Black Population In Seattle (Tacoma, Bellevue: high crime, purchasing, new construction)

[prettyred]

pwright, again thanks for the pictures. Yes, I am definitely moving to Seattle/Olympia Wa.

[vnodak]

I grew up in the midwest and race was never an issue. I think it is sad that it still is. I can say I have not really seen that here but I will say that I have seen Hispanics taken advantage of by rich white people. I also am surprised by the stats as I thought their was more diversity here as their are so many different types of restaurants. Guess when I look at people, I do not notice their skin color.

[Denver Born]

Originally Posted by dcoolbro

Denver, with all due respect, the black population in Denver and Seattle are about the same. I highly doubt that it appears to be more in Denver than Seattle.

well unless u go to tha east side of denver then its way more populated with blacks

[computer chick]

Well how is it compared to Vancouver, WA or Portland. I really long to live

in one of these places, instead of the pits of hell they call houston

[Rooter48]

Until World War II the small African American population in Seattle was confined by restrictive housing covenants to the Central Area (also CD and colored district). During the war thousands of folks moved from the old south to take war jobs and the CD became a L shaped area starting along Jackson Street, running up to 23rd, then north towards Madison. The eastern boundary was 32nd. Seattle was no better than the rest of American in its treatment of citizens of color. The CD had many well-maintained middle class homes. Students attended either Garfield or Franklin HS and by every account I heard the races got along well there.

In the 60s, things started to warm up with the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement and there were many instances of violence which the Seattle PD responded to, sometimes quite severely. The big turning point was the open housing ordinance in 1968 which allowed many middle class residents to move out of the CD. The area experienced a housing quality downturn and a crime upturn. Other people started moving south into the Rainier Valley and the public housing developments there.

Since then Seattle has had a black mayor, a black county executive, and the CD is being gentrified.

You can find out a lot at HistoryLink.org (broken link).

[Ira500]

Norm Rice was a very popular Mayor of Seattle, serving two terms, and getting elected and re-elected by wide margins, despite Seattle only having an African American population of about 10%...
Rice was also the last really good Mayor Seattle had, in my opinion.

[lllisa]

I am African American currently living in Chicago. I am tired of the superficial materialist fake people here. It also appears that many black men in Chicago are undereducated or unemployed. I just want to go to work and go home with no drama. I don't want to live in the ghetto or deal with crime. Is it difficult for a single Black woman in Seattle?
Were is the best place to live in Seattle where I won't ave to deal with beggars or bums.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by lllisa

I am African American currently living in Chicago. I am tired of the superficial materialist fake people here. It also appears that many black men in Chicago are undereducated or unemployed. I just want to go to work and go home with no drama. I don't want to live in the ghetto or deal with crime. Is it difficult for a single Black woman in Seattle?
Were is the best place to live in Seattle where I won't ave to deal with beggars or bums.

Aren't materialistic and fake people everywhere? As far as black men and black women, I met many more educated and employed brothers and sisters in Chicago than in Seattle. Just like in any large city you will find Seattle with its fair share of beggers and bums.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Aren't materialistic and fake people everywhere? As far as black men and black women, I met many more educated and employed brothers and sisters in Chicago than in Seattle. Just like in any large city you will find Seattle with its fair share of beggers and bums.

I've heard that from other people as well, I wonder if it might be due to Chicago having a higher black population than Seattle?

Just a thought...

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by vnodak

I grew up in the midwest and race was never an issue. I think it is sad that it still is. I can say I have not really seen that here but I will say that I have seen Hispanics taken advantage of by rich white people. I also am surprised by the stats as I thought their was more diversity here as their are so many different types of restaurants. Guess when I look at people, I do not notice their skin color.

Exactly what city or metro area in the midwest like for ex. Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaulkee, Detroit....