Why do you choose to put up with it? I'm genuinely interested. My job has me traveling in rural parts of USA and I get so sick of seeing and experiencing subtle racism like seeing the Confederate flag being flown or plastered on vehicles every where. Everytime Im in the neighborhood I have multiple scared ass white people peeking out they windows, doors, or coming out they house to confront like they don't know why I'm there.
Once in a while I encounter black people which brings a breath of relief with a smile. I always wonder why they choose to live in such a environment.
On another note I remember you posting your chickens. I never knew they were such cool pets until I started spending time on farms. I want one now but im not sure if they are allowed in my city.
I worked extremely hard to live in whatever neighborhood I wanted, and horse properties (agricultural zoning) are not too easy to find. That being said, I have not had the same degree of subtle and overt racism that was described in the article, but I could relate to some of it. It's funny, a lesbian couple just moved into our neighborhood, and they needed some help with their horses, and my wife, kids and I helped them out, and we joked that it was good to see some more diversity in the neighborhood, lol.
Chickens are AWESOME pets, can be a little messy (droppings) so you need a good plan for that, but they are great natural pest control (important here in AZ with scorpions), give great eggs, and are great alarm clocks, if you get roosters. When our kids were younger and in scouting, we had both troops over to watch some of the hatchings, great life lesson for them. They can also be very affectionate and caring pets, you have to be careful in handling the chicks when they are young as too much handling can harm them.
You can check regulations at a courthouse or on your city's government website. There may be different rules and regulations regarding keeping livestock. You may only be allowed a set number of chickens, or you may have to keep your chickens a certain distance from your home or your neighbor's home. Unfortunately, some cities may not allow you to house livestock at all, so you may not be able to keep chickens in your city.
http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Chickens-in-a-City