Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When it Truly comes down to it, Atlanta is still in Georgia and still in the South.. Nothing really special and Nothing to really be Bougie about. The way the Laws/Wages are set up here, Still the south. Go outside of Metro Atlanta/ Macon / Savannah urban areas etc. Georgia is no Different than Kentucky outside of Lousiville/Lexington and Cinci/Northern KY which are Urban areas in KY with Blacks and diversity as well, which is a State that gets such a hard time about being racist and that I don't get. I get the perception though, and that's due in part there are so many blacks in one place in the Atlanta area which makes it look like this huge black Mecca but Georgia is Majority White. Another thing causing this is you get a lot of House and land for your money in Georgia period, being land prices are cheaper here and in the south so if you have saved a little bit, retiring from your big Northern or Western City, it looks really appealing and you can get a Huge Beautiful home for your money compared to what you would in say New York, Illinois, or even California, not to mention newer. Even if you move here renting an Apartment, you still come off as what they want to so call, so call Bougie.. For one Atlanta is newer and the Apartments are much cheaper than most of the Cities most people migrate from, not to mention the entire Metro it self has a more Suburban feel including parts of the City due to its greener and in the South, that's why its so many Suburban looking Ghettos here. It looks like your living well here, but Georgia Wages are so low, most are still living pay check to pay check,, not all but Tons. The Entertainment industry has also help give Atlanta this fake image... Don't get me wrong, there are some that do well here but for the most part, Atlanta is just like its Skyline, Beautiful but Smoking Mirrors... Bougie??? lol More like Modern Time hard Times for Blacks.. But that's just my opinion. Some people just enjoy the change in atmosphere and that's enough for them.
Perspective is everything. I've lived in the SF Bay area for almost 8 years after being raised in the South and as a female black engineer it is WAY more racist. I hate it. Statesboro wasn't this racist.
Also wages, no secret that Blacks make less for a variety of reasons. In Oakland the median house price right now is $520,000. Median rent for a market rate 1 bedroom is $2400 a month (plus needing 3x that to move in and proof that you take home 3x that rent)
Meanwhile overall the median household income in Oakland for nonwhites is under 50k(blacks,asians, hispanics, etc.) actually for blacks it's $35,600 (2013). not to far off from the national average.
So I get why so many think Atlanta is a "Black Mecca", you could never hope to own a home or even rent a decent apartment here in Oakland.
I was just in Atlanta this week with my boyfriend(white his first visit to the South) and he finally understood what I meant. Atlanta isn't perfect, and it is overhyped but overall Blacks enjoy a much higher quality of life than compared to here in the SF Bay area. Of course there's reasons, way more college educated Blacks in Atlanta, etc.
It's something I never would have truly understood until I lived out here for awhile.
Perspective is everything. I've lived in the SF Bay area for almost 8 years after being raised in the South and as a female black engineer it is WAY more racist. I hate it. Statesboro wasn't this racist.
Also wages, no secret that Blacks make less for a variety of reasons. In Oakland the median house price right now is $520,000. Median rent for a market rate 1 bedroom is $2400 a month (plus needing 3x that to move in and proof that you take home 3x that rent)
Meanwhile overall the median household income in Oakland for nonwhites is under 50k(blacks,asians, hispanics, etc.) actually for blacks it's $35,600 (2013). not to far off from the national average.
So I get why so many think Atlanta is a "Black Mecca", you could never hope to own a home or even rent a decent apartment here in Oakland.
I was just in Atlanta this week with my boyfriend(white his first visit to the South) and he finally understood what I meant. Atlanta isn't perfect, and it is overhyped but overall Blacks enjoy a much higher quality of life than compared to here in the SF Bay area. Of course there's reasons, way more college educated Blacks in Atlanta, etc.
It's something I never would have truly understood until I lived out here for awhile.
Come on back home sister. We got several black engineer/etc organizations you can join. We got dozens of brunches you can eat at filled with people that look like you while singing the lastest Beyonce song loud with everyone else, where you can fit in and nit feel like an outsider,etc. Come back home
Yeah that may be True, but Kentucky has heavy population of blacks in its Urban centers and Major Cities like Louisville - home of Muhammad ALI, Lexington and Northern KY/Cincinnati Suburbs, but true Rural KY is Majority white, with sprinkles of black... It just gets me when people think there are no blacks in KY and its so racist but GA is just this great Black Mecca.. This is still Dixie, the deep south and there is still tons of Racism in Georgia especially in politics and over all that's what matters because the politics affect your over all living,,, Look at Douglasville/ Douglas County, GA and all the comments made by the white politician and also how there is no Blacks in higher politics there. Stone Mountain/ Mosque in Covington, Ga. ,These are just some of many examples. From my experience I have seen more openness as far as interracial dating In Kentucky Major Cities than GA Cities which is hard to believe, and that I don't know why. Its just funny to me when I hear people say Kentucky is a racist state when believe me Georgia still has way more than its share of Racism still left in its bones. Both states are both Majority White no matter how you look at it and is still ran by good ol boy politics, Atlanta Metro just has large concentrations of blacks in certain areas which makes it look like a Black Mecca so to speak but blacks are still not the Majority, not even in Metro Atlanta as a whole,, all smoking Mirrors. One thing I can say is demographics are changing to include a more diverse populous as a whole in Urban areas across the US and that's not just isolated to GA or KY. I guarantee you if you get off the highway in a back woods Mountain Town in Georgia, it would be no different than a Back woods Mountain Town in Kentucky. Vice Verse get off the Freeway and go to the West End District in Louisville, Ky. and the West End District in Atlanta, GA. White Rural life vs. Urban City life.. Two different extremes in two different states... Just an example of how places get stereotype, especially by people who have never been there. The entertainment industry has a lot to do with the false image of Atlanta though. But I guess people can call themselves Black and Bougie in this Black Mecca,, but how does the politics really have us living, because we all can portray a Fake image... Funny because it still goes back to us getting out to vote.
Georgia was a Democratic state until 2000.Meaning its not nearly as conservative as people make it in comparison to other Southern states.
Georgia is the South and therefore will have the good and the bad that comes with that.However you are cherry picking small things that you can find in states even far outside of the South.
There are certain things like "facts" .they show that Georgia has a a clear lead over Kentucky.
The income and home-ownership gap for once for blacks.The number of black own businesses. https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...-by-race/9842/
Notice how every year up until the last year listed,Georgia black homeownership improved to above average levels.
Kentucky got worse.
Even if you look at te stats for the educational attainment gaps,Kentucky ranks as on of the worst states.Georgia is in the top middle.
You mention too different extremes with the Westend Atlanta but that area is on the upswing and many young professional blacks also live in that area.
Tell me a state where "good ole boy" politics dont exist?New York State is even bad.
Georgia has had a secession of blacks in high state level political positions like,the first black woman to hold the title of Chief Supreme Court Justice who only retired maybe 5 years ago.
In fact the Georgia Supreme Court has had a few blacks on its court and still do.
Georgia State Supreme Court
Kentucky State Supreme Court
Not to mention our former State Secretary of Labor and State Attorney General who served until 2011 were both elected statewide.
There is so much more I could post but you just have to realize that usually there is some kind of history or precedent that has been established where people get these ideas about certain places.
Georgia was a Democratic state until 2000.Meaning its not nearly as conservative as people make it in comparison to other Southern states.
Georgia is the South and therefore will have the good and the bad that comes with that.However you are cherry picking small things that you can find in states even far outside of the South.
There are certain things like "facts" .they show that Georgia has a a clear lead over Kentucky.
The income and home-ownership gap for once for blacks.The number of black own businesses. https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...-by-race/9842/
Notice how every year up until the last year listed,Georgia black homeownership improved to above average levels.
Kentucky got worse.
Even if you look at te stats for the educational attainment gaps,Kentucky ranks as on of the worst states.Georgia is in the top middle.
You mention too different extremes with the Westend Atlanta but that area is on the upswing and many young professional blacks also live in that area.
Tell me a state where "good ole boy" politics dont exist?New York State is even bad.
Georgia has had a secession of blacks in high state level political positions like,the first black woman to hold the title of Chief Supreme Court Justice who only retired maybe 5 years ago.
In fact the Georgia Supreme Court has had a few blacks on its court and still do.
Georgia State Supreme Court
Kentucky State Supreme Court
Not to mention our former State Secretary of Labor and State Attorney General who served until 2011 were both elected statewide.
There is so much more I could post but you just have to realize that usually there is some kind of history or precedent that has been established where people get these ideas about certain places.
That is why I stated Stereo Typing,,, Be careful when doing so... No Region of a State are all the same, especially Rural vs. Urban.. You cant penalize an entire State or call it Racist just because a certain area is,, Just not logical and every ones experiences are different. That's just like comparing Metro Atlanta to South Georgia. Some one comes to Georgia only once and goes to Moultrie, GA. and they automatically stereo Type the entire state of Georgia as being Country, just by that one experience... SMH,, I know you get my point... Louisville, Lexington, and Northern KY/ Cincinnati Suburbs are just different from the rest of KY. Just like Metro Atlanta and other Urban regions around the State are different from the rest of Rural Georgia...That's all I am saying here and there are plenty of blacks in these Cities. I have been to these Cities may times and there black/Urban neighborhoods, believe me we are there and well present... Its actually to me better interracial interaction in the urban areas to me more so than here from my experiences. Again, that's my experience as a black male.
When it Truly comes down to it, Atlanta is still in Georgia and still in the South.. Nothing really special and Nothing to really be Bougie about. The way the Laws/Wages are set up here, Still the south. Go outside of Metro Atlanta/ Macon / Savannah urban areas etc. Georgia is no Different than Kentucky outside of Lousiville/Lexington and Cinci/Northern KY which are Urban areas in KY with Blacks and diversity as well, which is a State that gets such a hard time about being racist and that I don't get. I get the perception though, and that's due in part there are so many blacks in one place in the Atlanta area which makes it look like this huge black Mecca but Georgia is Majority White. Another thing causing this is you get a lot of House and land for your money in Georgia period, being land prices are cheaper here and in the south so if you have saved a little bit, retiring from your big Northern or Western City, it looks really appealing and you can get a Huge Beautiful home for your money compared to what you would in say New York, Illinois, or even California, not to mention newer. Even if you move here renting an Apartment, you still come off as what they want to so call, so call Bougie.. For one Atlanta is newer and the Apartments are much cheaper than most of the Cities most people migrate from, not to mention the entire Metro it self has a more Suburban feel including parts of the City due to its greener and in the South, that's why its so many Suburban looking Ghettos here. It looks like your living well here, but Georgia Wages are so low, most are still living pay check to pay check,, not all but Tons. The Entertainment industry has also help give Atlanta this fake image... Don't get me wrong, there are some that do well here but for the most part, Atlanta is just like its Skyline, Beautiful but Smoking Mirrors... Bougie??? lol More like Modern Time hard Times for Blacks.. But that's just my opinion. Some people just enjoy the change in atmosphere and that's enough for them.
I like you opinion and I agree. I love Atlanta, but too many African Americans pretend and look successful. Atlanta also has a large number of blacks that filed bankruptcies. I'm sure you heard Debt stopper or King and King commercials on the radio. Furthermore people always mention the music industry. Really! Why following and be influenced by some emotional bankrupt brat producing pseudo rap. I once got caught up in pretending to be more than I was. I came to conclusion if your not owing what you have without financing and imparting and influencing the next generation to go further. Sit down with your pretending self. I think people must also go back to skill and become more proficient for technical higher paying jobs.
I like you opinion and I agree. I love Atlanta, but too many African Americans pretend and look successful. Atlanta also has a large number of blacks that filed bankruptcies. I'm sure you heard Debt stopper or King and King commercials on the radio. Furthermore people always mention the music industry. Really! Why following and be influenced by some emotional bankrupt brat producing pseudo rap. I once got caught up in pretending to be more than I was. I came to conclusion if your not owing what you have without financing and imparting and influencing the next generation to go further. Sit down with your pretending self. I think people must also go back to skill and become more proficient for technical higher paying jobs.
A friend of mine been living in the Atlanta area for about a year. Originally he from Baltimore and relocated to the ATL for a job opportunity. I haven't seen him for months but he returned to Baltimore to attend a family reunion happening sometime this week. I asked him "how is life in Atlanta"? his response was the metro area is nice, a lot of things to do, and the traffic is horrible blah blah blah, which is a typical complaint from drivers in every city. Then I asked him "are the people in the ATL cool? he laughed and said he met a lot of transplants and natives there but most people (mostly black women and men) act so bougie like people living in the area are fighting to be somebody important. He think the entertainment industry down there might have something to do with it. Instead of being called black Mecca or Black Hollywood, it should be called the "Bougie Black Mecca".
I never been there but do you think Atlanta the black bougie meeca?
Sounds like misplaced sentiments about how he feels about DC. Tell us how you really feel; lol.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
