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God! All these references to the "black neighborhood", ghettos and the like make me want to puke. Can we not even look at black families as people first?....families that have the same priorities and concerns that other families have? I can understand the importance of having a welcoming culture, a familiarity and a sense of belonging but why must we instantly categorize people along old stereotypes and assumptions?
Because that's the way the mainstream media - and through it America - sees black people.
All these references to the "black neighborhood", ghettos and the like make me want to puke. Can we not even look at black families as people first?....families that have the same priorities and concerns that other families have? I can understand the importance of having a welcoming culture, a familiarity and a sense of belonging but why must we instantly categorize people along old stereotypes and assumptions?
I agree. This is one reason I choose to live in the Great Plains -- none of that race-baiting, stereotypical stuff here.
Last edited by northstar22; 03-19-2011 at 12:35 AM..
The black people in Canada do not have a culture that resembles anything like the black ghetto culture of the USA. Maybe some think there is some redeeming qualities in that culture but I sure don't see it. Change comes from the inside out for sure but it doesn't help to effect any change when you view yourself as just another "Homie in the hood".
This post is so true.
You could say the same thing about black people from the (rural) Upper Midwest and Northern Plains -- Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Northern Iowa. There isn't really the ghetto culture here, unless someone is a transplant from an inner-city place like Chicago. Blacks here, both African-Americans and immigrants from Sudan, Kenya and Somalia, are really integrated and "raceless," lacking the "hood mentality." The "homie in the hood" mentality doesn't apply here. I know someone posted a list of predominately-white cities in jest, but if I had kids (I don't -- childless-by-choice) I would want to raise them in the rural Northern Plains or the Canadian Prairies, where their color (I'm part black) wouldn't be an issue.
God! All these references to the "black neighborhood", ghettos and the like make me want to puke. Can we not even look at black families as people first?....families that have the same priorities and concerns that other families have? I can understand the importance of having a welcoming culture, a familiarity and a sense of belonging but why must we instantly categorize people along old stereotypes and assumptions?
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Because that's the way the mainstream media - and through it America - sees black people.
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I agree. This is one reason I choose to live in the Great Plains -- none of that race-baiting, stereotypical stuff here.
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This post is so true.
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You could say the same thing about black people from the (rural) Upper Midwest and Northern Plains -- Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Northern Iowa. There isn't really the ghetto culture here, unless someone is a transplant from an inner-city place like Chicago. Blacks here, both African-Americans and immigrants from Sudan, Kenya and Somalia, are really integrated and "raceless," lacking the "hood mentality." The "homie in the hood" mentality doesn't apply here. I know someone posted a list of predominately-white cities in jest, but if I had kids (I don't -- childless-by-choice) I would want to raise them in the rural Northern Plains or the Canadian Prairies, where their color (I'm part black) wouldn't be an issue.
I think all of you are missing the point of the listing and the need for African Americans to find places that are favorable towards them. I see the argument many have that a "whiter" place would actually be more beneficial to most blacks and sure it would be great if we could all be completely colorblind on the issue but I think I need to point out some facts that may make some sense out of what you all are perceiving as madness.
1. Places like Atlanta and D.C. aren't considered favorable to African American families because of their "Homie in the Hood" cultures but to the contrary because they offer such a wide variety of cultural experiences for blacks that they couldn't find in many other cities. There also is a "go getter" attitude among many black entrepreneurs in Atlanta and D.C. that doesn't exist in places where blacks are more held back by discrimination.
2. Business wise. Blacks benefit greatly from the socio-economic climate in places like Atlanta and D.C. because reality is we live in a world where it matters greatly not just what you know but who you know. This is very very true in the business world. In a place like D.C. or ATL where there are many blacks in position of power and wealth a black person is far more likely to have a close relationship with someone that they can "get things done with". There is much networking that takes place between blacks here and for once blacks actually benefit from the "old boy network" instead of get hurt by it in these places. In many cases they are on the "inside track" instead of on the outside looking in. Many whites hate this and scream reverse discrimination all the time in these towns and that's partially what leads to some high racial friction in these towns but the opposite situation exist in most parts of America and has forever.
3. Even though the calender reads 2011 African Americans still have a long long way to go to economically be on equal footing with whites. Education wise and Income wise blacks are closing the gap some but in a free enterprise system the real true measure of success is not income but wealth. Wealth wise African Americans have actually been falling further and further behind their white counterparts for the past 20 years African American Wealth Gap Quadruples - BLACK ENTERPRISE One reason for this is because there is a huge disparity between blacks and other races when it comes to business ownership Racial disparities in business ownership This disparity is less in places like Atlanta. Also poverty levels for blacks are far worse than for whites in the U.S. Comparisons between whites and African-Americans
4. As much as I would love to just say race doesn't matter and not pay attention to Black/White comparisons the facts above show that African Americans as a whole still are far behind and most of this is an inherited consequence of past institutional racism that hasn't been remedied yet. When the facts above are no longer true then I will gladly say that race doesn't matter. And to those that say it's about money not race yeah it is about money but the facts above show there is a very strong disturbing correlation between lack of money and one's race. That's why race still matters in America to day.
5. People harp on how there is less racial tension in places that are more white. You're right! Whites are very happy in those places because they have all the resources, power and influence. They don't have to compete with blacks for good land, jobs, political power or anything else really. Therefore there is very little white flight, racial bickering or stress. Whites in places like Seattle and Minneapolis often proudly boast about how color blind they are and put down people in the South or Detroit, D.C. etc. for being so stuck on race. Put a million more blacks in any of those places and I guarantee you will see a completely different side to them. All of a sudden they would become very racially motivated. Trust me.
Lastly. Like I said before. I wish I could just say race doesn't matter and Black, White, other issues only are important because people bring them up. But fact of the matter is that is not true in the real world. There is still a ton of racial inequality much of it a lingering result of past institutional racism some of it a result of present day racism. To deny this rather you are black or white doesn't help the situation. To do so only is to bury your head in the sand and try not to see reality for what it is and as thus you are only making a screwed up situation even worse by ignoring it.
Last edited by Galounger; 03-19-2011 at 07:52 AM..
And you're not wondering why DC is #1 on the list if murder is your biggest concern?
Oakland has far more than crime... in terms of this thread, a very large percentage of the black population is college-educated and lives in the wealthier sections of the city. The hills as a whole are about a quarter black, and a lot of the upper middle class areas are upwards of that. In a lot of the middle class neighborhoods, blacks are a majority. There are no shortage of extremely diverse neighborhoods... blacks, asians, whites and hispanics all have a very noticeable and nearly equal presence in the city, and this diversity can be seen nearly everywhere in the city. None of the cities on this list can say that.
Western Minnesota -- where I live -- is. I'm much closer to Sioux Falls than Minneapolis.
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