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I like you. I really do, but a lot of your points are reasons why I feel that DC is more of a black mecca than Atlanta. It sounds like you are describing why Atlanta is more of "black Hollywood" than DC instead.
Atlanta is beautiful though!
Maybe I'm just star strucked and materialistic.
I was in Atlanta for one week and saw about 4 b list celebs. The dude that play "Ghost" in power came by one spot as casually as he could. I saw so many Porsche's, Lambod, Rolls Royce all driven by black folks.
Add to that the civil rights museum. The eternal flame and MLK's tomb. His house that you can walk up to and sit on the front porch with no one running you off. It's an amazing feeling. Blacks in DC are doing very well. But Atlanta seemed to be more inspirational. Blacks that were doing well were doing extremely well. No federal govt there to skew the numbers.
I love DC, I really do. I'd live there before I moved to Atlanta but I cannot say it feels like more of a mecca to me for black people. Atlanta is ours to lose. DC is a great place for us with good history and culture. It's not ours. It's the nations. PG county is ours. Harlem Renaissance was a mecca with entertainers and authors too. Just like atl is now.
True, but I get what he's saying in that Black political leadership in Atlanta is more visible than DC because the latter is the nation's capital first and foremost and it overshadows local political leadership. However, in both (all) cities, Black leadership on all levels exists within a White-dominated superstructure.
+1 on what mutiny said. Atl has been a black mecca long before Outkast, Ludacris, TI, and Lil John came along
I'm well aware of DC having more black professionals. I also agree it is more well rounded. But that doesn't make it more of a black mecca to me. Utopia sure.
I am in awe of the greatness that is atlanta. The beautiful skyline. The tree lined streets. The blacks in high places. The routine black celebrity sightings. The black elites and executives that are all over the place. The plethora of places you can go to attend a predominately black anything. You can be gay and black. Tech geek and black. Inspiring entertainer and black. Author and black. Etc etc. The list goes on.
Atlanta has more glitz and glamour. It's a place where a black kid can look towards a number of black elites in the city and really believe there is no ceiling. Where lots of blacks have mansions and luxurious cars. Where they have that high rise corner office overlooking the city. Where there is plenty of culture and history.
To me, DC Proper doesn't compare to Atlanta as far as a Mecca is concerned. PG county contributes to that a lot but lacks the glitz and glamour of a big city. To get a big city feel where there is glitz and glamour you go to a city's core. I didnt feel like we ran DC while walking through the core. It was multi cultural and cosmoplolitan. And the parts we ran in the core were ran down.
Despite that, I felt like DC provided more opportunities and was more of a black utopia than Atlanta. I felt there were a higher percentage of blacks that appeared to be doing well. If Black Mecca means a sacred place for black people with tons of culture, history, black professionals and elites,, Atlanta fits that without a doubt.
DC is more diverse than Atlanta thou, Atlanta is mostly seen around the world as the Black Mecca. DC is like NYC its an international city.
True, but I get what he's saying in that Black political leadership in Atlanta is more visible than DC because the latter is the nation's capital first and foremost and it overshadows local political leadership. However, in both (all) cities, Black leadership on all levels exists within a White-dominated superstructure.
Thank you! Your black mayor of DC is powerless. Can't do anything without Congress who is overehelmingly white males from rural towns
I was in Atlanta for one week and saw about 4 b list celebs. The dude that play "Ghost" in power came by one spot as casually as he could. I saw so many Porsche's, Lambod, Rolls Royce all driven by black folks.
Nothing wrong with that. I guess. If bling is your thing, then so be it.
Thank you! Your black mayor of DC is powerless. Can't do anything without Congress who is overehelmingly white males from rural towns
Right. Although the city of Atlanta can be hamstrung by Georgia state government at times, it's not nearly to the extent of the DC/federal government relationship.
I understand what he's getting at. DC doesn't give you as much of a Black feel within the city itself (outside of the Black neighborhoods) because it's the nation's capital; you've got the national mall, the White House, the Capitol, federal offices, embassies, lobbyists, etc. that gives you much more of a diverse feel. Atlanta has a traditional CBD with most of its diversity in the suburbs, so you have a proportionately bigger presence of professional Blacks in the core. Also, gentrification is happening much more rapidly in DC which diminishes the Black feel. I was on U Street this past summer and never before has it felt so White to me; I was really surprised. Auburn Avenue would probably be Atlanta's equivalent of U Street and while you see more White faces there than you've seen in the past, the difference between the two is still pretty significant.
I gotcha. I guess Houston's Auburn Ave and U Street would be Almeda Road.
I was in Atlanta for one week and saw about 4 b list celebs. The dude that play "Ghost" in power came by one spot as casually as he could. I saw so many Porsche's, Lambod, Rolls Royce all driven by black folks.
Add to that the civil rights museum. The eternal flame and MLK's tomb. His house that you can walk up to and sit on the front porch with no one running you off. It's an amazing feeling. Blacks in DC are doing very well. But Atlanta seemed to be more inspirational. Blacks that were doing well were doing extremely well. No federal govt there to skew the numbers.
I love DC, I really do. I'd live there before I moved to Atlanta but I cannot say it feels like more of a mecca to me for black people. Atlanta is ours to lose. DC is a great place for us with good history and culture. It's not ours. It's the nations. PG county is ours. Harlem Renaissance was a mecca with entertainers and authors too. Just like atl is now.
Atlanta is not mine. LOL
I'm fine with what I have now: a black mecca/utopia with a splash of diversity.
I gotcha. I guess Houston's Auburn Ave and U Street would be Almeda Road.
Would that be considered the historic heart of the Black community in Houston's core?
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