Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
DC proper added 14,000 new net black people from 2010-2016. The black population has been rising, not shrinking. It’s the percentage that has gone down and that’s because DC proper is absolutely booming adding 100,000 people in the last 7 years. The percentage of black people is dropping because the city is adding other races at a higher rate. DC proper is headed for a population of 1 million people in the next two decades with a density approaching 17,000 people per square mile. There is room for all races and black people that want a dense, urban, walkable lifestyle will still choose to live in cities like DC and NYC.
Most black people are moving to metro areas to live in the suburbs. Those black people that still prefer an urban dense neighborhood are still moving to DC and NYC which is why our black population is still rising, but most black people prefer suburban living now. There has been a migration to less dense suburban cities in the south where the cost of living is cheaper and the pace of life is slower. That is the lifestyle most black families historically came from for hundreds of years and many are returning to that life in the south.
I get what you're saying about the growth of DC, but the percentage is shrinking. I also think that DC is another Mecca for black people in America (and Africa too for that matter. However, I'd place DC as # 2 behind Atlanta in that regard.
Atlanta is for blacks who want to succeed in those things in a black community atmosphere. Doesn’t mean they’ll max out and be the most successful that they can be since their only doing it for the black community. Everything you mentioned has sectors in larger cities where a black person as an individual who only wants to grow to his full potential would most likely move to.
Blacks move to Atlanta for the same reasons they move anywhere else. For employment and a chance for personal and family growth opportunities. The fact the city has a very large black community may be icing on the cake for some but most move here for economic reasons. Who cares or who's business is it if some prefer Atlanta due to cultural preferences.
Man, I tell you.. Some people come across so irritated and bitter by blacks attraction to Atlanta. I mean, no one talks about whites moving to predominantly white cities like Seattle or Portland because of cultural preferences or because they "want to succeed in those things in the white community".
Atlanta doesn’t even offer the highest paying money for a salary, and neither is it a global city. Realistically the only thing ATL offers for a black man is less racism in the work force and a sense of positive community.
And this is why I’ll give ATL the Mecca title because blakck folks tend to be on the same page. But as far as money, blacks can make much more of that elsewhere.
The cost of living offsets the salaries, so in the end, it evens itself out. Atlanta is most certainly a global city, a matter which shouldn't have to be debated. The racism is the same any and everywhere you go, nobody is the clear cut winner on that front.
Atlanta is the black capitol but also very overrated. If you want to be a successful black man in a community type setting then Atlanta is cool but if you are an individual trying to be successful on your own, then cities like DC, NYC, LA and SF will blow ATL out of the water.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrooklynJo
Atlanta is for blacks who want to succeed in those things in a black community atmosphere. Doesn’t mean they’ll max out and be the most successful that they can be since their only doing it for the black community. Everything you mentioned has sectors in larger cities where a black person as an individual who only wants to grow to his full potential would most likely move to.
Man I wish I had the time to unpack all this. Geesh...
Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
8,485 posts, read 14,993,141 times
Reputation: 7333
Quote:
Originally Posted by First24
Man, I tell you.. Some people come across so irritated and bitter by blacks attraction to Atlanta. I mean, no one talks about whites moving to predominantly white cities like Seattle or Portland because of cultural preferences or because they "want to succeed in those things in the white community".
THIS. It's so prevalent on many threads here related to those cities (and I'd throw Austin in to the mix as well), it's just no one is out right saying it. Yet, as this thread has shown, if Black folks want to do the same thing in moving to Atlanta or DC it is some how bad.
THIS. It's so prevalent on many threads here related to those cities (and I'd throw Austin in to the mix as well), it's just no one is out right saying it. Yet, as this thread has shown, if Black folks want to do the same thing in moving to Atlanta or DC it is some how bad.
And then there's the implication that a Black person can't be "an individual" in Atlanta or that having a large community network as a resource is somehow a bad thing. I could go on and on.
I only say that because of the prevailing narrative that Birmingham in particular could have been something like Atlanta today if not for several factors. That seems to eat some people up.
For sure, but unless they were around in the 50’s and 60’s when the cities were somewhat comparable it just doesn’t make much sense today. The overwhelming majority of Alabamians embrace Atlanta.
But...
There are certain native Georgians on this forum who make a point to frown upon and distance themselves from Alabama while embracing TN and NC. I think that fuels disdain here on C-D, but not on the ground.
For sure, but unless they were around in the 50’s and 60’s when the cities were somewhat comparable it just doesn’t make much sense today. The overwhelming majority of Alabamians embrace Atlanta.
I get it and I know this forum isn't representative of reality. But interesting nonetheless.
Quote:
But...
There are certain native Georgians on this forum who make a point to frown upon and distance themselves from Alabama while embracing TN and NC. I think that fuels disdain here on C-D, but not on the ground.
I think a lot of that is based on politics, or the fact that TN and NC have at least one sizable, growing, and progressive city.
THIS. It's so prevalent on many threads here related to those cities (and I'd throw Austin in to the mix as well), it's just no one is out right saying it. Yet, as this thread has shown, if Black folks want to do the same thing in moving to Atlanta or DC it is some how bad.
Me being a Black man from Georgia and knowing it's history, politics and what it's really all about, yes I will admit I feel some kind of way. It's almost as though it's a Trap for most, all over a hype, no comment there. I know too may that have moved from other places and have said it and it was the worse decision of their lives! I know this state and it's politics. Now DC is a different story, I feel blacks could do better there more so than Atlanta for a number of reason, again this is my opinion and to each it's own.
Me being a Black man from Georgia and knowing it's history, politics and what it's really all about, yes I will admit I feel some kind of way. It's almost as though it's a Trap for most, all over a hype, no comment there. I know too may that have moved from other places and have said it and it was the worse decision of their lives! I know this state and it's politics. Now DC is a different story, I think feel blacks could do better there more so than Atlanta for a number of reason, again this is my opinion and to each it's own.
Atlanta is not to blame for people thinking that simply because they were Black, they could move there and a good job and a big house would fall in their lap simply because they were Black. People fail to do their research and bring little to no skills or qualifications to the table (not in all instances but in many) and their move to Atlanta turns out to be a disaster, and now all of a sudden Atlanta is the seventh realm of hell? Give me a break man.
DC is a great city in its own right but guess what? There are Black people that don't like DC. There are Black people who have disaster stories about moving to DC. And just as you talk about the effect that Georgia politics has on Atlanta, the same is true of DC whenever the Republicans control Congress.
These extremes on your part have just gotta stop man.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
