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LOL, you don't have to teach me about Nashville. I'm from Tennessee and know the city and area well. That's why I can tell you it's not a "best city for Black people all around, for everything" type of city, like the title of the thread says. It's geared mostly towards gentrification minded white people, if anything. They are turning it into the next Austin or Portland, and trying to move the less 30% of blacks that they do have out. No city like that is ever black friendly or good for blacks.
DC and Atlanta are undergoing even more pronounced gentrification, yet the culture and institutions that have defined and undergirded the Black populations in those cities aren't going anywhere so I have to disagree with your concluding statement.
Nashville is still a VERY white city, though. Its black population is not THAT big compared to most of the other cities mentioned in this thread and is pretty much confined to the run down area where the HBCUs are. Also, since Nashville is on a lot of rich white hippies' and yuppies' radar now and is considered "the next Austin," they are also gentrifying a lot of poor and middle class people out of Nashville, including many of the black folks; Nashville doesn't belong in this convo, not even as a "sleeper."
Yes! I agree that Nashville is A LOT like Austin, but Nashville has a much larger black population than Austin.
DC and Atlanta are undergoing even more pronounced gentrification, yet the culture and institutions that have defined and undergirded the Black populations in those cities aren't going anywhere so I have to disagree with your concluding statement.
Well, because that's DC and Atlanta; they are obvious exceptions. They have had strong, predominately black populations and all the influences and institutions that come with that for many years. Nashville has not, because even though it has several HBCU's, it has historically been a predominately white city with whites in pretty much all the positions of power, control, and influence for generations. That's why you can't compare an Atlanta or a DC's gentrification to a predominately and historically white city's gentrification, like a Nashville, Portland, or Austin.
So, is the community looking to do things to combat that? What about a think tank for businesses/business creation in collaboration with the institutions mentioned earlier?
Keep in mind that Austin and Portland were never that Black in the first place. So, if Nashville is ever going to get to that level, then it would have to take a much stronger effort in order to get to that level of gentrification.
Also, there is a degree of gentrification occurring in many cities, including the ones that immediately come to mind in a thread like this. So, this isn't something that is exclusively occurring in Nashville.
You just don't get it, man. You are arguing from the outside looking in when I'm telling you how it is on the inside. You just don't know Nashville and Middle Tennessee very well beyond the stats that you are looking up to post, so I guess that's the only way you can look at it; you are entitled to your opinion, even though it's based on very vague and generic information and is not very well informed.
As far as your initial question, I think it says a lot about whether or not Nashville is one of the best cities in America for blacks when Nashville has all those HBCUs and blacks don't have a larger presence in the city or a larger stake in the local politics, entrepreneurship, etc. It also says a lot that most of the kids who graduate with those Nashville HBCU degrees don't stay in Nashville. In fact, many of them run off to Atlanta as soon as they get their degrees (can't say I blame them).
Last edited by NoClueWho; 05-11-2015 at 09:50 PM..
Well, because that's DC and Atlanta; they are obvious exceptions. They have had strong, predominately black populations and all the influences and institutions that come with that for many years. Nashville has not, because even though it has several HBCU's, it has historically been a predominately white city with whites in pretty much all the positions of power, control, and influence for generations. That's why you can't compare an Atlanta or a DC's gentrification to a predominately and historically white city's gentrification, like a Nashville, Portland, or Austin.
Fair point, but I still think that the HBCUs in Nashville along with the headquarters of a couple of historic and large Black religious denominations and the music industry and culture (Blacks were influential in the development of country music, and there's also the Gospel genre which has a significant presence in Nashville) decidely puts Nashville in a very different category than the likes of Austin and Portland.
Fair point, but I still think that the HBCUs in Nashville along with the headquarters of a couple of historic and large Black religious denominations and the music industry and culture (Blacks were influential in the development of country music, and there's also the Gospel genre which has a significant presence in Nashville) decidely puts Nashville in a very different category than the likes of Austin and Portland.
To a certain extent, but it is much closer to an Austin or a Portland than to an Atlanta or a DC. And it's decidedly getting more and more like an Austin or Portland, which definitely wouldn't put it in a "best cities in America for black people" category. That's exactly my point. I think the number of HBCUs there is what is fooling some of you all into thinking otherwise; you are just looking at it "on paper."
To a certain extent, but it is much closer to an Austin or a Portland than to an Atlanta or a DC. And it's getting more and more like an Austin or Portland, which definitely wouldn't put it in a "best cities in America for black people" category. That's exactly my point. I think the number of HBCU's there is what fools a lot of people.
I don't think Nashville's Black history and institutions can be so easily discounted here, but I will say that it does seem to be somewhat of an anomaly here compared to other cities with similarly-sized Black populations and comparable institutions when it comes to Blacks in key leadership positions historically.
I don't think Nashville's Black history and institutions can be so easily discounted here, but I will say that it does seem to be somewhat of an anomaly here compared to other cities with similarly-sized Black populations and comparable institutions when it comes to Blacks in key leadership positions historically.
A place having a lot of Black history doesn't necessarily translate into it being a great place for Black people to live and thrive in in the present day. Not to bring it up again, but Memphis---Nashville's neighbor 3 hours to the west---is a PERFECT example of that, even though it is a MUCH blacker city than Nashville.
A place having a lot of Black history doesn't necessarily translate into it being a great place for Black people to live and thrive in in the present day. Not to bring it up again, but Memphis---Nashville's neighbor 3 hours to the west---is a PERFECT example of that, even though it is a MUCH blacker city than Nashville.
I mentioned Black history specifically in the context of differentiating Nashville from the likes of Portland and Austin. This is one reason I can't really agree that Nashville is more like those cities than cities like Atlanta and DC, especially since Nashville is a newcomer to the gentrifying boomburg club compared to Portland and Austin (and Atlanta and DC for that matter).
You just don't get it, man. You are arguing from the outside looking in when I'm telling you how it is on the inside. You just don't know Nashville and Middle Tennessee very well beyond the stats that you are looking up to post, so I guess that's the only way you can look at it; you are entitled to your opinion, even though it's based on very vague and generic information and is not very well informed.
As far as your initial question, I think it says a lot about whether or not Nashville is one of the best cities in America for blacks when Nashville has all those HBCUs and blacks don't have a larger presence in the city or a larger stake in the local politics, entrepreneurship, etc. It also says a lot that most of the kids who graduate with those Nashville HBCU degrees don't stay in Nashville. In fact, many of them run off to Atlanta as soon as they get their degrees (can't say I blame them).
I get it and remember, I called it a sleeper because it has the institutions in place and a high enough Black percentage. Ironically, Davidson County's Black percentage has increased, as it was 25% in 2000 and essentially 28% in 2010. So, it appears that the city/county is attracting Black people to the area.
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