KDBG wrote:Being a minority born and raised in Utah, it is definitely a culture shock to most people, including black people for sure. Most of this is article is true, but one of the truest things of all is that people fall in love with the area once they actually experience it. Thurl Bailey is right too, it's not a racist place. I've only experienced true racism here a few times in my life (twice accused of stealing when I hadn't). I'm sure I would have experienced a lot more in other places around the country.
What people don't understand though is that Utah is way more diverse than it gets credit for. Being one of the reddest states in the country, Salt Lake City hasn't had a conservative mayor since the 60s I believe. The current mayor is a lesbian woman. Salt Lake City was actually named "gayest city" one year recently. Former gay NBA player John Amaechi said something along the lines of that Salt Lake City was the gayest city east of San Francisco.
Yup, not a lot of black people here, that's true. But there is a big Latino and Pacific Islander population. A lot of interracial families (including my own) are here, a good chunk of the time because Mormon missionaries go to different countries, or big cities and fall in love with the people there, and start dating women from that culture when they come back home.
One thing I can say is there are some really damn naive white people here. Almost in an adorable way. One time, at a salon I used to go to get my braids done, where Mormon white women were most of the clientele, this really funny thing happened. I noticed one day that all these chicks were huddled near me, whispering and giggling. I was like wtf? I went to the bathroom and came back, and my stylist says to me, "those girls were asking if that hot black guy played football for BYU". They were talking about me. Just because I had light brown skin and was getting my braids done, they assumed I was black and that the only way a black male was in Provo, Utah, was because he played sports. So yeah, if any of you are black and single and love white women, come to Provo and you will get the most beautiful white women in the world. No joke, you could be cock-eyed and overweight and smell like ass, it won't matter. They will treat you like a king.
Just bumping this. Cause you know, I'm a minority in Utah. I gotta protect my turf from falsehoods, and I have a unique perspective, k, bye. Yes, I'm being selfish. I just rep where I'm from, and I'll defend it till the day I die.