Assessing the "Southerness" of Philly's Black Population (Philadelphia: university, live in)

[BajanYankee]

I came up with the idea of this thread after reading the following passage from the Washington Post:

"For black folks, this is still very much a Southern city," Carr said. "D.C. has very little in common with a stereotypical Northern city."

"Anacostia, that's the South over there," Carr said. "Folks with their shirts off washing their cars, waving at you as you pass by. That's Southern."

D.C. area and Dixie drifting farther and farther apart

Do you think the same could be said for Philadelphia's black population? Do you think another southerner, particularly an African American, would come to Philadelphia and describe the black population as "southern?" How southern is the black population in Philly compared to other cities across the country?

[MikeNigh]

I've wondered if there were "northern" or "southern" black people. It seems that black people normally congregate in big cities, so maybe they would more easily identify with cities?

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

I've wondered if there were "northern" or "southern" black people. It seems that black people normally congregate in big cities, so maybe they would more easily identify with cities?

I take it you're not African American?

[FindingZen]

There are certainly people from the Baby Boomer generation who moved up here from the South a generation or two ago that carry their traditions with them. But other than family connections and some possible crossover in Southern/soul food, I think Blacks in Philly will be as different as Blacks in the South, Midwest, and West Coast. I *do* see some Southern qualities in DC as well as Baltimore, though.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I came up with the idea of this thread after reading the following passage from the Washington Post:



D.C. area and Dixie drifting farther and farther apart

Do you think the same could be said for Philadelphia's black population? Do you think another southerner, particularly an African American, would come to Philadelphia and describe the black population as "southern?" How southern is the black population in Philly compared to other cities across the country?

I find this kind of conversation offensive. How southern is the white population in Philadelphia? The Asian population? Who even thinks up this kind of weird racial question? It's like insulting African Americans and Southerners in one fell swoop. Saying hi to people and taking your shirt off on a hot day while washing a car is Southern??

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Tone509

There are certainly people from the Baby Boomer generation who moved up here from the South a generation or two ago that carry their traditions with them. But other than family connections and some possible crossover in Southern/soul food, I think Blacks in Philly will be as different as Blacks in the South, Midwest, and West Coast. I *do* see some Southern qualities in DC as well as Baltimore, though.

What are those qualities?

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I find this kind of conversation offensive. How southern is the white population in Philadelphia? The Asian population? Who even thinks up this kind of weird racial question? It's like insulting African Americans and Southerners in one fell swoop. Saying hi to people and taking your shirt off on a hot day while washing a car is Southern??

Why would it be offensive when it's a fact that the majority of black Americans in the North are the descendants of Southern American slaves (almost all from the South). I mean, the statement from the article was made by the chair of Howard University's African American Studies Department? I'm sure he knows nothing about African Americans.

Moderator Cut

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I take it you're not African American?

Are you saying they have a big presence outside of cities that would let them identify better with regions instead of cities?

When someone normally refers a northerner or a southerner and if they happen to be from a particular city that becomes a subset of their identity. For instance a New Yorker is a northerner, but not a typical northerner. And there are a lot of northerners who don't live in another particular city that you can contrast them with. I didn't think this was the same for black people, that they would instead contrast with other major cities which may or may not be northern.

Certainly if I was african american I'd probably already know the answer lol.

[nephi215]

From an accent viewpoint, black Philadelphians are not southern at all especially those who were born and raised in the city after 1950. I think this is because black Philadelphians are influenced by the white ethnic population of Philadelphia (Italian, Irish, Jewish etc). Black people from places in the northeast like Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Boston all lack a southern twang or southern sound to their accents compared to blacks from cities from the Midwest like Chicago and Detroit and black people from western cities like LA and Oakland which all have a noticeable southern sound to their accents imo.

Here is how the average black person from Philly sounds


YouTube


BLACK THOUGHT: BLOWHIPHOPTV.COM - YouTube

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Are you saying they have a big presence outside of cities that would let them identify better with regions instead of cities?

No.

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

When someone normally refers a northerner or a southerner and if they happen to be from a particular city that becomes a subset of their identity. For instance a New Yorker is a northerner, but not a typical northerner. And there are a lot of northerners who don't live in another particular city that you can contrast them with. I didn't think this was the same for black people, that they would instead contrast with other major cities which may or may not be northern.

I had to read what you wrote a couple of times to make sure I was reading it right. I think black Philadelphians consider themselves a particular type of northerner that is distinct from black New Yorkers. But overall, there is this sense of a "Up North/Down South" dividing line that has a real basis in subcultural trends.