Why is African American Community and anything related considered "Urban?" (live in)

[Johnny_Dee]

80.7% of Americans, regardless of race, live in urban areas ( U.S. Urban Population Is Up ... But What Does 'Urban' Really Mean? - CityLab ). Plenty of blacks live in rural areas, at least in the South. Considering this, why is the African American community and most things related to it considered "urban?"

[southside89]

why is the African American community and most things related to it considered "urban?"


Sometimes hollywood/media have a perception urban is used as a euphemism for black culture.

[ialmostforgot]

Look at your map. Outside of the South, most black people are urban.

Is this map from 2000?

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by ialmostforgot

Look at your map. Outside of the South, most black people are urban.

Is this map from 2000?

This.

[jpdivola]

I feel like that is a term that rose to prominence in the in 70s/80s when white flight was in full effect and central cities were disprortionaly African-American. The phase has fading in usage as african-americans move to the suburbs and affluent whites return to the suburbs. Person or Communities of Color seems to be the new phase of the day (a catch all for any non-white person, but used most often for African-Americans.)

[ckhthankgod]

I believe the percentage of Black people that live in urban areas is above the national average as well.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by jpdivola

I feel like that is a term that rose to prominence in the in 70s/80s when white flight was in full effect and central cities were disprortionaly African-American. The phase has fading in usage as african-americans move to the suburbs and affluent whites return to the suburbs. Person or Communities of Color seems to be the new phase of the day (a catch all for any non-white person, but used most often for African-Americans.)

My thinking as well.

[Buckeye614]

Black % by state and largest city

Alabama: 26.2%, Birmingham: 73.4%
Alaska: 3.3%, Anchorage: 5.6%
Arizona: 4.1%, Phoenix: 6.5%
Arkansas: 15.4%, Little Rock 42.1%
California:6.2%, Los Angeles: 9.6%
Colorado:4.0%, Denver: 10.2%
Connecticut: 10.1%, Bridgeport: 30.8%
Delaware: 21.4%, Wilmington: 58.0%
Florida: 16.7% Jacksonville: 30.7%
Georgia: 30.5%, Atlanta: 51.4%
Hawaii:1.6%, Honolulu: 1.5%
Idaho: 0.6%, Boise: 1.5%
Illinois: 14.5%, Chicago: 32.9%
Indiana: 9.4%, Indianapolis: 27.5%
Iowa: 2.9%, Des Moines: 10.2%
Kansas: 5.9%, Wichita: 11.5%
Kentucky:8.3%, Louisville: 22.2%
Louisiana: 32.0%, New Orleans: 60.2%
Maine: 1.2%, Portland: 7.1%
Maryland: 29.8%, Baltimore 63.7%


Not going to do it for all the states since it's tedious but it sees most states have a higher % of African-American/black in their largest cities than the state average. Not this necessarily proves anything but it's an interesting exercise.

[Yeadon718]

Originally Posted by ialmostforgot

Look at your map. Outside of the South, most black people are urban.

Is this map from 2000?

This. That and when people think of black Americans outside of the US, they think of black New Yorkers first mainly because of the entertainment industry than having the highest black population of any city in America.