Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New diversity statement

[Gerald Manata (gmanata2003]

Bingo! This is the first statement in this long drawn out conversation that 
actually hit the nail on the head.
--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 9/25/16, Katie Henry <katie-henry [at] att.net> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [C-L]_ New diversity statement
 To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
 Date: Sunday, September 25, 2016, 5:30 PM
 
 
 Based on my experience managing outreach for a forming
 community in the DC area, I've come to the conclusion that
 cohousers may want diversity, but "minorities" (for lack of
 a better umbrella term) don't necessarily want more
 community. For starters, they're more likely to either stay
 close to home and family or bring family with them if they
 move. Either way, they'll also be deeply involved in
 cultural and/or religious organizations. 
 
 For example, your typical home-buying African American
 female in the DC area will have a demanding job, will have
 extended family in the area (or maybe in southern VA or NC,
 where she will visit often), will be very active in a
 church, and will also be involved with her college sorority.
 Is she really going to be looking for another set of
 commitments and activities when she comes home from a long
 day at work? Especially involving a bunch of earnest
 liberals trying to excise their white guilt?
 
 White people are the ones who leave their families and move
 cross-country all by themselves and find themselves rootless
 and lonely and seeking community. 
 
 Of course there will be exceptions to everything I've said,
 and maybe I'm completely wrong, but I spent way too much
 time trying to explain cohousing to people who were clearly
 thinking "Why on earth would I want to get involved in
 something like that?" Then I started marketing to the LGBTQ
 community and got a much better reception.
 
 Katie Henry
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