ABS: Black Transplants Find Success in Rapidly Growing Cities, But Locals Are Too Often Left in the Shadows (Atlanta: homes, find a job)

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

God how I cringed when I read this; I haven't read anything this sad in a long, long time but it is what it is.

So you think you can fix black crime in Chicago from Atlanta?

That is what I'm talking about here. Just because I'm black doesn't mean I have a connection to a black person in LA or NYC or Birmingham, AL where I have never been. Not even Baltimore or Ferguson. Never been to those places. I am black. Maybe you think you are responsible for them and those places but I am not. I am responsible for myself, my familly and my own neighborhood. And in every place I have lived, I have always had a hand in positive initiatives and action (because I am a "do-er" and not a talker).

If you are from Atlanta, go back to your hood and do something to help it out. I don't expect you do that in Ohio where I am from or in Detroit where I have lived and have family. They have to come together as a community and get things done themselves, not you. If you are fine taking on the shame and guilt forced upon you by white supremacist ideology (FYI to readers, I am speaking of the system where blacks are viewed as inferior and bad versus all other demographics and this is a system I believe is very prevalent in our country's history and current society) then you go ahead an wallow in your shame and guilt and get high blood pressure due to being angry about stuff in other places that have nothing to do with you. If you are Atlanta, be in Atlanta and help in Atlanta. There's lots of good people in all the bad neighborhoods doing good work.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

So you think you can fix black crime in Chicago from Atlanta?

I'm not sure what that has to do with your statement. Had you said the issues that affect Blacks collectively need to be tackled on a local, grassroots level first, I would have agreed (and they are). But that's not what you stated.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

I'm not sure what that has to do with your statement. Had you said the issues that affect Blacks collectively need to be tackled on a local, grassroots level first, I would have agreed (and they are). But that's not what you stated.

That is exactly what I was speaking of please see entire post instead of one sentence of said post, the last sentence was a summation of the fact that as a black person in a particular area, I have no community affiliation with black people across the country in another community just because we are both black. Also that black people having this mind set is damaging and causes too much communal shame and guilt anytime a "black incident" or "black crime" happens. White people don't take on the "white on white crime" problem. White people don't even take on their drug and alcohol problems which are more prevalent to whites than blacks in the country.

And even on the grassroots level, there are people who you cannot change. On the grassroots, you change who you can change and you attempt to influence those who may need a positive influence, but you cannot force them to do what you want them to do. And many times people who work on the grass roots and this is my experience in Atlanta, are only doing so in order to make black people not look bad to whites.

I personally don't care what white people think of me as a black person or of black people in general. I know we are wonderful, educated, non-criminally minded, kind, funny, just great all around people in this country so I do not take on the negatives that both black and white try to push off on us based on our country's past and present adherence to white supremacy ideologies.

I help my neighborhood because I want it to look better and less run down and I want to let people know about opportunities that they might not know about. I like to help people turn talents into businesses. I like to show kids via tutoring that they are smarter than they think they are. It has nothing to do with making black people look better to whites or general society.

[waronxmas]

I don't understand where this "AUC grads are leaving Atlanta" idea is coming from. Most AUC grads stay in Atlanta...just not the West End. Why? Because it is a working class/poor neighborhood and those folks will be squarely in the middle class and higher bracket.

I do wish though that the West End could attract a significant middle class population. It's got great bones and location.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

No, all of the reasons I mentioned are the reasons for disinvestment, and deliberate, harmful government policies over the years played a greater role (e.g., redlining, urban renewal, etc.).

I still can't agree with your statements except for the lower endowments part. The State of Geogia and the suburbs of Atlanta has been Anti- city of Atlanta progression for the past 40 years. However, Georgia Tech and GSU was not hindered, and is presently spurring tremendous private business investment. Oh West End did get a 24 hour CVS and some Condos but that's the only physical fruit of private investment I see.

[AcidSnake]

The West End eventually will attract a middle class population.

The population will just be the grandkids and great grandkids of the people who lived there during the William B. Hartsfield chapter(s) of Atlanta.

Somehow it simply seems to work that way.

Originally Posted by waronxmas

I don't understand where this "AUC grads are leaving Atlanta" idea is coming from. Most AUC grads stay in Atlanta...just not the West End. Why? Because it is a working class/poor neighborhood and those folks will be squarely in the middle class and higher bracket.

I do wish though that the West End could attract a significant middle class population. It's got great bones and location.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

The West End eventually will attract a middle class population.

The population will just be the grandkids and great grandkids of the people who lived there during the William B. Hartsfield chapter(s) of Atlanta.

Somehow it simply seems to work that way.

That might be the case, but something tells me that likely won't happen that way. There seems to be a slow groundswell occurring in that area where more and more black professionals are discovering or rediscovering that particular neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.

[jero23]

As someone that has lived here in Atlanta twice (once in the 2000s and again since 2012), I think the trope to point fingers but not take responsibility for the conditions of things in certain neighborhoods contribute to the same problem already mentioned in verbatim. Once you become a property or homeowner, you do have some stake in the conditions of your community because you are now not only a taxpayer but a property owner. Divorcing oneself from the conditions or state of a community is like saying I have the keys to the house, pay the light and water bill, but that’s not my problem that the lawn is overgrown. No one is advocating that you as an individual are whole responsible for the state of black Atlanta, but at the same time you are a part of it. Maintenance, contribution, and sustainability is a part of being a part of a community. It’s funny and true that most native black Atlantans do think in the silly mindset of moving up and moving out rather than moving up and investing. However, transplant (yeah, I’m a transplant as well) we have a part of the situation especially since we now live, play, and reside in Atlanta.

Nobody has alleged that this phenomenon is unique to Atlanta because to a certain extent this occurring in other cities with large black populations. Nor is anyone advocating that one problem elsewhere (meaning another city is the whole problem of the black American collective), but if we are saying just because I’m not a native of this region then these have nothing in common with me that fallacy falls upon you as an individual and your shortsighted philosophy. Shortchanging the argument based on your personal myopic perspective on this issue lacks nuance and understanding to this whole problem.

Atlanta is a curious case because so many will move here and say “I’m not worried about…” then when something happens in their very neighborhood or for the unlucky ones on their property then it is the song and dance of “this shouldn’t be happening here…”. This is when that very trope is almost comical because I know so many whom have moved to Clayton, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Douglas, and southern Fulton counties where they felt moving away and not caring about x, y, or z happened elsewhere,, but as soon as they moved there it starting happening there that song and dance begin again.

Meanwhile, many of those same individuals, mostly natives, will gripe and moan about “how bad the city has gotten” or “how the city doesn’t care about the community”; meanwhile you did the same thing you left the community. You still did the same thing other have done evaded the problem without contributing to a practical solution
At the end of the day, we can go back and forth with anecdotal stories about how you were this or that for however long, but if you don’t feel any kind of way about Atlanta because you are a transplant then that is your prerogative. Nevertheless, it is bizarre and an oxymoron how some can say they care but at the same time is callous of this situation. One cannot save everyone, but you can at least be concerned about those whom want their community they reside in to become something better than a continuation of generational blight and urban decay.

[lebowskee]

I question the idea that black folk (or anyone) should measure the quality of their lives based on the amount of commercial investment in their neighborhood . The concept that people should focus their lives and communities on commercial activities and the building of wealth is just that...a concept. It works for some people, but it is not a universal solution for all.

Regarding the specific circumstance in the West End... The neighborhood doesn't mirror the environment of Poncey Highlands or L5P, and why should it? The West End will develop based on the needs and desires of its residents. This idea that all neighborhoods should aspire to some gentrified ideal is laughable.

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

If you are from Atlanta, go back to your hood and do something to help it out.

Sometimes our best move is leaving the HOOD we are from.....I know it was for me. When the bad out way the good sometimes you just have up and go.