The Dream Is Coming True

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I grew tired of California. The San Francisco Bay Area has become a cesspool of anger, dysfunction, crime, bullying and mental illness. Well, maybe that describes life in most areas of the United States. Research quickly makes it clear that currently, there’s a lot of people wondering if there is any place better to run to.

For black people, we often have an additional layer of fear and doubt to work through when faced with drastic change—because moving to another state can be just that—a drastic life change, for better or worse.

I'd done a lot of moving in my life, but only recently did I learn that "smart relocators" take their time and create list with as many as 24 items of "must" that are looking for in their new location. They compare housing tax rates, quality of the drinking water, racial and political demographics, proximity of good schools, city zoning laws, and even the view they’ll have. Where do you find such valuable information?

• City-Data.com not only has statistics on most cities in every state, the site also has a forum that allows anyone who registers to post and replies to questions about … anywhere and anything. It's been my experience that if asked without judgment or blame, candid, "real talk" questions elicit "real talk" answers delivered with respect.

• Wikipedia.com has a surprising amount of good information on cities and counties.

• United Country.com is a great website for those of us who are looking for rural property just outside the trauma-drama of urban technocratic apartment life.

I am currently checking out the Southeastern states I'm most attracted to. After this phase is over, I'll spend six months in Southeast Asia, determining if I want to retire in a country like Thailand. I've been warned against, "All or Nothing" thinking, so it might end up being six months in Cambodia, and six months in North Carolina. Right now, life has given me the luxury of being able to spend nine months deciding.  From now on, most of my posting will take place on either:

• Black Traveler

• Black Farms

I hope you'll join me on the journey.

Join me at Black Traveler!

I have embarked on a nine-month odyssey in search of my little house in the country where a previously self-identified black urbanite will produce my own organic food. But this is more than just searching for a good plot of land and clean drinking water—it's also about locating a spot where crime is low (no "thugs") and racist Right Wing extremist are all but non-existent.

Harmony.

In tomorrow's world, survival and quality of life will depend upon low drama, and networking with "Like Minds." Notice I didn't say, "Like Color." Smart people who have a sense of what's coming know that combining resources and comparing information with as many types of people as possible is not only healing—but super wise.

Join me at, black traveler and let’s compare notes.

http://blacktraveler.wordpress.com/

Have Previous Black Eonomic Gains Been Reversed?

It's clear that the current, "Recession" for middle America is a “Depression” for Black America. Further, "Dr. Doom," NourielRoubini, the economics professor who correctly predicted the '08 Crash and smaller economic downturns before and since, now says we’re in, "The Perfect Storm" for an upcoming crash that will be worst than the '08 Crash.

So it's way past time for blacks to stop thinking that everything is going to be alright. Sad to repeat this, but when white America catches an economic cold, we often catch pneumonia. Some say that Black America has lost a combined trillion dollars since the '08 crash.

(And no, selling drugs is NOT a good 'fall back' career choice… unless you feel like sitting in a prison cell that feels like 200 Degrees Fahrenheit when they transfer your over-crowded behind to some obscure rat hole in Rattlesnake, Nevada is a "good thing.")

But we're not upset about our suffering because Obama is in office? Huh?? Really?

Y’all better wake up! Read the links about the next forecasted economic downturn and begin thinking:

1.     What will I need to do to keep food on my plate?

2.     Now that Monsanto is holding our food hostage, is it better for me to grow my own?

3.     What in life would I REALLY love to do, regardless of the income?

Number Three may be most important. The following is a USA TODAY story titled: 

Black economic gains reversed in Great Recession

“Millions of Americans endured similar financial calamities in the recession. But for Goldring and many others in the black community, where unemployment has risen since the end of the recession, job loss has knocked them out of the middle class and back into poverty. Some even see a historic reversal of hard-won economic gains that took black people decades to achieve.”

I strongly encourage you to read the entire story at: USA TODAY | ECONOMY