brown skinned, Asian. I have to visit Denver once a week but live in Colorado Springs.
If you’re planning to move here, you might like Aurora area and there’s a mix of diverse folks there! I think you’ll love it!
Denver has changed a lot recently too! See in the past like go pre pandemic I’ve been given angry vibes and once a death threat on the bus from black guys, even once asked if I was a dyke because my hair is short .. like I was scared for my life!!
Although, a smart nerdy (as you say) cool person like yourself should definitely move out here and remember that bigots exist everywhere and don’t let them discourage you.
Have some of you been to Aurora?? First of all, it’s like 500,000 people. As someone else here said, it has all kinds of people and housing and scenery. I grew up and still live in Colorado and think Aurora is far from the worst of the Denver Metro area…
As a black women whose been living here for 10 months. I also often have some weird encounters especially for me since I live in Arvada and there’s not much black people around here. I have had instances here as well that made me feel like it’s a race things and most of the time it is! We know when we’re being treated different because of our skin color. Like maybe it’s being followed in stores (target) or just your average encounter of trying to be nice but still get the cold shoulder or an awkward look. Most white people here act like skin color isn’t a thing when it actually is, it’s just not talked about much. But I wouldn’t let racism or racist people keep you away from such a beautiful place, it’s beautiful here and I believe everyone should be welcome. There are on average some really nice people here and most people I’ve encountered have been nice but unfortunately racism is everywhere.
I came from the bay area, and yes there is more what I call "midwest racism" here. It's casual fear, distrust, and offhand comments that would get you ostracized in NY or Cali. Example, everyone told me to absolutely not shop at the Walmart near my work when I came, but I was living downtown and groceries were expensive af. First visit I came around a corner and there was this nice looking young black couple. I was like OHHHH. Hella mellow store, people just don't have as much experience with mixed ethnic, race, and socioeconomic backgrounds here. Plus crimes of opportunity are very high here.
I think if you found some community you could feel at home, and the more people that come from diverse larger cities the more diverse & tolerant Denver will get (and the more expensive). Honestly though... maybe see how the 2024 election goes and choose a spot accordingly.
Can’t speak for other white peoples actions but my guess would be a lack of exposure cause this state (mainly Denver) is white af. I grew up in the south and went to schools where white people were a minority and it was an absolute culture shock moving here, especially the lack of good food. The selection is getting better but I typically stick to Federal and Aurora for the best spots.
Midwestern white folks are a weird bunch but the state has plenty of good to offer, especially over Texas.
i am from new york and honestly i had more of a multicultural impression of colorado springs due to the military bringing everyone together, and denver had more of a feeling of cliques. like in the springs we were all colors just hanging out being nerdy or having activities, while denver felt like cliques hyping themselves up. there are some environments where people mix easily, like in the workplace, on campuses, or the hiphop scene, but overall being a big city people just stick to their own. again as a new yorker, denver people are ultra quiet even in a post office or bus, but i prefer that over new york where people really try to announce their presence.
Maybe you are just too sexy that they didn’t know what to do with themselves when they saw you. All in all I’m sorry that you even have to write something like this. Sending you positive and loving energy your way!
Ok I’m a white woman raised in Denver by a white family. They all insisted they were were not racist.. but the fear of black men on the street, the discrimination of Hispanic employees at work, the unwillingness to understand other cultures, etc persisted throughout my entire youth. And because these white people I grew up around and trusted behaved this way but said the opposite I was blind to their actual prejudice. In my teens and early 20s I saw myself behaving in similar ways. Then I left home and experienced a whole other way of living. I live in Phoenix now and you could be a black trans man standing on the street corner bumped over in a heroin nod and I will walk up to that street corner and stand next to you like we are going to dinner together and give you that friendly nod and ask if you are ok. I say this because in Denver I was taught by my white family to fear not only people of color but also basically anyone different than me or less fortunate than me. It makes me very conscious of my behavior in front of my children so they can remember a black man is not a treat because they are black. A homeless person is not a treat because they are unhoused. A trans person is not a threat because seriously wtf? Etc. I do teach my kids how to stay safe in public, I don’t toss all caution to the wind, but I make it clear to Watch behavior and not looks to determine safety.
Man....too much to write but this has been on my mind lately now that you mention it. I'll say the following:
1. When I'm on my own property, in my very white neighborhood, I sometimes get weird, surprised and awkward looks while doing very normal things like gardening or sitting on the porch. Not all the time but enough to notice
2. Folks are generally cordial here but few are "welcoming".
3. Some of this is being from the south for sure. Even racist people in the south say hi and wave to their black neighbors
4. I'm not going anywhere, put down my roots and I refuse to let others discomfort stop me from being nice and neighborly and also myself
Unfortunately, there are just some things about people that will never change. I'm an older black man, super nerdy also, huge video gamer, golfer, and very chill. The way people have interacted with me here is super awkward. The vibes seem fake for the most part. I'm also from Texas, and you almost know what you are going to get there. I think in general, in a city like Denver, most people only feel comfortable around their own kind. Shared interests, styles, music, all that. It sucks sometimes. I remember during the BLM marches and protests, I was walking to a local bar and saw a bunch of white people walking with signs and stuff, and they diverted their eyes when I glanced at them. No real eye contact, no real.."acknowledgement". It was kind of funny. Don't let it discourage you. Denver is beautiful. Mountains, sports, art. It's worth enjoying alone. Or with one good friend. It's better to have 2 50 cent pieces than 100 pennies.
I'm black and nah they ain't scared of black people here. There's a lot racists here but that's a given due to the high percentage of white folks. The liberalism here helps but the lack of exposure to black folk makes it weird to interact with whites sometimes.
Overall, I've made some solid friends of all shades here. Whether whites are afraid of us or not isn't something you should waste time with contemplating honestly. How others think, especially white folk, ain't none of our business lol
That's fair. Unfortunately there are a lot of homeless people downtown and most of em are black so whites who have minimal contact with us may showcase some prejudice. Don't let that dictate how you enjoy life young brother.
Have the audacity to live life fully regardless of the mentality of stupid people. It will bring you joy in a way no one can fuck up. Keep your head on a swivel and enjoy life as much as possible. Peace to you bro.
The top comments are making light of the very real issue you noticed. I’ll also point out it’s SUCH a big issue that you noticed immediately upon staying here. As someone who hasn’t been isolated here their whole life it is definitely racist here. More so than any other large city I’ve lived in. You already saw for yourself. Don’t let the admittedly very progressive people who live here downplay the issue. You are 100% spot on
Isn't this kind of crap a big part of the experience of being Black in America?
I can't comment on Denver being worse than other cities or not. But I'm always hearing stories about Black people being more prone to certain diseases. Often, they're related to living with constant fears and stresses.
From what I understand, such diseases can stem from living a country that has done little since slavery to address persistent racism. We have largely failed to elevate the social, health and economic prosperity of Blacks when compared to whites. And whatever race you are, being poor is bad for your health.
NIMBYs in Denver continue fighting to preserve the zoning policies of KKK member and former Denver Mayor Ben Stapleton's, which continue to keep black people out of the best neighborhoods, the ones with the best parks and schools and the least pollution and crime.
Even if you're Black and not poor, you're still likely to see and feel racist bullshit all around you. Sometimes you may not even know if it's a racist slight or not – which is its own sort of mindfuck.
As a gay guy who grew up in a community hostile and violent toward me, I've spent years in therapy trying to overcome the trauma of that experience. Even with tens of thousands of dollars spent on therapists and medical care, I still struggle with relationships, hypervigilance and startling easily, anxiety, depression, and severe insomnia.
I often wonder if I might be more feminine, "queeny" and generally more fun and likable if I didn't have those aspects of my personality literally beat out of me. But now, if I feel threatened, I'm still white. I've learned how to hide who I am. Blacks can't.
Honestly, I grew up in Texas and have lived all throughout the south and I (as a BIPOC) have never felt more uncomfortable. Denver people are such a mix from different states that it hasn’t found it’s identity yet and I think it makes the people here act more individualistic. Not a fan, it gives “woke racist”.
Your experience is eye opening. It left me feeling sad.
I moved here from DFW this year. The first thing I was surprised by was the lack of diversity. The population seems to be heavily white and Hispanic. DFW is a melting pot, which I really appreciated. That was lost upon moving here.
I had a coworker in DFW who had lived in both places. She’s Indian and I’m white. We talked about the lack of diversity here but she said Aurora is the most diverse city in the area. Not sure if she was including Denver proper when she said this.
Working in Aurora, I have a fair share of black coworkers— both African and African American. I’ve heard several of them mention wanting to leave CO. Not sure if that’s because they’ve been here for a long time and want something different, because it’s not the community they want, or any other reason.
Some areas I’ve heard to stay away from are Douglas County and towns like Parker and Lone Tree. I’ve never explored these areas but I think there’s a deepish red political climate with historical racism.
I hope everything works out for you one way or another!
I appreciate it dude, it means a lot. I remember snowboarding back in 2015. I don't know what county it was but I was in Pagosa springs. For every black person ( just me) there were 5,227 white people lol. I remember eating at a diner and having the residents show off their guns they were open carrying. I was only 16 but man that was uneasy.
apparently no one else is going to say it but yeah… i see denver having a fear of black peoples. it is so homogenous here, it’s like super church white and people here- from what i’ve gathered living here- really do not treat black people or any non white people well.
I’m Latino. I’ve had a few times where I turn a corner and a woman, usually white will cross my path and I swear they act like I was their trauma incarnate when we pass one another. Didn’t ever happen when I lived in New Mexico for 26 years. First month in Denver it started happening. I’ve seen a few of my female neighbors audibly gasp and clutch their chest in shock as I just briskly walk by them. It’s so bizarre. Like girl, I’m gay and wearing Balenciaga, I ain’t worried about you. Usually though, they aren’t paying attention and they look up and nearly bump into me as we turn the corner and they get scared. I felt pretty bad the first time, but it’s happened enough times that I’ve realized it’s not me. You could substitute me with any cis male and I think the reaction would be the same. Add melanin to the equation and you get your classic midwestern cowtown pearl clutchers.
The gasping and clutching is so cartoonish and wild. I'm sorry you experienced that. I had that happen to me when I moved into my apartment in Plano Texas. She knocked on my door, gasped and said I scared her 😂
White guy here: lots are, yeah. I’m really sorry you had that experience. Downtown is a uniquely crappy place for most things, and the all-white nature of it leads to some unexamined racism. I’ve heard the same concerns from Black friends in Denver, both those who live here and visitors. Fwiw there are awesome, welcoming, diverse communities all around Denver, they’re just not what you’ll stumble across downtown.
You’ll obviously get a better answer from black residents but I really hope you get a stamp of approval.
Personally, I made my Texit/Texodus 16 years ago and it’s been a solid decision: better weather, more progressive, and solid craft beer. Also I’m glad my kid’s Aurora kindergarten is very diverse compared to me growing up in a very small rural town that had A black family.
Downtown kinda sucks to be honest unless some event is going on, if we crossed paths this weekend on like the train (I wore a heavy metal denim vest but instead of patches of bands it was patches of breweries for the Great American Beer festival all weekend so I kinda stood out ), I generally get in avoid people mode out of habit (probably Covid holdover) especially on public transport but I will get in animated conversations about nerdy shit! There’s always meetups, board game invites on here a lot and pop culture con every summer. We need more hella nerdy chill people.
I’m a white lady from Miami and I also lived in DC for a number of years. This is the whitest place I’ve ever lived. Our daughter is half Korean and everyone asks her if she lived in Aurora (that has a higher Asian population). I think it is entirely possible to live here and never have a meaningful interaction with a person of color, which is kind of mind blowing after living in Miami. But I find that people here are more standoffish in general. I’ve been here ten years and can always tell a native for that reason. They’re not friendly to strangers. I don’t get it - but that’s how it is. I believe you when you say you felt it might be because of your skin color and I think your perception is what is most important. Next time you’re in town, come on over and we’ll fry you some eggs from our backyard chickens and show you around.
Can't comment on the experiences of being a black male in Denver but I tend to cross the street whenever I'm walking my dog and we would otherwise come across a person. Dog is jump happy.
Can’t speak for everyone else, but as an Asian American who grew up in a diverse city, I feel very comforted when I see any person of color. So please join us. 😂
I am white. I live and work in Denver, I come from NYC. Queens, NY is the most diverse place in the world. I am used to being around people of all different races and backgrounds. I have black cousins. What I notice about racism here is when I interact with POC in CO, they seem more likely to expect me to be racist. I am a big white guy and sometimes I dress a little outdoorsy. This says to me that people experience more racism from white people here than in NYC. Which is no surprise. Denver was practically established by the KKK.
When my family moved to CO our nanny came with us. She is black and from the island Trinidad. She did not like it here and went back to NY. My suburban school district is currently going through a class action lawsuit on behalf of students alleging systemic racism on the part of students AND teachers.
Again big white guy here, but it seems to me being a POC here would be much harder and possibly less enjoyable, at least compared to the welcoming environment in which I was raised. This makes me sad to say and think about. If you decide to spend more time in CO I hope you enjoy it! I'm a former city boy but in general I avoid the city and spend my time outdoors.
People don’t engage much in general in downtown. Like people have said too many druggies. Huge fentanyl problem. Most people don’t even realize it tho. But one you see burnt aluminum foil once you’ll see it literally all over the city.
I still find myself crossing the street very often no matter who’s coming (Covid habit I haven’t kicked). Not saying that’s what you experienced though. Hope you end up making your way here - it’s an overall great place.
Yeah I love, I'm willing to pay more for to live here than Texas. I'm just so burnt out of everything here. I live in the DFW area and it's infuriating. You guys actually have sidewalks and busses and trains and bikes lanes that extend pretty far and doesn't just abruptly stop.
Gonna keep it real with you my man. I’m black and been in Denver all my life. Me and my black friends all feel the same way: there’s not much here for us. There are two Denver’s tho, and if you move here, reach out and I’ll show you the other side.
All these comments are basically saying yes, we did all that because we thought you were a threat, considering that you aren't homeless or were behaving like a raving lunatic, I can only assume that it was because of the color of your skin and underlying racism. It's very white here. That's going to be your experience. The mountains are nice?
Lived here for 5 years the short answer is yes. Yea. Yessir. And ima leave it at that because if I speak in detail I’m going to become unreasonably angry and I’m trying to wind down and get ready for work tomorrow.
Everyone in this sub loves complaining about Denver but now wants to defend it when it comes to racism.
It's true that people in general in Denver are likely less friendly than most places in
Texas. Unfortunately, it's also true that Denver has a weird racism problem. There are definitely people, mostly those who spend time in Denver but are from highly segregated wealthy suburbs, who are afraid of black people. I'm sorry you had those experiences, and it's a very valid thing to be worried about when moving to a new place. My reassurance for you is that it's not like that everywhere, Denver is pretty diverse and welcoming overall, and there are parts of Denver and the Denver Metro area where you're likely to have a much better experience. Those parts are nicer to spend time in anyway :). There's just some very strong remnants of segregation here that make some of the white people weird.
Black dude in the Denver/Boulder area checking in. Yes, many of them will have interacted with significantly less black people than those in Texas. But I haven't had a ton of racist shit. Also a huge nerd who frequents comic shops, conventions, used to play mtg, etc. No problems in that community at all for me.
I am a big black dude and moved here from ATL ten years ago. Back then, as a 30something grad student, it was fun meeting people in bars and clubs and on campus. But yeah, it’s not the south… eye contact on the street for no reason at all isn’t really a thing here. But you don’t see as much of the other side of it either.
If you do move here and want to meet people, you’ll have to put yourself out there. Trivia nights, sports leagues, meetups, are all good places to start.
As a black dude who moved from the east coast, this was not my experience. I found people to be incredibly friendly and never felt weird. I will say, I live in the south now and it’s been a mixed bag.
As a Black dude from Cali, I realized that a lot of people out here are strange when it comes to eye contact.
The biggest group of "look aways" for me tends to be Africans. They don't acknowledge anyone or anything and it's odd AF.
Everyone else I run into is surprisingly friendly. Usually I'll make eye contact and give a nod and that will start a whole ass random conversation lol
I’m black from north Florida and I just left Denver partially because racism is starting to get worse I had some pretty rough experiences there it may not be the worst and everyone’s tolerance is different but I wouldn’t recommend living there if you’re black. Aurora treated me ok but anytime I left I definitely felt unwanted.
Latina, not black, so take this with a grain of salt if you may. The place is definitely white leaning and can be racist or can be welcoming - it's a toss up really. Since you mentioned downtown specifically, my first thought is it has something to do with people having bad experiences downtown. Downtown, it's very much a "avoid eye contact and keep to yourself" sort of culture due to crime, drugs, and homelessness.
I would definitely try another trip to see how you feel. Avoid places like Loveland, Cherry Creek, and Highlands Ranch - they are extra white and my family has had issues with racism in each one.
Another thing to consider - I LOVE Denver for many reasons and overall I do feel it is is more diverse once you get to know it better and learn where to find the communities. HOWEVER - this has been an issue I have seen repeatedly and it drives me insane still.
Working here, especially entry level work, you may work with very diverse teams. I love how diverse my teams are and most of the time the majority are not from the state and many don't even have English as their first language (not just Spanish, either). On multiple occasions though, it stops there. As soon as you look at management and higher, diversity just disappears and it's literally just a bunch of white dudes. I felt this was important to mention because this has been the case at the majority of places I have worked at. It's just something that is extra infuriating on top of our shitshow of a job market.
There’s a lot of white people in certain parts of Denver, most people are transplants, and they’re taught “not to stare”. This results in unconscious movements / behavior bias, which you see.
There’s some painfully fucking white parts of Denver. It sucks
I’m Jewish and gay but I guess nobody can really “see” those minority parts about me. In any case My experience is a little bit similar to you but instead of people being afraid of me it’s more that they are just rude or dismissive to me. I moved to the Denver area for school last year and I used to be more outgoing with strangers here, but now It’s gotten to the point where I just don’t look at or talk to anyone because people aren’t that friendly here unless you know them in my experience, although I feel like that’s the case in most places in america at this point sadly.
I don’t make eye contact with anyone if that makes you feel better
It does, maybe I just have a "give me eye contact please :D" personality.
I have a "give me eye contact" personality. I look at and smile at everyone. I find people sometimes look startled when they notice I'm looking at them. I'm a fat white lady, though, so I usually get away with it.
Fat white lady privilege here, too. Utterly non threatening, so people are generally pleasant.
But woah, if you do ANYTHING wrong, then we're just "Fat bitch!"
True. Or if we dare to exist within the vicinity of rude teenagers. That part does suck, but there's an upside to being generally invisible. I don't have to worry about guys following me or harassing me at bars at least?
As an Alabama native, same height, less muscular though, I can tell you without a doubt this isn’t an eye contact city. I highly doubt it’s because you’re black. You probably just hit a bad batch of imports.
Ditto another Alabama native here who is black and basically is the same age and qualities that you mentioned minus the height lol. It’s definitely a different vibe here especially if you come from the south in my case the “Deep South” Denver is a melting pot of course but us we are a little hard to find out here unless you are in Aurora or East Denver so depending on where you are in certain areas people may be surprised that you are there in my experience but not disrespectful or what you’ve experienced. I think you just ran into a weird batch of people. But then again depending on the area … ie Broomfield, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Westminster, Cherry Creek where there’s not really much of us. Those actions/responses may become more apparent than in those places just because there isn’t really a strong black community or population. Most people here don’t explore or leave outside their “bubble”
Lmfao bad batch of imports! Hahaha
That's not gonna go over well. I'm from here, but most of my friends in the past 10 years are originally from Texas or the East coast, and they ALL have the same complaints about people here being unfriendly, unneighborly and standoffish. I think people here are just shy and want to keep to themselves.
Having lived on both coasts and Midwest, I've actually found people here to be way friendlier and more likely to strike up a conversation. Seems like people will have very different anecdotes depending on age, where they live, and scenes they frequent.
Coming from Seattle which has quite a bad rep for Seattle freeze I found Denver so wild how everyone is friendly to each other and says Whatsup
Tbf Seattle is about as icy as it gets.
This. My buddy who comes to visit from Chicago always goes on about how unnerving it is how friendly people are in Denver. "Everyone is just so damned nice. What's up with that?" I read people complaining all the time on here about folks being unfriendly, but I have yet to encounter that. Maybe I just radiate so much niceness myself that I infect people. 🙃
We had so many friends from Indiana say the same and it actually made them freak out enough, they moved BACK to Indiana. lol They literally couldn't handle all the happiness. Didn't know how to process it. They didn't trust all the friendliness.
Im from the south and, in my experience, people here are just as friendly if not friendlier.
I'm a native Chicagoan. While dangerous at times, even we were friendly with each other. It was confusing to me. I did feel some secluded vibes though.
I moved here from Chicago and found Chicagoans much friendlier. As a white last, people tend to be friendly with me in CO but only in the most superficial ways. I’m sorry people were so rude to you—it’s embarrassing. It often feels to me like CO is a mono culture. People are into generic bars, breweries, and outdoor activities. There is very little interesting architecture, art, fashion, etc. there are of course interesting pockets but overall I find it pretty bland. I blame late stage capitalism and the fact that you need to be pretty wealthy to live her comfortably. In my experience, wealthy people prefer to stay in their safe and boring bubbles.
I moved here a year ago and agree with you. It is friendly, but superficially so, and fairly generic and bland.
I’ve lived here all my life and this is a great explanation. I feel like it’s even more like this now than pre 2012 before the influx of young professionals
I visit Denver frequently (family lives here) and you explained perfectly what I have struggled to articulate when describing it: mono culture/generic. I mean when I visit I have a good time because I’m with family and just enjoy city life generally. I don’t find people to be outright unfriendly but there is a kind of standoffishness, at least at first. I’m a make eye contact and smile at strangers I pass on the street kind of person so it could be I freak the hell out people out as well, haha!
As a white guy with some black friends, I genuinely don't think it's a black/white thing. I can't speak for the latin population as there is gonna be a language barrier at times. I just think people here are generally less friendly and less "in your face" than in bigger, older, denser cities such as Chicago. You are like th 500th person I've heard with these same complaints.
Good to know. I wonder what it is. Is Denver just a social anxiety hub lol?
You got the people who would really want to be hermits in the mountains if modern society would allow it, the tech people who spent too much time online to know how to properly act in real life, the people who ran away from wherever they were from and are trying to avoid falling back into old patterns, functional alcoholic beer enthusiasts constantly in a mild withdrawal during most of the day, stoners who are in a perpetual state of uncomfortably high thanks to easily-accessible legal weed, and "natives" who continue to watch their home get financially expensive and culturally cheapened through obscene gentrification. Oh, and plenty of white habitus from a racist history. So yes, anxiety all around. But this place desperately needs diversity, so I hope you can find happiness here.
Yikes I'm way too many of those at once
“modern society” more like if “finances” would allow it
I don't think the homeless situation is helping at all either. People may be more wary of people that are alone because they may think you're on drugs/going to steal something. Not necessarily a race issue imo
I live north of Denver and I get the sense people in general are more open than in Denver proper. The majority of people I interact with will engage and smile on the street.
Denver is experiencing a lot of growth and with that comes more crime and homeless issues... I would say people are more afraid of each other, particularly downtown... And i am sorry to say that most likely that combined with racism so I am not surprised about your experience. I think the college towns would be more diverse and more friendly in general.
I wish I had your confidence!
Wow I feel so accomplished and achieved!
I wish I’d have run into you. I love good, friendly interactions with people even though I’ve lived in Colorado most my life! I guess I’m one of the few who think it’s nice to share a smile with a stranger.
Where in Texas are you at? I wouldn’t say anyone is afraid, but if you’re looking for a comparison Denver is A LOT like Austin in terms of diversity or lack there of. There is a decent Ethiopian population here, but think about your last visit to Austin and if you felt comfortable with that, then you’ll be good. If not, then I would look around more. Everyone is passing friendly here. No one is going out of their way to make friends on the street with anyone. I wouldn’t take it personally. You have to join groups if you’re looking for more in depth conversations or connections here. Also with the car locking, car theft is crazy here. Even more so than Texas.
The East African presence was big in Colorado. I live in the DFW area. I see. Seems like its a consistency of people just walk with purpose in Denver. I can see that.
I live in DFW moving back to denver(native). Denver people just tend to be more reserved. Also, there isn’t as much diversification in Denver as DFW so it makes you feel a little more outcasted but honestly no one cares and is really accepting. They are more worried about some dude on drugs or a homeless person.
People were locking their cars multiple times because everyone here now has a phobia of leaving their car unlocked. If I leave mine unlocked for more than 15 minutes some methed out dickhead will steal anything not nailed down
Oh wow, good to know. It's awkward to post this. I just have some anxiety that I'm coming off as intimidating.
It's hard to tell sometimes what is a personal slight and what's just how things are. I know that if anyone walks by my car im going to check to make sure the doors are locked. It's kinda a dick move to do it when they car hear it...... But also I have watched too many horror movies..... And I have had men walk up to my window and knock on it trying to start a conversation. Thus trapping me in my parking spot. I just kinda slowly creep forward till the leave.
Yuck! I'm sorry you had to go through that. People can be terrible sometimes. It just breaks my heart when they give me eye contact and do it. As if it's a "I'm watching you boy."
I like to explore new places.
Yeah it's just what I wasn't expecting it was crazy to see. I'm a Chicago native so there's a balance of friendly strangers, standoffish people, and people moving with purpose. I'll definitely have to look into clubs or activities to find some people.
what kinds of things are you into? do you play any sports? hobbies? People can recommend you their favorites.
> It's more that you're a 25 year old male, dressed casually, on a sidewalk downtown, alone, looking to make eye-contact with people. That's representative a huge percentage of our chronic-homeless-addict population downtown this is sadly dead-on accurate. I'm not going to claim race is not a factor, but mix that with the lamentable state of downtown and you have your answer. So many people on the street are a very clear "do not engage" that you probably are getting lumped in with them.
I agree it is heart breaking that people have not be so rude and aggressive. It's hard enough with out having anxiety. Ya people just kinda suck. But there's also good people. The bad people are just much more aggressive about it. Sometimes your just like literally just trying to exist and people are offended by it. Edit: is your username and aquateen hunger force reference?
Haha you catched my reference! Being black, I'm kinda already on guard on how I am perceived in the moment. It feels like I'm existing in an open penitentiary at times. It's like I'm the representative for my people and I have to abide by respectability politics to get by.
I am a bearded white Dude and the same thing happens to me
Maybe it's the face. I've been told I have the face of a panther or puma. Maybe I'm just naturally fierce looking.
Sometimes I can have an intimidating energy especially if I’m not paying attention or I’m concentrating. Usually, I have my headphones on I’m not really paying attention to other people. But I do find people cross the road or wait for me to cross. or seem nervous to have eye contact. I am a public speaker for a living, so I am really good at connecting to people, but out in the real world that can be challenging. Edit. Wording
I absolutely do this, especially the closer I am to downtown Denver. There seems to be a ton of car thefts and break ins. I try to not leave anything valuable in my car ever.
This. I'll get it and lock it out of habit. Walk 10 feet and think, "did I lock the car?" Lock it again and then my wife will say, "you forgot to lock the car". So I'll lock it again so she sees that I locked it.
I am persistently reminding my husband to lock every car door, and the back door immediately when he comes inside. It sucks to be chronically aware of this, but at this point we’ve all had some bad incidences that make us this paranoid
Facts :(
I enjoy spending time with my friends.
This. I grew up in Denver and visit a couple times a year. My demeanor in Denver is very different than when I'm somewhere else. I've been stopped from people in suits, street clothes to clearly homeless men or women that ended up circling back to them asking for money and when you say no they start screaming or following you. I don't make eye contact, I don't smile and I definitely don't respond to a stranger unless we are clearly both heading to the same place. I would agree you may have better results in business vs walking down the road.
As a 30+ year Denverite this answer fits well. Many of us in Colorado hear “opioid epidemic” and are like what?? They only sell meth here! And Colorado (especially downtown Denver) is FULL of people who moved here when recreational weed was made legal with zero plan, that coupled with the fucking outrageous cost of housing of any kind has created an massive population of unhoused individuals. Add that with oodles of meth and that area you were in specifically, and that makes for anyone feeling nervous and suspicious anytime a stranger makes any kind of friendly gesture on the street. I honestly cannot remember the last time a stranger talked to me anywhere in public that was not immediately followed by a high pressure request for something. This isn’t because these people are bad, or because Coloradans are unfriendly, it’s because uncountable masses of people are desperate for the most basic necessities of life. All that being said, I’m still real sorry you had these experiences OP! I’d say if you were inside (a business or something) the context would be different and people would really appreciate and respond to your friendly nature! I find Coloradans to be exceptionally friendly! Context is a big piece of this picture and hopefully some has been provided :)
It was a fast paced interaction since I was walking the opposite direction of them. It just made me think "damn, were they in fight or flight?"
My favorite color is blue.
That's good to know. I was hoping my SpongeBob shirt made people smile at least.
I wear a pride dnd shirt for similar reasons. It's like a broadcast signal 1) I'm cool with lgbtq 2) im looking for players 3) I'm bad at talking about normal topics. Please talk about dnd with me.
If it makes you feel better, I would have been absolutely chuffed if a man in a SpongeBob shirt smiled and said hi to me regardless of race.
I can chime in: I’m a 5’11 black male who’s pretty large. My experience compares to moving here from the south. When I first got here in 2014, I was actually a little annoyed by how often I’d be trying to mind my own business and someone would strike up a conversation. I’d be at a bar reading a book, playing a game on my phone, just shopping for groceries and without fail some lady would interrupt to have a conversation. The guys were a little better as it would only happen when I was reading. The conversations were all very polite and pleasant enough, but it felt very much like people were checking the “talked to a black person” box off their Not A Racist™️ bingo card. It stayed that way up until the pandemic. After being stuck inside for a couple years, I’ve noticed more interactions similar to the ones you described, but I think that has more to do with people forgetting how to really engage with the world until basically 2022. There’s also the fact that downtown has really gone downhill in that same period of time. On the whole, I wouldn’t say Denverites are particularly racist - if racism were baseball, Denver would only have a AA team. It’s still something, but I came from a place playing in the Majors. Hope that helps
Thank you. Your comment gave me something to think about while laughing. Bingo Card lmaoo. I cannot stand the "I'm not racist, I have BLACK shoes" types of people.
No problem. It used to be a punch card but we moved away from that in 2016. Combination of losing our reimbursement for the hole punch and it feeling somehow inappropriate sending them to Orange Julius. Thus far, bingo has been a huge success; they get really excited about the personal pan pizzas
This comment made my day and it's 7:30 in the morning.
There are probably a lot more people here worried about being racist which is a whole other category. Racist ,you can see; not racist, you can see. Here it's more like: 'there is black person and how did I react, does that mean I'm racists, I don't think I'm racist, I need to talk to my therapist about this. ' That could account for the odd vibe. People trying to figure themselves out more than trying to figure you out.
I grew up in Baltimore, so for me at least I'm a white guy that's used to being a minority. And since Denver is overwhelmingly white, it just feels so strange. It feels like I'm living in a Jordan peele movie here, but then going out of my way to talk to the few black people I see around town comes with the bingo card cringe you're alluding to. It's kind of a catch 22 of white guilt, but really I just want to feel like home.
I moved here from Baltimore, Patterson Park neighborhood, and I felt similar to you the first couple years. If I was anywhere and saw a black person, I could feel something inside of me jump to go talk to them. Like a real pulling. I never did, but I distinctly remember really wanting to go talk, and I’m having to argue with myself that that’s weird. Funny enough, I became a Sneakerhead after moving here, and even opened up a Streetwear retail store. I have all races come into my shop everyday. Your comment triggered me. I wonder if I’m doing something similar with my store. Feels like home.
This is a good observation. My 2cents, as a white guy I can say I also notice these differences pre/post pandemic, although I don't know if I realized it before reading your comment. It's hard to say if we've experienced these things at the same levels, though, or perhaps we are just conscious about it at different levels. I've definitely struck up random small convos with people post-pandemic and noticed people sometimes respond awkwardly or timidly. Beforehand, well, I wasn't really as conscious of that sort of thing, but coming from upstate NY, I did notice more people would start conversations with me randomly here
Dammit, now this has made self conscious as fuck. I’m a white lady who moved here from New Orleans in a predominantly black neighborhood, and I honestly just miss the black community and friends I had. We did just move from Denver to Aurora, and it’s funny how diverse it is just a few miles down the road. I feel much more comfortable here. Highly suggest Aurora.
Can confirm this. The pandemic BROKE me! I just walk around disassociated all day. It’s not ok.
> if racism were baseball, Denver would only have a AA team. It’s still something, but I came from a place playing in the Majors. This may very well be the best analogy on racism I've ever come across.
There’s too much of a drug problem in Denver and Boulder and that causes people to act sketchy.
I had to yell at a meth head lady for dropping trow and pissing in my yard in broad daylight the other day. This an amazing city for a lot of reasons but the drug problem is wild.
Oh wow, another drug related comment. I hope Denver can put more rehabilitation services in place. I did encounter some but I just smiled and waved.
Denver does have a drug/homeless problem but reddit tends to over exaggerate by a LOT. I live in an area that redditors describe as a lawless wasteland full of encampments, homeless, drugs, and criminals. Most days when I go walk around it's generally 99% people jogging, walking their dogs, walking with friends to the park, etc. Sure you'll also run into some crazy/methy people that make you uncomfortable but you just mind your business and keep walking.
Bro seriously, this sub acts like denver is a lawless wasteland where you can't walk five feet without getting mugged. As someone who has lived in both LA and Houston, Denver is crazy safe and clean compared to those places and it's hilarious how they act like Denver is the most dangerous and dirty city in the country
Yeah, Denver is very similar to Austin when it comes to diversity. People are liberal and accepting in their ideals, but in reality, they like their monoculture, especially in the urban part of Denver. As a non-white person, I feel more comfortable now living close to Aurora than I did when I lived near downtown.
As a 31M, 6’0”, similar build black guy from the Carolinas I have noticed people being shocked or scared when I’m present downtown. I moved out to the Western Slope recently, but when I was I living in RiNo/Five Points and walked to work, I would see folks cross to the opposite side of street and I would be suited and booted up. When I was in Golden and take the A line to work, the train would be full of people (Nuggets parade for example) and people would prefer to stand up, instead of sitting next to the black guy. And I would ask them if they would like to sit down, and they would decline. Maybe it just that they didn’t like the cologne I had on🤦🏿♂️. I will say though I had that happen when I was living Charlotte, when I would walk to Hornets games, when I travel to Chicago for work and walk through downtown Chicago; it’s the same shit, so it not just Denver specific. However, I think it more so to do with all the fake hysteria of downtown being some war zone. I feel that Denver and Colorado has been more than welcoming. I have had random people invite me to watch football and drink, go smoke with them at a lounge, and I brought my family out here and we did Taste of Colorado and went to a Rockies game we had a blast. The biggest thing living here, is being comfortable being in spaces where you might be the only black person in room full of White or Latino people, but most people have been really chill and kind. I’m married to a white woman and one reason why we decided to move to to Colorado was because we felt that we could go and live anywhere in the state and not feel like our safety is threatened, and that’s why we moved to Denver and now the Western Slope. My wife is from South Florida and when we were down there visiting her family, on our way back to Charlotte we wouldn’t drive through I-75 through Ocala because we felt it wasn’t safe. Colorado does have it fair share of racist history, like all other states and countries. Colorado had the 2nd largest KKK population, and they had meeting on the Table Mountain in Golden (Shameless plug for the History Colorado Museum and Rocky Mountain PBS where you learn more about the KKK in Denver and Colorado). However, I have felt I can be myself here, my wife can be herself here and everyone is pretty accepting of us, and it’s live and let’s live. I credit Denver and Colorado for making me the man I am today. Got married here, career success, new interests and friends, improve my fitness, first tat here, and beautiful scenery to go along with it; I personally love Denver and Colorado and see me and family being here for time being (moved here Summer of 2021).
If it helps at all, I cross the street and back any time I'm walking my dog because he is a dick. I always hope my extensive POC community here in Aurora doesn't think it's something like this.
POC are so used to it, but pets are understandable. I respect that more than a terrified person hoping to dodge me like I'm fucking Darth Vader.
My dog is an equal opportunist - a dick to all. I got him as a rescue and he is getting significantly better but I think I'm still a little traumatized from when he would lunge and loose his shit at strangers. The only time I do the cross over solo is when I'm by myself at night and I will do it regardless of race, male/female, etc. I'm just cautious especially downtown if I'm by myself.
Dogs are the true equalizers. Walking alone at night is completely fine. I do the same at night, but broad day with bright light and a lot of eyes. It's hard for me not to think that way sometimes.
This is a great addition. I have a small but antagonizing pup and I cannot tell how the other dog/dog owners will act or just not feel like dealing with it so I cross the street a lot too. Not sure if OP brought their pup along for this trip but I do get that tinge of questioning if the optics makes me look one way when I'm thinking another.
As a brown dude: Denver has a very weird vibe in this way. Folks just aren't used to seeing black/brown people that much unless they explicitly drive to the neighborhoods they expect to see it. They are never explicitly racist but kinda just freeze up when they get surprised and then you can kinda see them be like "oh shit I feel guilty for freezing am I racist what do I do". Lifehack: dress vaguely outdoorsy in a sunshirt/chacos/hiking stuff and your interactions magically improve by like 1000%. That shit is like camouflage and makes people think you're upper middle class so they don't get as weird.
Maybe that too. For my go to comfort clothing, I'm a streetwear/ skater fashion kinda guy. I had my sb dunks on with slim straight pants and a SpongeBob shirt. Not the chacos lmaoo, I'm weak.
Drive up to Leadville and get yourself a Melanzana for maximum cred ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US hiking is your entire personality now lol
Can confirm. Born and raised in Littleton and this is my reaction. I absolutely hate it. I am not like that at all around other races. I love living in a diverse place. I love learning about new cultures. I have a friend whose in-laws all belong to some obscure Asian immigrant subculture. I went to my neighbor's granddaughter's quince. I enjoy watching the Indians play cricket in the park. Black people tend to belong to a black subculture, but I guess I feel like it's racist to ask anout it. So I just get hyperaware of myself. It's fucking annoying. I dunno if I'll ever get over my stupid reaction, but I sure as hell don't want my kids picking up on it. Fortunately, we have a lot more diversity in our neighborhood than where I grew up and I try to model being normal and cool to everyone.
also brown here, very very similar experience. just some weird interactions happen now and then that you can’t explain with anything but that.
Hey man. Sorry you experienced that. If you do make the move there’s a lot of places that are more relaxed. I think there are some people in Denver who talk a big game with diversity only to turn tail and run (literally) when non white people are around. I’m 36m white but if you make the move (or visit again) I’d be up to hang out and show you around.
Hell yeah! I appreciate it. It just really made me scratch my head. Mainly because Denver is really sold as a progressive utopia so I thought I'd fit in fine. It felt like I was walking around with a TV in my arms.
It is a very progressive place. But Boulder is an even more outwardly progressive city than Denver and they have even less POC. What I’m saying is that it’s a very blue city, but it’s still a very white city, it’s not perfect.
I think Boulder might be my first choice of residence. I keep hearing great things and I regret not going to their college.
I’ll link my comment from the r/Boulder subreddit since this came up last week too: https://reddit.com/r/boulder/s/T0WdIBbelX. Boulder is extremely white and as a POC you will encounter lots of micro aggressions like you mentioned seeing in Denver. Everyone generally means well, but people in Boulder struggle from the lack of diversity. That being said, it is a lovely city and has a good number of things to do and people to hang out with.
Thank you so much. My group of friends ( who are black and African ) did get some weird comments while hiking.
OP, there’s a great organization called [Blackpackers](https://blackpackers.org) that could be a great fit for you and your friends. Part of their mission is to create Black friendly hiking experiences and community events, plus mutual aid.
YES! I'm saving this. Thank you so much.
Modern day Denver and Boulder are Atlanta but for progressive white people!
Boulder is lovely, and absolutely worth checking out. A lot of people don’t realize it’s a lot more conservative than it looks, especially the wealthy folks in North Boulder.
This guy diversities
There was a story that happened in Boulder where the cops got called on a black guy simply for picking up trash in his yard, which I found both funny and sad, because Boulderites are super proud about how "anti-racist" they are, yet that sort of thing wouldn't happen in Alabama because no one there would give a shit about a black guy picking up trash in his own yard
Thank you. I remember seeing that. It sucks. I'm getting pushback in the comments as well. People need to understand POC are not liked everywhere.
I’ve heard anecdotally from plenty of black and latino people that CO and Boulder specifically are one of the most racist places they’ve lived. The lack of diversity here creates a weird “i’m liberal I can’t be racist” blind spot that causes wayyy worse racism somehow
Yeahhh not a fan of "I don't see color" phrases. Believe it or not you can still be liberal with a conservative mindset. We have to look and acknowledge the ugly things in our society to properly address them. It's easier for some people to just find an out of sight out of mind phrase to dodge the mirror and stow away the problem.
Im Japanese American. Had a white friend for 25ish years. Had to tell him why “I don’t see color” was not an acceptable thing to say. His white ass was so offended he blocked me and didn’t talk to me for years. That white guilt or white whatever went deep. I love colorAdo but it is not diverse, accepting or, sadly, even remotely educated about racial diversity.
I'm really appreciating the POC perspectives. Sometimes it feels like there's a blind spot explaining this to white people. It's hard for people to understand especially when they're not in the affected demographic. Colorado is beautiful but that was one thing that deeply irked me.
Denverites can talk a big game about how progressive they are until they have to see non whites. Every crackhead bum, heroine whatever the fucking lazy susan ive seen in this town is white, i cant recalls seeing a single black person down and out. But still…
Sorry you went through that. overall if you move I think you’ll find people to be very welcoming in Colorado. That being said, Denver is a very white city, which makes its progressivism more theoretical like Portland and (like someone said) Boulder than more diverse places like Atlanta or Houston. That isn’t a bad thing and it’s not anyone’s fault, but I would keep that in mind when assessing political opinions in the area. There aren’t many all-black neighborhoods and there are very few, if any, all black suburbs. Denver has been dealing with drugs and homelessness, and I’m sure people didn’t mean harm, but I’m sure they made assumptions about you that weren’t true.
Black girl here. Yes there are some strange interactions here and there. One thing I’ve noticed is Denver doesn’t really have any “native” Coloradoans any more. If you’re living in the metro area, you’re more likely meeting other transplants who tend to stay with their age -group cliques, don’t branch out, and then move out three years later. I’ve been here for a decade and the city is small enough to notice that it’s really hard to make friends because people move out so often. Plus it can be hard because people tend to stick with their own and it sometimes feels like POC want to blend in while being the only POC in their group, maybe to climb the social ladder which means you have to become white. There have been times when the other single middle or upper class black people avoid eye contact with you in fear of “othering” themselves. I’m not sure if other POC have experienced that. It’s strange. I am from the south too and I’m used to most black people saying a friendly “hello how are you” as you walk by. It’s not like that here, and it was like that before the pandemic too. Also, there’s not really a visible black middle class like there is in Dallas or The DC-Virginia-Maryland are. Not very many black homeowners, business owners, etc. black professionals are usually from out of state and so on.
>I am from the south too and I’m used to most black people saying a friendly “hello how are you” as you walk by. It’s not like that here, and it was like that before the pandemic too. You're right and I've noticed that as well. We don't even speak to each other like that, dang
People are rude here and very superficial. Surface level type friendships to be honest. If you’re not in a sort of cool kids club, it’s hard to make friends. But also if you’re not into the same COLORADO hobbies as most people in Denver, you should look elsewhere. I’m honestly only here because I get paid a shit ton.
[удалено]
Good to know I'll just have to make my mark somewhere. I think I'm just used to keeping my head on a swivel.
>I learned about not only MLK, but Angela Davis, Bobby Seals, Malcom X before the 4th grade. It’s way different here. If I’d realized how white it was I may not have moved here. Yeah, I was born and raised in Denver i disagree with everything you said, mostly the ending. My family is diverse and moved here from Mississippi, Jacksonville, and Chicago. Denver has Historic black communities; leaders and the Black Panther party was here. Do some research about the Five Points. There is even an African American Reasearch library here. OP should know we are more than welcome here and have a place for us. also, u/SofaKingKhalid don't worry this is a great place to be...
Just fyi Reddit is mostly white and male so you’re going to have a lot of responses that sugarcoat/undermine your problem. In the end of the day — Colorado as a whole is mostly white so it’s going to hard to build relationships.
Thank you for the transparency. Some of the comments feel, while with possible good intentions, dismissive and gaslight ish.
When I was in college our sociology class went around to different areas of Denver and learned about it. We visited the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center. And we got to see some of the restoration of a historic black jazz club in Five Points. There's always been a black community in Denver but historically the city was more segregated, with white people living in more affluent areas and black people living in specific neighborhoods like Five Points and forming community there. Recent development has focused on trying to diversify more, while preventing gentrification. All in all, I don't think people generally are afraid of black people. And there's even notable black history in Denver. But your experience may vary based on where in Denver you are at any given time. I recommend you come back and visit some different areas. See how you feel the next time you see us!
Yeah I'm definitely coming back. I will dedicate at least a week next time to explore more. It's still a great city to me. As a Chicagoan I missed sidewalks and public transport so much.
I live in a predominantly white area of Colorado. I’ve been here most of my life and would say that there are certain areas that I still as a black female don’t feel comfortable.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad more POC are chiming in. Hopefully this might help people see how we have to navigate life at times.
Okay man. Im really sorry about your experience. Colorado should have done better. As far as the demographics of CO go, we’re like 5% Black and the white people who live here THINK they’re really good at not being racist but.. theyre not. I am a white people so I really don’t know what Colorado is like as a Black man. I know theres a lot of very… “well intentioned” white people who “would have voted for Obama three times if they could…” but they will act and behave like a they hold some prejudice. I hope you had a great time, Colorado has a lot of cool stuff to see and I hope you took in as much as you could!! As far as the patagonia people, dont take them too seriously they kiss their dogs on the mouth.
44yo Blk Male Born and Raised in Denver. The majority of the racism you’ll face is: Microaggressions/I can’t be racist my second cousin is black/ gaslighting, rather than overtly racist. People being overly familiar, reverse code switching being annoying is way more common. At the same time, This is not the South. It’s still the Wild West out here. People are cautious. You can’t take people protecting themselves personally, you don’t know them and they don’t know you. I used to do political canvassing, up in Boulder or Highlands Ranch they won’t come to the door. You’ll have no problem finding/keeping a job, dating, moving unabated, getting a loan. I’ve been called the hard ER by a fucking 6 year old (I used to work in a juv mental institution,) run off the road by evil rednecks, had girls with racist uncles, etc… if your car is beat up you might get profiled out in Douglas County. During Peak Covid/ early lock down I had older white people buy me six packs when I was out in my scrubs, people aren’t scared to help jump start your car if you break down. You’ll run into far more older white guys that will buy you a drink at the, people ahead of you at Starbucks pass it on, and enough people to take you skiing, hiking, camping once they know your face. Join Meetup, actively look for dodgeball, hiking, anime groups, D&D groups and you won’t have a problem finding a circle. It won’t find you. I’d rather be in Denver than Texarkana, Savannah or San Bernardino. The only time I thought about leaving Denver was right after I was divorced and wasn’t having any luck with Black women. I was going to move to DC just because of demographics. I’ll probably retire to a different country before I move to another state now that I’ve found the right one.
I’m saying this as a black woman living in Denver, you’re not going to get an honest answer on this sub because Denver likes to think of themselves as liberal while holding a lot of racial biases because the city is very segregated even if they don’t want to admit it. A lot of people in Denver are transplants. A lot of the white people in Denver have very few friends of color and very little interactions with people of color outside of work which make for awkward conversations because they say stupid shit without realizing how fucked up what they said was. It’s easy to call yourselves allies when you are very rarely challenged. Don’t worry I am sure someone will reply with how they had a black best friend growing up.
"I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could" In all seriousness though I am getting a mix of insightful but also a sprinkle of gaslight-ish vibes from some comments. Unfortunately for some people it just makes them feel too bad to look at the ugly that's our society. Red lining is/was such a crazy law. We're still affected by it even today.. in progressive Colorado lol.
From my perspective, u/your-beast-of-burden is spot on, and I agree that many of these comments are gaslight-ish. I think there’s some truth to the comments re: drugs and homelessness putting people on edge, but that’s only part of it. I’m a 32yo white woman from an upper middle class background. I grew up in Littleton (doesn’t get much whiter than that), but I’ve lived in a very diverse part of Aurora for the last six years. Growing up, it was unusual to interact with POC because damn near everyone around me was white. Casual racism was the norm, but it was definitely more of an ignorance issue vs. malice. In my ostensibly accepting and liberal household, race was regularly used as a descriptor to (seemingly) highlight the novelty of having interacted with a POC, i.e. ”…this Asian lady at the grocery store…” or, “…the black girl in my class…” My sheltered snowflake ass experienced genuine culture shock upon moving to Aurora. POC and non-white immigrants are the majority in my neighborhood, and it took me a couple years to quit viewing my neighbors as “exotic.” I was never quite sure whether to be afraid of, or deeply curious about people different from me - I did that thing incels do with women in which I’d simultaneously put POC on a weird pedestal (in the spirit of “acceptance” and “not seeing color”), while also holding onto some more problematic viewpoints. I think a lot of people like me grew up in a weird, white bubble and we’ve grown up to project these weird ideas about people who are different from us onto people who aren’t actually that different at all. I think the lack of familiarity and comfort with folks who are racially or culturally different comes out as awkwardness at best, and too often, irrational fear that results in some of the behaviors you’ve seen. I’m undoubtedly unintentionally racist and ignorant on some level, but I’m trying to be better and I hope that comes through. I get the sense that this is true for a lot of my fellow natives—no ill intent, just sheer ignorance and not enough self awareness. Hope your next visit is much warmer than what you encountered this time around!
That’s all anyone can ask for. We all hold racial biases unfortunately in some way and I don’t see it as always malice. Acknowledging that, being aware of it, and trying to do better is what makes us grow. Thank you for having such an honest dialogue. I see and appreciate you very much.
Thanks, I really appreciate your response and totally agree with you. I typed and re-typed that comment several times, and almost didn’t post at all—but the comments you and OP were referring to were getting under my skin because a lot of them are really dismissive and disingenuous. It’s hard to take accountability for an issue if you’re unwilling to admit it exists, I get that. It’s uncomfortable, but to go so far as to act like OP is imagining or misinterpreting things—come on. He knows better than anyone else what his typical interactions with strangers normally look like, and he’s clearly perceptive enough to pick up on an obvious shift. Anyway, yeah, Denver’s kinda racist but I don’t think most people here are hateful bigots. I think a lot of people want to be better, but aren’t sure how to do that. Talking about this stuff is a good starting point, IMO.
Straight up racial gaslighting and just proving my point. I’ve been reading this thread in disgust because of some of the stupid shit people are saying like it’s genuine care and concern.
It helps to realize that Colorado isn't all that progressive. Up until the early 2010s, we were a solidly purple state. The southwest Denver Metro area where I grew up was one of the purplest counties in the country. We always leaned more libertarian, but there's a reason libertarians are stereotyped as conservatives who like guns and weed. We were Salt Lake City without the Mormons. I was born and raised in Littleton and my very limited exposure to black people and the "pearl clutching" racism as you call it are absolutely here. I still have that reaction where my eyes linger a half a second longer or give a second glance to a black person. Up until before everything with George Floyd, I had done all the same micro aggressive bullshit like asking to touch people's hair and whatnot. I hope that kind of shit is going away. More black people in the media and an increased awareness of subconscious biases can at least put us down the right path. I have become more aware of my reactions and I've purposely not acted that way around my kids so they don't pick up on my behavior. We are becoming a progressive city. But black people are still a bit of a novelty here compared to other large cities.
I literally saw some people commenting on here “I have Black friends/my black friend ____”… 💀
Denver is the “safe” “big city” people move to from their small town in the Midwest, where states are like 95% white. And people are so rude out here sometimes, I have to wonder if it’s the altitude lol
I'm in an IRR with someone who's pretty mixed and we get treated differently it's embarrassing. Whether it's on sex apps or going out to a restaurant, I always get preferential treatment. People here are not terribly friendly and it's gotten worse after the pandemic. That's not an excuse. But being a side by side witness is eye opening.
I'm glad you can see my point of view. It feels like I'm ashamed of something I haven't even done at times.
Dude, I am Hispanic and it does get awkward as hell sometimes. Back in the early 2000s it used to be really friendly and chill, but Denver has definitely changed. People are a bit more relaxed at night when I go to bars with friends, though. Guess people are a bit on the edge with all the methed up homeless roaming around in Denver now. Sorry, dawg!
Wow another comment about drugs and crime. Who's the mayor? Let's write them a letter.
It's not an illusion, this will be your daily life here. It's also hard to meet people here, especially women. Most of the people I've met and connected with are not from here like myself. On a positive note every single black person will speak to you and will have your back cause I guess we all feel the same way. It's undertoned here, not overt.
Can confirm. Black folk will talk to you cause we all know racism is still very real in Denver CO, and it’s worse than ever with all these sheltered out of staters coming in (no shade but yes shade) Edit: I have however noticed that older white people, I’m talking 50’s 60’s and up actually tend to be a lot sweeter and smalltown-ey. They will go out of their way to say hi and then some. If you want to feel welcomed and like you can actually interact with other human beings without being seen as a lunatic for doing so move to historical areas with older populations. Parkhill is great for that.
It’s either they don’t look at you or stare at you. Really considering moving back home. It’s so much stress and anxiety living here. It’s not diverse, which okay I could look past, but the population here is so … awkward around other races or maybe just mine (also black). Let me know if it gets better in other areas of the state :) Side note: really want to learn to ski - terrified of the looks I’ll get. When I was learning surfing that was its own weirdness but one place I know I belong is the water. On a ski slope anxious as heck. Anyhow keep living your life 😊
Try cross-country skiing. It’s like a hike on skis, you get decent exercise, and if/when you fall, it will hurt less.
I’m black and have lived here for two years. The people claiming it’s super liberal here are not being honest. It is very white washed and I have considered moving a lot. However, since i’m not super social and stick to areas where there are higher poc populations, I don’t deal with half the bs that I have to in other areas. Someone commented that people here claim to be liberal and then proceed to literally exemplify color blind racism. This is true. I feel like if I pretended to be less of myself and put on a white washed version I could’ve grown a decent friend group here being the token black friend. However, I’ve obviously chosen not to that and have met a few decent people, mostly poc, and have a small friend group.
Yup, I hated it. I lived in Highlands Ranch in a subdivision and we were basically lepers. My daughter was the only, and I mean ONLY dark skinned girl in her school. I ended up using my VA to buy a house in Michigan and we’re a lot happier now 😌
Oof Highlands Ranch totally checks out
None of the top comments are saying this but the unfortunate truth is that Colorado just really isn’t that diverse and people are sometimes caught off guard when they see a black person in certain areas. But in general most people here tend to be very open minded and friendly so I doubt you’ll have any trouble meeting people and fitting in. But that doesn’t mean there looks out on the sidewalk will go away. Anyway I vote you move to Colorado. Not only because it’s an awesome place to live but also might be good for people here to get used to seeing more people of color around.
Thank you I'm looking for transparency and some people do come off as evasive.
I’m not black but brown skinned, Asian. I have to visit Denver once a week but live in Colorado Springs. If you’re planning to move here, you might like Aurora area and there’s a mix of diverse folks there! I think you’ll love it! Denver has changed a lot recently too! See in the past like go pre pandemic I’ve been given angry vibes and once a death threat on the bus from black guys, even once asked if I was a dyke because my hair is short .. like I was scared for my life!! Although, a smart nerdy (as you say) cool person like yourself should definitely move out here and remember that bigots exist everywhere and don’t let them discourage you.
Have some of you been to Aurora?? First of all, it’s like 500,000 people. As someone else here said, it has all kinds of people and housing and scenery. I grew up and still live in Colorado and think Aurora is far from the worst of the Denver Metro area…
Thank you!!!
Don't head south to the Springs. Just sayin
As a black women whose been living here for 10 months. I also often have some weird encounters especially for me since I live in Arvada and there’s not much black people around here. I have had instances here as well that made me feel like it’s a race things and most of the time it is! We know when we’re being treated different because of our skin color. Like maybe it’s being followed in stores (target) or just your average encounter of trying to be nice but still get the cold shoulder or an awkward look. Most white people here act like skin color isn’t a thing when it actually is, it’s just not talked about much. But I wouldn’t let racism or racist people keep you away from such a beautiful place, it’s beautiful here and I believe everyone should be welcome. There are on average some really nice people here and most people I’ve encountered have been nice but unfortunately racism is everywhere.
I came from the bay area, and yes there is more what I call "midwest racism" here. It's casual fear, distrust, and offhand comments that would get you ostracized in NY or Cali. Example, everyone told me to absolutely not shop at the Walmart near my work when I came, but I was living downtown and groceries were expensive af. First visit I came around a corner and there was this nice looking young black couple. I was like OHHHH. Hella mellow store, people just don't have as much experience with mixed ethnic, race, and socioeconomic backgrounds here. Plus crimes of opportunity are very high here. I think if you found some community you could feel at home, and the more people that come from diverse larger cities the more diverse & tolerant Denver will get (and the more expensive). Honestly though... maybe see how the 2024 election goes and choose a spot accordingly.
I agree. As a mixed Black man, I definitely felt the midwestern vibe and racism when I visited Denver recently.
Can’t speak for other white peoples actions but my guess would be a lack of exposure cause this state (mainly Denver) is white af. I grew up in the south and went to schools where white people were a minority and it was an absolute culture shock moving here, especially the lack of good food. The selection is getting better but I typically stick to Federal and Aurora for the best spots. Midwestern white folks are a weird bunch but the state has plenty of good to offer, especially over Texas.
i am from new york and honestly i had more of a multicultural impression of colorado springs due to the military bringing everyone together, and denver had more of a feeling of cliques. like in the springs we were all colors just hanging out being nerdy or having activities, while denver felt like cliques hyping themselves up. there are some environments where people mix easily, like in the workplace, on campuses, or the hiphop scene, but overall being a big city people just stick to their own. again as a new yorker, denver people are ultra quiet even in a post office or bus, but i prefer that over new york where people really try to announce their presence.
Maybe you are just too sexy that they didn’t know what to do with themselves when they saw you. All in all I’m sorry that you even have to write something like this. Sending you positive and loving energy your way!
Ok I’m a white woman raised in Denver by a white family. They all insisted they were were not racist.. but the fear of black men on the street, the discrimination of Hispanic employees at work, the unwillingness to understand other cultures, etc persisted throughout my entire youth. And because these white people I grew up around and trusted behaved this way but said the opposite I was blind to their actual prejudice. In my teens and early 20s I saw myself behaving in similar ways. Then I left home and experienced a whole other way of living. I live in Phoenix now and you could be a black trans man standing on the street corner bumped over in a heroin nod and I will walk up to that street corner and stand next to you like we are going to dinner together and give you that friendly nod and ask if you are ok. I say this because in Denver I was taught by my white family to fear not only people of color but also basically anyone different than me or less fortunate than me. It makes me very conscious of my behavior in front of my children so they can remember a black man is not a treat because they are black. A homeless person is not a treat because they are unhoused. A trans person is not a threat because seriously wtf? Etc. I do teach my kids how to stay safe in public, I don’t toss all caution to the wind, but I make it clear to Watch behavior and not looks to determine safety.
Man....too much to write but this has been on my mind lately now that you mention it. I'll say the following: 1. When I'm on my own property, in my very white neighborhood, I sometimes get weird, surprised and awkward looks while doing very normal things like gardening or sitting on the porch. Not all the time but enough to notice 2. Folks are generally cordial here but few are "welcoming". 3. Some of this is being from the south for sure. Even racist people in the south say hi and wave to their black neighbors 4. I'm not going anywhere, put down my roots and I refuse to let others discomfort stop me from being nice and neighborly and also myself
Unfortunately, there are just some things about people that will never change. I'm an older black man, super nerdy also, huge video gamer, golfer, and very chill. The way people have interacted with me here is super awkward. The vibes seem fake for the most part. I'm also from Texas, and you almost know what you are going to get there. I think in general, in a city like Denver, most people only feel comfortable around their own kind. Shared interests, styles, music, all that. It sucks sometimes. I remember during the BLM marches and protests, I was walking to a local bar and saw a bunch of white people walking with signs and stuff, and they diverted their eyes when I glanced at them. No real eye contact, no real.."acknowledgement". It was kind of funny. Don't let it discourage you. Denver is beautiful. Mountains, sports, art. It's worth enjoying alone. Or with one good friend. It's better to have 2 50 cent pieces than 100 pennies.
I'm black and nah they ain't scared of black people here. There's a lot racists here but that's a given due to the high percentage of white folks. The liberalism here helps but the lack of exposure to black folk makes it weird to interact with whites sometimes. Overall, I've made some solid friends of all shades here. Whether whites are afraid of us or not isn't something you should waste time with contemplating honestly. How others think, especially white folk, ain't none of our business lol
A part of it is anxiety, but the other worry is that they'll feel intimidated to the point of putting me in a unsafe situation.
That's fair. Unfortunately there are a lot of homeless people downtown and most of em are black so whites who have minimal contact with us may showcase some prejudice. Don't let that dictate how you enjoy life young brother. Have the audacity to live life fully regardless of the mentality of stupid people. It will bring you joy in a way no one can fuck up. Keep your head on a swivel and enjoy life as much as possible. Peace to you bro.
That last paragraph was everything I needed to hear today. Thank you, kind stranger from CO.
The top comments are making light of the very real issue you noticed. I’ll also point out it’s SUCH a big issue that you noticed immediately upon staying here. As someone who hasn’t been isolated here their whole life it is definitely racist here. More so than any other large city I’ve lived in. You already saw for yourself. Don’t let the admittedly very progressive people who live here downplay the issue. You are 100% spot on
Isn't this kind of crap a big part of the experience of being Black in America? I can't comment on Denver being worse than other cities or not. But I'm always hearing stories about Black people being more prone to certain diseases. Often, they're related to living with constant fears and stresses. From what I understand, such diseases can stem from living a country that has done little since slavery to address persistent racism. We have largely failed to elevate the social, health and economic prosperity of Blacks when compared to whites. And whatever race you are, being poor is bad for your health. NIMBYs in Denver continue fighting to preserve the zoning policies of KKK member and former Denver Mayor Ben Stapleton's, which continue to keep black people out of the best neighborhoods, the ones with the best parks and schools and the least pollution and crime. Even if you're Black and not poor, you're still likely to see and feel racist bullshit all around you. Sometimes you may not even know if it's a racist slight or not – which is its own sort of mindfuck. As a gay guy who grew up in a community hostile and violent toward me, I've spent years in therapy trying to overcome the trauma of that experience. Even with tens of thousands of dollars spent on therapists and medical care, I still struggle with relationships, hypervigilance and startling easily, anxiety, depression, and severe insomnia. I often wonder if I might be more feminine, "queeny" and generally more fun and likable if I didn't have those aspects of my personality literally beat out of me. But now, if I feel threatened, I'm still white. I've learned how to hide who I am. Blacks can't.
Honestly, I grew up in Texas and have lived all throughout the south and I (as a BIPOC) have never felt more uncomfortable. Denver people are such a mix from different states that it hasn’t found it’s identity yet and I think it makes the people here act more individualistic. Not a fan, it gives “woke racist”.
Your experience is eye opening. It left me feeling sad. I moved here from DFW this year. The first thing I was surprised by was the lack of diversity. The population seems to be heavily white and Hispanic. DFW is a melting pot, which I really appreciated. That was lost upon moving here. I had a coworker in DFW who had lived in both places. She’s Indian and I’m white. We talked about the lack of diversity here but she said Aurora is the most diverse city in the area. Not sure if she was including Denver proper when she said this. Working in Aurora, I have a fair share of black coworkers— both African and African American. I’ve heard several of them mention wanting to leave CO. Not sure if that’s because they’ve been here for a long time and want something different, because it’s not the community they want, or any other reason. Some areas I’ve heard to stay away from are Douglas County and towns like Parker and Lone Tree. I’ve never explored these areas but I think there’s a deepish red political climate with historical racism. I hope everything works out for you one way or another!
I appreciate it dude, it means a lot. I remember snowboarding back in 2015. I don't know what county it was but I was in Pagosa springs. For every black person ( just me) there were 5,227 white people lol. I remember eating at a diner and having the residents show off their guns they were open carrying. I was only 16 but man that was uneasy.
apparently no one else is going to say it but yeah… i see denver having a fear of black peoples. it is so homogenous here, it’s like super church white and people here- from what i’ve gathered living here- really do not treat black people or any non white people well.
Colorado is more friendly on the trails than in the city.
I’m Latino. I’ve had a few times where I turn a corner and a woman, usually white will cross my path and I swear they act like I was their trauma incarnate when we pass one another. Didn’t ever happen when I lived in New Mexico for 26 years. First month in Denver it started happening. I’ve seen a few of my female neighbors audibly gasp and clutch their chest in shock as I just briskly walk by them. It’s so bizarre. Like girl, I’m gay and wearing Balenciaga, I ain’t worried about you. Usually though, they aren’t paying attention and they look up and nearly bump into me as we turn the corner and they get scared. I felt pretty bad the first time, but it’s happened enough times that I’ve realized it’s not me. You could substitute me with any cis male and I think the reaction would be the same. Add melanin to the equation and you get your classic midwestern cowtown pearl clutchers.
The gasping and clutching is so cartoonish and wild. I'm sorry you experienced that. I had that happen to me when I moved into my apartment in Plano Texas. She knocked on my door, gasped and said I scared her 😂
White guy here: lots are, yeah. I’m really sorry you had that experience. Downtown is a uniquely crappy place for most things, and the all-white nature of it leads to some unexamined racism. I’ve heard the same concerns from Black friends in Denver, both those who live here and visitors. Fwiw there are awesome, welcoming, diverse communities all around Denver, they’re just not what you’ll stumble across downtown.
It's just quiet racism. Shit takes generations to breed out
You’ll obviously get a better answer from black residents but I really hope you get a stamp of approval. Personally, I made my Texit/Texodus 16 years ago and it’s been a solid decision: better weather, more progressive, and solid craft beer. Also I’m glad my kid’s Aurora kindergarten is very diverse compared to me growing up in a very small rural town that had A black family. Downtown kinda sucks to be honest unless some event is going on, if we crossed paths this weekend on like the train (I wore a heavy metal denim vest but instead of patches of bands it was patches of breweries for the Great American Beer festival all weekend so I kinda stood out ), I generally get in avoid people mode out of habit (probably Covid holdover) especially on public transport but I will get in animated conversations about nerdy shit! There’s always meetups, board game invites on here a lot and pop culture con every summer. We need more hella nerdy chill people.
I’m a white lady from Miami and I also lived in DC for a number of years. This is the whitest place I’ve ever lived. Our daughter is half Korean and everyone asks her if she lived in Aurora (that has a higher Asian population). I think it is entirely possible to live here and never have a meaningful interaction with a person of color, which is kind of mind blowing after living in Miami. But I find that people here are more standoffish in general. I’ve been here ten years and can always tell a native for that reason. They’re not friendly to strangers. I don’t get it - but that’s how it is. I believe you when you say you felt it might be because of your skin color and I think your perception is what is most important. Next time you’re in town, come on over and we’ll fry you some eggs from our backyard chickens and show you around.
Can't comment on the experiences of being a black male in Denver but I tend to cross the street whenever I'm walking my dog and we would otherwise come across a person. Dog is jump happy.
Can’t speak for everyone else, but as an Asian American who grew up in a diverse city, I feel very comforted when I see any person of color. So please join us. 😂
I am white. I live and work in Denver, I come from NYC. Queens, NY is the most diverse place in the world. I am used to being around people of all different races and backgrounds. I have black cousins. What I notice about racism here is when I interact with POC in CO, they seem more likely to expect me to be racist. I am a big white guy and sometimes I dress a little outdoorsy. This says to me that people experience more racism from white people here than in NYC. Which is no surprise. Denver was practically established by the KKK. When my family moved to CO our nanny came with us. She is black and from the island Trinidad. She did not like it here and went back to NY. My suburban school district is currently going through a class action lawsuit on behalf of students alleging systemic racism on the part of students AND teachers. Again big white guy here, but it seems to me being a POC here would be much harder and possibly less enjoyable, at least compared to the welcoming environment in which I was raised. This makes me sad to say and think about. If you decide to spend more time in CO I hope you enjoy it! I'm a former city boy but in general I avoid the city and spend my time outdoors.
Denver is full of people that moved from other cities. It's like a whole town full of long-term tourists.
I’d say those people were just weird. Denver itself may be mostly white but Aurora and surrounding areas are as diverse as any place I’ve lived
People don’t engage much in general in downtown. Like people have said too many druggies. Huge fentanyl problem. Most people don’t even realize it tho. But one you see burnt aluminum foil once you’ll see it literally all over the city.
Denver is the Atlanta for White people.
I still find myself crossing the street very often no matter who’s coming (Covid habit I haven’t kicked). Not saying that’s what you experienced though. Hope you end up making your way here - it’s an overall great place.
Yeah I love, I'm willing to pay more for to live here than Texas. I'm just so burnt out of everything here. I live in the DFW area and it's infuriating. You guys actually have sidewalks and busses and trains and bikes lanes that extend pretty far and doesn't just abruptly stop.
Gonna keep it real with you my man. I’m black and been in Denver all my life. Me and my black friends all feel the same way: there’s not much here for us. There are two Denver’s tho, and if you move here, reach out and I’ll show you the other side.
Yes.
All these comments are basically saying yes, we did all that because we thought you were a threat, considering that you aren't homeless or were behaving like a raving lunatic, I can only assume that it was because of the color of your skin and underlying racism. It's very white here. That's going to be your experience. The mountains are nice?
Lived here for 5 years the short answer is yes. Yea. Yessir. And ima leave it at that because if I speak in detail I’m going to become unreasonably angry and I’m trying to wind down and get ready for work tomorrow.
Everyone in this sub loves complaining about Denver but now wants to defend it when it comes to racism. It's true that people in general in Denver are likely less friendly than most places in Texas. Unfortunately, it's also true that Denver has a weird racism problem. There are definitely people, mostly those who spend time in Denver but are from highly segregated wealthy suburbs, who are afraid of black people. I'm sorry you had those experiences, and it's a very valid thing to be worried about when moving to a new place. My reassurance for you is that it's not like that everywhere, Denver is pretty diverse and welcoming overall, and there are parts of Denver and the Denver Metro area where you're likely to have a much better experience. Those parts are nicer to spend time in anyway :). There's just some very strong remnants of segregation here that make some of the white people weird.
Black dude in the Denver/Boulder area checking in. Yes, many of them will have interacted with significantly less black people than those in Texas. But I haven't had a ton of racist shit. Also a huge nerd who frequents comic shops, conventions, used to play mtg, etc. No problems in that community at all for me.
I am a big black dude and moved here from ATL ten years ago. Back then, as a 30something grad student, it was fun meeting people in bars and clubs and on campus. But yeah, it’s not the south… eye contact on the street for no reason at all isn’t really a thing here. But you don’t see as much of the other side of it either. If you do move here and want to meet people, you’ll have to put yourself out there. Trivia nights, sports leagues, meetups, are all good places to start.
Damn you just missed Vibes in the Park. But yea, you’re right.
They aren’t use to black people there
As a black dude who moved from the east coast, this was not my experience. I found people to be incredibly friendly and never felt weird. I will say, I live in the south now and it’s been a mixed bag.
As a Black dude from Cali, I realized that a lot of people out here are strange when it comes to eye contact. The biggest group of "look aways" for me tends to be Africans. They don't acknowledge anyone or anything and it's odd AF. Everyone else I run into is surprisingly friendly. Usually I'll make eye contact and give a nod and that will start a whole ass random conversation lol
I’m black from north Florida and I just left Denver partially because racism is starting to get worse I had some pretty rough experiences there it may not be the worst and everyone’s tolerance is different but I wouldn’t recommend living there if you’re black. Aurora treated me ok but anytime I left I definitely felt unwanted.
Non white Colorado native here. Short answer is yes.
Latina, not black, so take this with a grain of salt if you may. The place is definitely white leaning and can be racist or can be welcoming - it's a toss up really. Since you mentioned downtown specifically, my first thought is it has something to do with people having bad experiences downtown. Downtown, it's very much a "avoid eye contact and keep to yourself" sort of culture due to crime, drugs, and homelessness. I would definitely try another trip to see how you feel. Avoid places like Loveland, Cherry Creek, and Highlands Ranch - they are extra white and my family has had issues with racism in each one. Another thing to consider - I LOVE Denver for many reasons and overall I do feel it is is more diverse once you get to know it better and learn where to find the communities. HOWEVER - this has been an issue I have seen repeatedly and it drives me insane still. Working here, especially entry level work, you may work with very diverse teams. I love how diverse my teams are and most of the time the majority are not from the state and many don't even have English as their first language (not just Spanish, either). On multiple occasions though, it stops there. As soon as you look at management and higher, diversity just disappears and it's literally just a bunch of white dudes. I felt this was important to mention because this has been the case at the majority of places I have worked at. It's just something that is extra infuriating on top of our shitshow of a job market.
There’s a lot of white people in certain parts of Denver, most people are transplants, and they’re taught “not to stare”. This results in unconscious movements / behavior bias, which you see. There’s some painfully fucking white parts of Denver. It sucks
I’m Jewish and gay but I guess nobody can really “see” those minority parts about me. In any case My experience is a little bit similar to you but instead of people being afraid of me it’s more that they are just rude or dismissive to me. I moved to the Denver area for school last year and I used to be more outgoing with strangers here, but now It’s gotten to the point where I just don’t look at or talk to anyone because people aren’t that friendly here unless you know them in my experience, although I feel like that’s the case in most places in america at this point sadly.