Is There A Racial Divide In Dallas' Social Scene?

DALLAS - Nov. 24, 2014 - PRLog -- IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11.24.14

Brittany Thomas

Big Thought Consultants

214.938.8411

info@bigthoughtconsultants.com (mailto:info@bighthoughtconsultants.com)

Is there a Racial Divide in Dallas’ Social Scene?

Promoters are looking for answers.

Dallas, TX– Nightlife in major cities seems to be a juggling act between promoters, club owners, DJ’s, and radio. The perception is that strong relationships are fundamental in order to successfully drive large drones of thrill seeking patrons to overpopulated concentrated areas filled with loud music, beautiful people, and expensive drinks. 20+ year veterans and well known promoters, D.W.I Events, are definitely the “go to people” in Dallas if you are looking to book the hottest clubs, celebrities, or venues. The three CEO’s (Christ Butler, Andre Settles, and Fred Banks) of D.W.I (Drizze, Worldwide, Ikon) Events are definitely a group of humble men who have literally lived through the social pendulums that seem to change so often on the Dallas social scene. However, after many years of success in creating large entertainment events such as The All White Celebrity Party, Black Affair, Jason Terry’s Birthday Bash, Jason Terry’s Championship Party, Dirk Nowitzki’s Birthday Bash, and Kenyon Martin’s Annual Celebrity- 4^th of July weekend party, they still experience the abrasive and harsh side of racial exclusion in Dallas.

Recently after reading an article written by Jamie Thompson from D Magazine entitled, “Why Young Black Professionals Are Wary of Dallas” combined with a recent conversation with D.W.I Events Co-Founder, Chris Butler – It is evident that Dallas has some serious work to do regarding race relations. “Dallas is a tough sell,” says April Allen, executive director of KIPP Dallas-Fort Worth, a nonprofit charter school organization. Apparently, young and talented African American professionals seem hesitant of moving to Dallas unlike other cities such as Atlanta, Houston, and Charlotte because the racial divide both professionally and socially lingers heavily over the highly recognized city. Dallas nightlife, sadly, does not reflect its diverse population in corporate or social settings. According to the article, “There is definitely a cultural divide, where blacks do the black scene, and, whites do the white scene”, according to former Dallas resident Kari Pinnock, a black professional who left Dallas. “D.W.I Events can definitely confirm this statement due to recent soured business relationship with Blend Lounge. D.W.I Events has experienced the clear and evident racial tone between what is considered black and white. After establishing a relationship with the popular Blend Lounge and hosting numerous weekend events, problems soon appeared. According to D.W.I Events , they have received terrible customer service, issues with management, price inflation on beverage products and services towards their minority concentrated events, and horrible accommodations regarding parking for guests to top it off. Furthermore, after repeated attempts to find a resolution regarding customer issues, management has turned a deaf ear.  Unfortunately, during meetings that involved D.W.I Events and Blend Lounge management, African American consumers were called “ghetto” (which by definition is a slum area; an ethnic quarter in the city; segregated group or area. It is not an adjective to describe the behavior of one or more ethnic groups of people) and expressed their concern of having a concentrated amount of African Americans in their establishment; however, their highest grossing events were centered on African American promotional nights.

D.W.I Events, like other professionals, are concerned that in 2014, Dallas has not evolved from the segregated ideology that is a vicious cycle hindering the growth of Dallas.  D.W.I states, “Diversity has to be an everyday conscious decision by businesses owners and professionals while welcoming all groups to flourish and participate in acts of fair treatment.” Although it is harder for African American professionals to find their social niche in Dallas, D.W.I Events is committed to providing exceptional events that collaborate with business owners that provide stellar customer service to any crowd they are promoting in the Dallas market. The hope is that over time, more conversations will take place that are successful in building bridges between all communities. To read Jamie Thompson article please visit www.dmagazine.com. To contact D.W.I for your next event please call 469.269.2DWI.

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About Big Thought Consultants: Big Thought Consultants is a boutique public relations, marketing and small business development agency operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Founded in 2013, Big Thought Consultants specializes in assisting the business needs of small to medium size companies. Big Thought Consultants is recognized in the community as a leader in achieving the goals of their clients.