Which downstate city do you think is the most diverse?
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Yes, Urbana would win based on the the percentage of Asian and Black in a small White city. Let's use percentages: 25 percent of 40,000 is 10,000. That same 25% of 100,000 is 25,000.
If you want to compare: Bloomington, Champaign and Decatur; Normal and Urbana; Springfield and Peoria. There is a difference in size and location in each community that has a direct effect on racial diversity. I think universities/colleges, plus employment opportunities, Arts, and religion/culture play a larger part in racial diversity than entertainment and politics.
Peoria has less White, more Black and Asian than Springfield.
Urbana has less White, more Asian and Black than Normal.
Bloomington has slighly more residents than Decatur. It has more White, 50% less Black, but 7 times more Asian than Decatur.
Champaign has less White than Bloomington or Decatur, more Black and Asians than Bloomington, but neither Bloomington or Champaign, has the large Black community Decatur does.
When comparing racial demographics in similar size communities it is a different picture. :
>Large: Peoria; >Medium: Champaign; >Small: Urbana
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss E. St. Louis/Metro East on an aggregate basis. The issue there is that, while diverse, it does tend to be hypersegregated. Certain parts are 98% AA. Others are 98% white (non-Hispanic). Others are 70% Hispanic. It's a different animal though considering it's part of a larger metro...kind of like how Chambana is different considering it's a major college town.
As a group of seven individual cities posted, there are 4 zoological parks, 6 Malls/Life Centers and collectively, dozens of small shopping centers spread throughout the regions. There are lakes in Peoria, Bloomington, Springfield and Decatur, whereas Urbana offers a park system with many types of water features.
If we remove rivers, lakes and streams, colleges/universities, shopping centers, sports and common tourist destinations - rather than annual events that set a region/town apart from its peer, what do you think makes your area diverse?
As a whole there is a large misconception of who/what Illinois actually is. I place half the blame on the US Census Bureacrats and their labels which places a town 30 miles se of Peoria in a tiny micropolitan community on the Mississippi River. . In short, Central Illinois has been ripped apart from border to border. Most people who love the Big Muddy don't have any greater interest in driving inland 150 miles than Chicagoans do when downstate is mentioned.
I place the rest of the blame on the ignorance of the State Tourism office that regularly supports Chicago and Springfield or Springfield and Chicagoon and very little else. Why shouldn't they? I don't think we have had a governor NOT from Chicago since Lincoln. Quinn was in Chicago over 500 times in 2011. Before him, RodBlog slept the greatest majority of his nights as Governor in his own bed in Galewood.
The only way for central Illinois as a whole to put itself together is to support each other through border-to-border school, county and city conferences, showcase central Illinois products, regional annual events that focus on what Central Illinois can provide to families and business alike from educaton, jobs, medical care, foods, arts, and entertainment. If it was not for a black man from Peoria, and a central Illinois circuit rider called Abe, there would be no Chicago or Springfield today. And maybe we would not have a divided state. .
As a whole there is a large misconception of who/what Illinois actually is. I place half the blame on the US Census Bureacrats and their labels which places a town 30 miles se of Peoria in a tiny micropolitan community on the Mississippi River. . In short, Central Illinois has been ripped apart from border to border. Most people who love the Big Muddy don't have any greater interest in driving inland 150 miles than Chicagoans do when downstate is mentioned.
I place the rest of the blame on the ignorance of the State Tourism office that regularly supports Chicago and Springfield or Springfield and Chicagoon and very little else. Why shouldn't they? I don't think we have had a governor NOT from Chicago since Lincoln. Quinn was in Chicago over 500 times in 2011. Before him, RodBlog slept the greatest majority of his nights as Governor in his own bed in Galewood.
The only way for central Illinois as a whole to put itself together is to support each other through border-to-border school, county and city conferences, showcase central Illinois products, regional annual events that focus on what Central Illinois can provide to families and business alike from educaton, jobs, medical care, foods, arts, and entertainment. If it was not for a black man from Peoria, and a central Illinois circuit rider called Abe, there would be no Chicago or Springfield today. And maybe we would not have a divided state. .
As a whole there is a large misconception of who/what Illinois actually is. I place half the blame on the US Census Bureacrats and their labels which places a town 30 miles se of Peoria in a tiny micropolitan community on the Mississippi River. . In short, Central Illinois has been ripped apart from border to border. Most people who love the Big Muddy don't have any greater interest in driving inland 150 miles than Chicagoans do when downstate is mentioned.
I place the rest of the blame on the ignorance of the State Tourism office that regularly supports Chicago and Springfield or Springfield and Chicagoon and very little else. Why shouldn't they? I don't think we have had a governor NOT from Chicago since Lincoln. Quinn was in Chicago over 500 times in 2011. Before him, RodBlog slept the greatest majority of his nights as Governor in his own bed in Galewood.
The only way for central Illinois as a whole to put itself together is to support each other through border-to-border school, county and city conferences, showcase central Illinois products, regional annual events that focus on what Central Illinois can provide to families and business alike from educaton, jobs, medical care, foods, arts, and entertainment. If it was not for a black man from Peoria, and a central Illinois circuit rider called Abe, there would be no Chicago or Springfield today. And maybe we would not have a divided state. .
And without Old Shawneetown, there would be no Chicago! LOL at Peoria being "downstate;" what do folks think is between East St. Louis and Kentucky? Southern Illinois may be poor and rural, but we have some of the most diverse natural and beautiful country in the state, plus a wealth of history. So raspberries to you northerners! LOL!
In 1960 Chicagoans considered everything south of State and Madison to be "Southern Illinois". The location changed over the years until today the definition is everything South of 1-80. In another 100-years it will be defined as everything South of Peoria.
The first fort was built in Peoria in the later 1600s.
Yes, I agree Southern Illinois is very natural and incredibly beautiful. One day back in the '80s I drove from IL 51 through the national forest to beyond Springfield, MO.. I loved it because ST.Louis was bypassed. The only time I truly enjoy St. Louis is at 2am and I am driving through it. .
The Illinois River Valley is also beautiful with its high forested cliffs, rolling hills, and pastoral fields. A prominent black man by the name of du Sable who lived in Peoria is credited with founding Chicago. Presumably he traded with the Native Americans who were scattered around Lake Michigan. Peoria was Chicago's County seat for several years before Cook County was formed and pulled out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evenstar51
And without Old Shawneetown, there would be no Chicago! LOL at Peoria being "downstate;" what do folks think is between East St. Louis and Kentucky? Southern Illinois may be poor and rural, but we have some of the most diverse natural and beautiful country in the state, plus a wealth of history. So raspberries to you northerners! LOL!
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LOL!
