Truth Be Told: The Real Reason for Atlanta's Unwarranted Negative Perception

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by readyset

As an outsider looking in, at least on these forums, I've never seen a city or metro area with so many negative comments pouring in from people from other cities and states, about how another city -- not their own -- doesn't measure up. For example I've never seen another city forum where people post so much everyday crime news, as if far worst hasn't happened in other cites, and as if their goal is to simply throw some negativity out there about the city.

After reading a lot of threads in the Atlanta forum, the city seems to be undervalued in several areas where if it was another city that achieved these accomplishments, there would never be such a strong downplay but instead constant positive praise.

I've tried to pinpoint a specific reason to Atlanta as to why these people think the city falls short but any reason could be said about a lot of other cities in the United States. For example people constantly harp on the lack of mass-transit rail in Atlanta, while true that the system could be extended, the Marta system is superior to most and goes to major centers of the city.

The system is built on a superior Heavy Rail foundation which is rare this day in age and is also superior to the new light-rail systems in Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, Portland etc. Atlanta's is also more extensive and superior to Miami's. One would never say Dallas has a superior system to the D.C. Metro system which is basically the same as Marta and both were built around the same time. In-fact, D.C. Metro could also use work and extensions.

There seems to be an underlying commonality to all these posts, no one can ever seem to give a valid reason specific to Atlanta as to why it falls short in their eyes.

A lot of the negative criticisms said about Atlanta could be said for a lot of other cities that have been around for far longer but are still unable to get out of third tier where Atlanta has quickly jumped to a first tier in many regards.

Truth be told, Atlanta has achieved a lot in a very short amount of time. These accomplishments have been overshadowed with an inundation of negativity which are distorting the truth and causing confusion.

But there seems to be an underlying tone, when sound factual evidence can't be held responsible for shortcomings. Everything seems to point to the fact that Atlanta has a significant Black population as to why people constantly hate on the city and its metro area. There is a goal by some to paint the city as a failure because of this. But these people have made significant contributions and a lot of the positive significant things would not have happened without them including the Olympics.

Recently, the growing music and film industry that's helping to keep the state's unemployment from rising was pioneered by black people from the city and now others are taking notice and the founders are not getting credit. It's only 'arrived' now that everything non-black wants to partake.

I see how 'diversity' is praised and 'things are getting better' if there is a lacking black population or no majority in the city and surrounding counties yet cities like San Francisco or Miami are constantly praised for diversity even if the black population is falling near 0% in San Francisco or Miami is 70% Hispanic or Latino yet called diverse.

I see the lack of support by the surrounding counties in Georgia and the negative perception from other cities in other states due the Atlanta being a Black stronghold. You never see this kind of negativity towards San Francisco with its black population near 0% and falling but still being called 'diverse' and gets constant hype or Los Angeles with its higher unemployment rate, bad tax structure, companies constantly fleeing to other states and its failing movie industry.

For a city and metro with a high percentage of Blacks it still has more than double the Fortune 500 companies in Seattle, more than Dallas and a better university system than both. And Miami has a far more corrupt government, and has far more serious problems with a higher unemployment rate, lack of companies, office space and overall business climate which are the most important piece to making great cities what they are. None of those cities mentioned even have a taller building than Atlanta which is over 1000'ft.

So Atlanta should embrace its accomplishments while fixing what needs to be fixed and continue its can-do attitude and ignore those who want to make its accomplishments insignificant.

I agree and disagree.

I agree because as one of the most diverse cities, even metro areas, in the country, racial tension is an underlying current of just about everything here. We are humans, and getting along with "other" people is not humans' strong suit.

I disagree because many of the problems we talk about here are real. Georgia has had a do-nothing legislature for years, and the same can be said about Atlanta's former and current mayor IMO. Property crime is high, some residents actively fight traffic improvements, and I don't think anyone needs a reminder about Atlanta Public Schools.

Our communities, like any communities, are what we choose to make them.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

... I don't think anyone needs a reminder about Atlanta Public Schools.

A number of Atlanta Public Schools are superb. While parts of the system have performed poorly, I don't want to shortchange the schools where students, teachers and parents have knocked their socks off and achieved excellence year after year.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by R1070

This black vs white nonsense that is so present in everday culture is exactly why people choose to stay out of Atlanta. And don't anyone try to play it off as "healthy conversation", it's unnecessary and it's ingrained in the culture and politics of the Atlanta area. There is absolutely no denying that.

If places like Seattle and Oregon were 50% black instead of 8 or 9% the same conversations would be taking place there. That's because the issue of black and white is not an Atlanta problem but an American problem. There are just some parts of America where the black population is so relatively small that it can be much more ignored.

The reason this topic keeps coming up is because Blacks in the U.S. in general suffer from social and economic problems that stem from a huge inequality of wealth between blacks and other races. This is overlooked because Blacks are percieved to be doing ok because of closing gaps in income and less present day racism. But the damage done to many Blacks ability to function in a free enterprise society is the result of over 200 years of very intense institutionalized racism that only recently ended.

Anyway. The wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has actually been getting larger not smaller and the problems associated with all this are actually far too large and complex to be sorted out in a City Data forum like this.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

A number of Atlanta Public Schools are superb. While parts of the system have performed poorly, I don't want to shortchange the schools where students, teachers and parents have knocked their socks off and achieved excellence year after year.

Yeah. At risk of derailing this thread, APS' biggest issues are towards the top of the food chain, not the bottom.