How will the City of Atlanta change if it keeps losing blacks? (Washington: appointed, layoffs)

[ImissAnalog]

Hello! I keep seeing all this hub-bub about the City of Atlanta losing blacks. One example is the other topic that asks what city will replace Atl as the black mecca. It is even mentioned on the wikipedia page for Atlanta.

Just wondering though, whats the big deal?! Im black, but im NOT race-obsessed like some older black people are. Me and my friends thinks its old-fashioned to be obsessed with blackness, we figure we are just Americans. So we could care less if black people are moving out of Atlanta.

But obviously, a lot of people DO care!

But WHY is it even an issue?

Would Atlanta really change if the black percentage drops below 50%? And if you peole DO think it will change, how?!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by ImissAnalog

But WHY is it even an issue?

To me, this is a very good question. Some folks just seem fixated on race, it seems.

[BobKovacs]

Too often people confuse "race" and "socio-economic class", so most questions and answers regarding "race" aren't actually racially driven. For example, the answer to "what will happen if Atlanta continues to lose poor blacks?" is different than "what will happen if Atlanta continues to lose wealthy blacks?". The same could be said for "what will happen if Atlanta continues to lose poor whites?" or "what will happen if Atlanta continues to lose wealthy whites?".

Personally, I think regardless of race, what will happen if Atlanta's population continues to grow is that poor and middle class people (white, black, purple, green- whatever) will be forced out as prices climb- they won't be able to afford to live in the city as it gentrifies.

[Indentured Servant]

I think the obvious change would be political power. It may be a goal (at least for me) for blacks and whites to be on the same page (do we turn to their page or do they turn to ours), but the reality is, in regards to many things, that we are not. It’s really not the color of the person who is leading, that shapes the agenda and policy, but rather, the color of the majority voting bloc in which they represent.

[AcidSnake]

Political power is meaningless if the economic power to go along with it is non-existent. Too many of my fellow black Atlantans expect WAAAY too much of a mayor and the city council, especially in light of the 2008 layoffs and furloughs of many black blue-collar workers in Corrections, Parking enforcement, Fire & Rescue, and other departments.

I'm just disappointed that so many in this year 2009 haven't yet reached the epiphany that politics is not an end-all be-all of African American existence. It's time to look back to the principles of Booker T. Washington and learn how to create opportunites rather than wait for opportunities.

[Jimmeh]

I thought the blacks were moving to Atlanta. I went to a half white and half black school. And now I'm going to school in midtown and I'm the only white kid in the class. I don't think it's losing any blacks.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Jimmeh

I thought the blacks were moving to Atlanta. I went to a half white and half black school. And now I'm going to school in midtown and I'm the only white kid in the class. I don't think it's losing any blacks.

The population of Atlanta has more than doubled in the past 20 years...and that's new residents of all races. White people, black people, asian people, etc. have all been flocking to Atlanta.

The percentage of white residents in the city of Atlanta increased from 31% in 2000 to 35% in 2006 - a numeric increase of 26,000. New black residents have been locating in the suburbs more often, and black residents of the city have been increasingly making the choice to move outside of the city limits. It's been an obvious trend with white metro residents to move into the city...that's what is causing the white increase/black decrease. It's really just a shift in the choices people are making about where to live - nothing else.

This is a decent article titled "Atlanta and the Urban Future" from July 2008...
Governing: Atlanta/July 2008

[DonnaReed]

Me and my friends thinks its old-fashioned to be obsessed with blackness, we figure we are just Americans.
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Strange and interesting comment.

Sooooo...if you identifiied as "Black American" that would render you "obsessed"?

[cityrover]

It wont go down the road of detroit thats how

[Reelist in Atlanta]

How has Clayton County changed since the minority population has increased so much?

- Reel