Will Atlanta ever lose its title as the Black Mecca? (Perry: house, living)

[Turnerbro]

It feels like a lot of recent migration to Atlanta has been white collar urban dwellers. It also feels like a lot of the suburbs of Atlanta are diversifying with some foreign born residents and mixed race families. I wonder if there will ever come a day when we don't recognize Atlanta as the black mecca that we have for the past 30 or so years.

[Columbus1984]

I definitely think so. It’s barely holding on to 50% within the city limits. Hasn’t really been a black mecca in my opinion for 10 years or so. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the city dip below 50% on the next census.

[ATLTJL]

Do people even really still call it that these days?

[Born 2 Roll]

African-Americans have such a high-profile presence in the city (Atlanta proper) in so many various ways (with business, government, education, entertainment, etc.) that even if/when the Black population falls below 50 percent, that Atlanta’s long-held reputation as a leading ‘Black Mecca’ or the leading ‘Black Mecca’ is most likely to continue to persist at a high level.

The high concentration and highly visible presence of African-Americans in, around and throughout much (if not most) of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area and region, as well as Atlanta’s location in the Eastern U.S. within driving/short-moderate flying distance of multiple large eastern and Sun Belt metropolises (the Northeastern Megalopolis, the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley, South Florida, the Carolinas, Texas), and Atlanta’s high profile as an emerging international multimedia entertainment production hub (with many high-profile African-Americans, like Tyler Perry, in highly visible prominent and leadership roles) also likely means that both the city and larger greater metropolitan area is likely to continue to be considered to be a leading (if not THE leading) ‘Black Mecca’ for the foreseeable future.

[Mutiny77]

The title has evolved to take on more of a metropolitan connotation but even so, the Black population within the city dropping under 50% won't erase its civil rights legacy, its Black political legacy, the CAU, its Black business class, the music/arts culture, etc. that were responsible for that nickname coming into being. Boston stopped being majority Irish a long time ago but it is still thought of as being the premiere city associated with that group for similar reasons.

Also, seeing how this pandemic is affecting urban living trends, I fully expect to see a slowdown of the current demographic trend for at least a year or two.

[markjames68]

Time for metro Atlanta to embrace even greater diversity. So many new cultures coming to the area is only a good thing. Look at a place like Forsyth County and how it’s changed over the past 10 years.

[seussie]

No. It was never just defined by "the majority of people who live here are Black." If it's not a present label, it will become a historic label. Simple as that.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by seussie

No. It was never just defined by "the majority of people who live here are Black." If it's not a present label, it will become a historic label. Simple as that.

Yeah I mean Detroit is mostly black and I don't see people calling a black mecca. Right now, Atlanta is definitely the center of African American culture and entertainment. I think calling it a "black mecca" is a bit outdated now. I don't think there's a black mecca in America.

[citidata18]

Atlanta being a black mecca is based on the fact that the leadership makeup in the city and immediate surrounding suburbs is predominately African-America, the influence blacks in Atlanta have had on pop culture and also the fact that Metro Atlanta has the largest concentration of well-off African-Americans of any city, at least on a percentage basis and when adjusted for COL.

While neither of those things are expected to change any time soon, it is true that Atlanta is no longer the only shining house on the hill for black people it was in the 90s, 2000s and part of the 2010s. You now have up & comers like Houston, Dallas and Charlotte where blacks have increasingly more political/cultural influence and are also excelling economically.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Yeah I mean Detroit is mostly black and I don't see people calling a black mecca.

Detroit has since fallen off big time (thanks largely to the collapse of the Auto Industry), but for a time from the 60s to the 90s, Detroit was definitely up there as a popular destination for black people and an influential place for black culture.

And even today, it's still no slouch for black people as it has the top 10 largest concentration of middle class / wealthy African-Americans in the country and aside from the Mayor's office, blacks still make up most of the political leadership in the city, county and immediate surrounding suburbs.