Black Culture and Relevance by Region (neighborhood, live, vs)
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I believe that quite few Black Texans that migrated went to western cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, etc.
It has to be noted, too, that like the military, being a "cowboy" was a practical meritocracy, and there were was a huge requirement for soldiers and cowboys in Texas in the post-Civil War period. I'm not saying by any means that there was not substantial racism in both, but it was still true that a good black soldier or a good black cowboy could find his way in Texas.
My own maternal great-great grandparents left their former Mississippi slave plantation on which they'd been sharecropping since the war to make the 1889 Oklahoma land rush (it's an interesting family story how they became able to do that...black or white, you couldn't just walk away from the sharecrop plantation). They staked out land on a stream in eastern Oklahoma and built the only sawmill for several counties around and did pretty well for themselves.
In 1898, their two sons enlisted into the Army to fight in the Spanish-American war. When they stood before the county constable to enlist, he looked at them and said, "I know you. You're the miller boys, aren't you?" At that point, they forsook their old slave name and took the name Miller, which became the family name thereafter.
My own maternal great-great grandparents left their former Mississippi slave plantation on which they'd been sharecropping since the war to make the 1889 Oklahoma land rush (it's an interesting family story how they became able to do that...black or white, you couldn't just walk away from the sharecrop plantation). They staked out land on a stream in eastern Oklahoma and built the only sawmill for several counties around and did pretty well for themselves.
In 1898, their two sons enlisted into the Army to fight in the Spanish-American war. When they stood before the county constable to enlist, he looked at them and said, "I know you. You're the miller boys, aren't you?" At that point, they forsook their old slave name and took the name Miller, which became the family name thereafter.
Interesting story. A lot of people may not know that there were and to a degree, still are highly Black towns in Oklahoma. Did they live in or near Tulsa around the time of the Greenwood Riot of 1921?
However , I've always wondered why there's not much interaction and cultural exchange between Caribbean Hispanics (Puerto ricans & Dominicans) and African Americans/and other nonHispanic blacks like West indians n Africans, in Florida and other areas like Chicago, Cleveland, and VirginiaBeach), when being compared to the Northeast region, especially in NY, Philly, and Boston, where they treat each other almost like brothers.
However , I've always wondered why there's not much interaction and cultural exchange between Caribbean Hispanics (Puerto ricans & Dominicans) and African Americans/and other nonHispanic blacks like West indians n Africans, in Florida and other areas like Chicago, Cleveland, and VirginiaBeach), when being compared to the Northeast region, especially in NY, Philly, and Boston, where they treat each other almost like brothers.
I think they do interact, but it may be a matter of percentages for each of those groups, as well as housing patterns. Milwaukee also has a substantial PR populations too.
I like the OP summary. I guess one point I'd disagree on would be grouping a large and historic black population (Milwaukee) with Minneapolis (smaller and less historic), when Chicago (one of the country's black centers) is an hour and a half away, vs Minneapolis at 5-6 hours away. One of the reasons you don't "hear about" Milwaukee's black population is it's so enmeshed with Chicago's.
I like the OP summary. I guess one point I'd disagree on would be grouping a large and historic black population (Milwaukee) with Minneapolis (smaller and less historic), when Chicago (one of the country's black centers) is an hour and a half away, vs Minneapolis at 5-6 hours away. One of the reasons you don't "hear about" Milwaukee's black population is it's so enmeshed with Chicago's.
That may be on reason. I think other reasons (and probably bigger reasons) include having a smaller Black population relative to other "Black" metros and having a lower rate of educational attainment among African Americans.
Here is educational attainment by metro (bachelor's or higher).
Chicago - 198,789 (19.7%)
Detroit - 99,586 (16.6%)
St. Louis - 52,098 (17.0%)
Cleveland - 35,829 (14.0%)
Indianapolis - 27,808 (16.9%)
Minneapolis - 26,251 (19.8%)
Milwaukee - 17,512 (12.3%)
Cleveland and Indianapolis are not generally regarded as great places for Black professionals. That means Milwaukee is not on the radar at all. I wouldn't say the Twin Cities are all that great either but that metro has the highest educational attainment rate among AAs of all the large metros in the Midwest, so I could see how it would get more attention.
That's fine, but he grouped Milwaukee with Minneapolis, when it's a Chicago sattelite. That's all. It's easy to pick and choose when you're looking for a means to the end, but I doubt any black people in Milwaukee feel like they belong with the Twin Cities vs Chicago, and I'm sure Chicago would be the first black community, by a longshot, that locals would identify with.
That may be on reason. I think other reasons (and probably bigger reasons) include having a smaller Black population relative to other "Black" metros and having a lower rate of educational attainment among African Americans.
Here is educational attainment by metro (bachelor's or higher).
Chicago - 198,789 (19.7%)
Detroit - 99,586 (16.6%)
St. Louis - 52,098 (17.0%)
Cleveland - 35,829 (14.0%)
Indianapolis - 27,808 (16.9%)
Minneapolis - 26,251 (19.8%)
Milwaukee - 17,512 (12.3%)
Cleveland and Indianapolis are not generally regarded as great places for Black professionals. That means Milwaukee is not on the radar at all. I wouldn't say the Twin Cities are all that great either but that metro has the highest educational attainment rate among AAs of all the large metros in the Midwest, so I could see how it would get more attention.
I think Cleveland and Indianapolis due to their Black percentages may still be more attractive to a Black professional compared to Minneapolis. Both of those areas actually have solidly middle class, highly/predominately Black areas. So, there may be other factors that are considered.
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