Black Population In Seattle (Tacoma, Federal Way: fit in, condos, buying)

[jamochabeans]

I am a black female born and raised in Atlanta and have lived in Seattle for 2 years. Growing up in a city with black mayors, leaders, lawyers, doctors, and examples of strong black families, I felt a certain pride that I have not felt since moving to Seattle. After living in the so called prejudiced South my entire life without incident, I had to move out to Seattle to get called a ******. I just don't want anybody to get the impression that Seattlites are all holding hands. White Seattlites will have you belive that because it assuages their liberal white guilt. By the way, people who make mention of their black friends are usually the biggest racists of them all. Every time you do it, people of color immediately mentally label you as a racist.

I'm not ready to go back to Atlanta yet. Not because it is not a great place to be for up and coming black professionals, but because being out here I've realized the benefits of getting the perspective of another city. That doesn't mean I'm staying here either. Other than the beautiful scenary, and low crime, Seattle has black cultural issues. Are all the black people condemned to the south side? Why don't black men like black women out here? And I agree about the wanna be thugs, who are apparently taking their cues from BET, are misguided by a disjointed black community where most of their fathers have moved on to white women. While Atlanta has its fair share of thug life, the many postive counter examples more than make up for the shady element. Besides, only do communities of color have to justify and live down the shame of every bad act of a small percentage. When the white boy shot up the party in Capital Hill, the white community didn't have to explain why one of its youth was a nut job. He was an individual committing an individual act. I realize I've been on this soapbox for a while so I think I'll come up for air...

[Juice13610]

Originally Posted by pwright1

I actually didn't know when I took the pic but it has been mentioned a few times.

haha, that's pretty cool. All these people are standing around star struck and you are just taking a random picture

[BLINDVISION]

Originally Posted by Juice13610

Did anyone else notice that the guy in all white is The Game?

YES THAT IS HIM ..I NOTICED THAT ALSO!

[Monumental1]

Originally Posted by jamochabeans

I am a black female born and raised in Atlanta and have lived in Seattle for 2 years. Growing up in a city with black mayors, leaders, lawyers, doctors, and examples of strong black families, I felt a certain pride that I have not felt since moving to Seattle. After living in the so called prejudiced South my entire life without incident, I had to move out to Seattle to get called a ******. I just don't want anybody to get the impression that Seattlites are all holding hands. White Seattlites will have you belive that because it assuages their liberal white guilt. By the way, people who make mention of their black friends are usually the biggest racists of them all. Every time you do it, people of color immediately mentally label you as a racist.

I'm not ready to go back to Atlanta yet. Not because it is not a great place to be for up and coming black professionals, but because being out here I've realized the benefits of getting the perspective of another city. That doesn't mean I'm staying here either. Other than the beautiful scenary, and low crime, Seattle has black cultural issues. Are all the black people condemned to the south side? Why don't black men like black women out here? And I agree about the wanna be thugs, who are apparently taking their cues from BET, are misguided by a disjointed black community where most of their fathers have moved on to white women. While Atlanta has its fair share of thug life, the many postive counter examples more than make up for the shady element. Besides, only do communities of color have to justify and live down the shame of every bad act of a small percentage. When the white boy shot up the party in Capital Hill, the white community didn't have to explain why one of its youth was a nut job. He was an individual committing an individual act. I realize I've been on this soapbox for a while so I think I'll come up for air...

Hello jamochabeans,

Welcome to Seattle. I hear what you are saying! But I hope you do stay, and more African americans move in, like yourself.

I am an African american male who was born in Seattle, and left to Los Angeles, years ago..........one of the main reasons was to be around more African Americans like myself. There is bad sections, and crime, like in all cities, but there were plenty of affluent African Americans in L.A. for me to be around, and I really enjoyed that. (Ladera Heights, Baldwin Hills, Culver City, Bixby Knolls in Long Beach, etc.)

on the other hand..............there are plenty of affluent African Americans in Seattle. (They are not all just in the south end).

I myself Live on Mercer Island, WA on the east side.

I have friends (black) who live on Queen Anne in Seattle
Seward Park
Madrona
Bellevue
Mercer Island
and Downtown Seattle

If you check out some of these places, instead of the south end, you'll see, you will run into quite a few affluent blacks. Now of course the black population is way higher in the southend, but there are those who live in the other places you wouldn't consider to be very black.

As for the wanna be thugs......I wouldn't even waste my time if I were you letting that get to me. They are not what you would want anyway.

Racism - we just happen to live in a country and world with mentally challenged people, who are two bannas short of a fruit salad. As the same with the thugs, I wouldn't even waste my time dealing with idiots who are beneath you.

Monumental1

[Monumental1]

Originally Posted by mactown_georgia_boy

If This isnt the biggest bull. Most of the blacks in the Northwest are FAR more well off than blacks in the south as far as living conditions...Seattle has less black people..and less poor black people than my city..Macon, GA

and its definetly not rougher and that goes for tons of southern midsized cities around 100,000 population 50% black and higher.

Let alone Atlanta, New Orleans or some places like that. You're talking non sense. In terms of crime, thugs and poverty, she will not see anything in Seattle that she hasnt saw in Alabama 2 or 3x worse. AL contains the 6th most dangerous city in the Nation ...73% black Birmingham

Seattle would be a much nicer place as far as being less likely to run into "THUGS"
lol my whole town is damn near "the ghetto"..down here in Macon GA

you're right...boys up there are ACTING...boys down south really living that life

You are 100% correct. I was born in Seattle, and Lived most of my after highschool years in Los Angeles. Seattle is one of the better big cities in terms of crime. These so called "Thugs in Seattle" wouldn't last 5 minutes in the hoods in Los Angeles or most other cities.

There is absolutely no reason to be a thug in Seattle. Seattle is one of the richest cities in the US. Check it...........but for the most part. The vast majority of blacks in the Seattle erea are very well off and educated. We've had black mayors, school superintendents, etc.

[dcoolbro]

Originally Posted by jamochabeans

I am a black female born and raised in Atlanta and have lived in Seattle for 2 years. Growing up in a city with black mayors, leaders, lawyers, doctors, and examples of strong black families, I felt a certain pride that I have not felt since moving to Seattle. After living in the so called prejudiced South my entire life without incident, I had to move out to Seattle to get called a ******. I just don't want anybody to get the impression that Seattlites are all holding hands. White Seattlites will have you belive that because it assuages their liberal white guilt. By the way, people who make mention of their black friends are usually the biggest racists of them all. Every time you do it, people of color immediately mentally label you as a racist.

I'm not ready to go back to Atlanta yet. Not because it is not a great place to be for up and coming black professionals, but because being out here I've realized the benefits of getting the perspective of another city. That doesn't mean I'm staying here either. Other than the beautiful scenary, and low crime, Seattle has black cultural issues. Are all the black people condemned to the south side? Why don't black men like black women out here? And I agree about the wanna be thugs, who are apparently taking their cues from BET, are misguided by a disjointed black community where most of their fathers have moved on to white women. While Atlanta has its fair share of thug life, the many postive counter examples more than make up for the shady element. Besides, only do communities of color have to justify and live down the shame of every bad act of a small percentage. When the white boy shot up the party in Capital Hill, the white community didn't have to explain why one of its youth was a nut job. He was an individual committing an individual act. I realize I've been on this soapbox for a while so I think I'll come up for air...

I definitely understand what you're saying. And many of blacks folks i know in Seattle say similar things to me all the time. Particularly the black women when it comes to the dating situation. I recently moved to houston from seattle. Seattle just never felt like home to me. I didn't get the sense of community there. So after 3 years I left and I know at least 4 other young black professionals who will be leaving before the year is out. i'm glad you had a chance to experience Seattle though. It's definitely different from the South. I grew up in chicago myself and Seattle took some getting use to. But it was time to go and it seems like many I know are leaving too.

[sean98125]

There was once a strong black community in Seattle, but it's simply too expensive in Seattle anymore. I think there is a kind of diaspora happening as black families of modest means are moving out to the suburbs. Even Mount Zion church has noticed that most of their attendees are coming from Renton and points south - not many are walking home any more.

The Central District and Jackson area started becoming black neighborhoods during WW2, when the Japanese that lived there were sent to the camps and when Boeing and the shipyards were in desperate need for workers. Blacks came here from Chicago and the South to work, and carried a lot of their traditions and cultures with them when they came. Holly Park and Yesler Terrace were built to house workers.

But, just as the economic boom of the war brought about the birth of a vibrant black community in Seattle, the economic boom of the dot com era began to lead to the end of it. The black professionals that can afford to buy real estate are in great shape and live in every neighborhood in the city. Those that never got enough money together to buy are in rental houses on the edges of the city, and seem to be getting squeezed out of those areas as well.

Seattle's black community is really only about sixty years old, so you aren't going to find the deep roots that you'll find in the South.

[pwright1]

Seattle is getting very expensive but as a former agent in Seattle I dealt with many Central Area black residents selling their homes for more than top dollar and purchasing homes in the southend suburbs of King County.

[scirocco22]

African-American history in Seattle goes back almost to the beginnings, though. Seattle's first Black resident settled in Seattle in 1852 when the city was barely a year old.

One of the first in Washington was actually George W. Bush ...not Dubya but George Washington Bush.

Not being able to settle in Oregon because of laws prohibiting blacks from settling there, Bush moved on to what is now Thurston County and settled there in 1845.

[Monumental1]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

African-American history in Seattle goes back almost to the beginnings, though. Seattle's first Black resident settled in Seattle in 1852 when the city was barely a year old.

One of the first in Washington was actually George W. Bush ...not Dubya but George Washington Bush.

Not being able to settle in Oregon because of laws prohibiting blacks from settling there, Bush moved on to what is now Thurston County and settled there in 1845.

very interesting: great info!