What can I do? My neighbors are racist?

Question by Atheist Nun aka GenaneF: What can I do? My neighbors are racist?
We moved out here approximately 1.3 years ago, when this was just an up and coming sleepy little subdivision out in the middle of nowhere. We bought a decent home, and got to know some of the folks around us, which at the time were few, as not many houses were occupied or built. With the exception of a few genuine loony toons who are easily ignored, most everyone is either pretty friendly, or keeps to themselves. We keep to ourselves as well. Well, lots of new folks started flocking to this area over the summer last year and we now have a sizable little community, and some interesting individuals.

There is the lady I will call Maggie, she honestly seems like a Maggie to me anyway. Well, she and her husband have a mentally challenged/handicapped son whom they are very defensive about (from what I have witnessed and heard) and they are also very nice nasty people. Unfortunately I share a boundary fence with these people right behind me. They have three large dogs as well that have dug up a great portion around the fence beams. Their son finds digging with them fun too, but I never say anything, because I am aware of her sensitivities and I notice they are not too fond of us anyway. A few months ago, we had a small party to celebrate my husband’s promotion, and we had company socializing in the backyard and music. Well, I overhear her husband yell at us, “I wish they would turn that jigga boo crap down.” Good times, good times.

Few days ago, Maggie and her husband approached my husband and my next door neighbor with a proposition to “go in half” on the fence’s damages…when their dog and kid have done all of it. Neither my next door neighbor nor myself own dogs, and we are both black. He failed to approach the white couple to the left of them, however, about this subject. So, since I know they hate me, and are scared to approach me personally, I know some bull will end up in the mail sooner or later in the form of a certified letter, or worse. I know how people like this roll. I’ve been around the block a few times.

Next there is the fun couple I dub Alex and Sandie. Alex and Sandie live in the same neighborhood that I do, but they are too good for anyone whose skin is not pale. Or maybe it’s my beater outside the garage (that is super fuel efficient and trusty) that simply reeks of too much down to Earth-ism to reach the lofty stratosphere that they reside on. Maybe a combo, I don’t know. I can smell pretentious people a mile away and I generally avoid them like the plague. I have to see this person every day at my kids bus stop, and as I near the stop, I have to get her fake smile and hello and small talk, then as soon as I turn my back, I can hear Sandie talking cash crap about us with her little clique of friends. The latest topic was my “white husband” and how he’s “never home” (he works a shift). Honorable mentions from past morning discussions, “How did her daughter’s hair turn out so nice with her being black?” and “I wonder what she does?” and “Have you seen how fast she can run? Yeah, all of them are fast.” My son and her son are schoolyard buddies, but for some odd reason, my son is allowed to play at their place (I limit this to their backyard only) ,but their son is not allowed to play at mine. This went on for a cool month until I told my son he could no longer visit with Sandie’s son aside from school. It’s just too weird.

So, we can’t move because we just bought the home, and we actually love the home but dislike some of the neighbors. I don’t want my kids coming up in this climate, but we are stuck like Chuck. Any advice?

Best answer:

Answer by Boomba75
Whew, did you take a breath when you typed that. Sometimes we think wrongly of people. You said it yourself that the people are really defensive about their son, if this is the same son that your son plays with, there is why they will not let their son play at your house. The meer fact that they allow your son over there at all should be an indication that maybe you are jumping the gun a little about them being racist. White women gossip and according to this you just wrote you have made it apparent that black women do also. They complimented your daughter’s hair, a racist to me would not compliment anything of another race. Turn the other cheek, everything is not always what it seems to be, prove yourself to be better than they if need be.

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