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And this year, it's become a key talking point in the Boston mayoral election. Nearly every major mayoral candidate regularly cites the study as evidence of systemic racism. And it featured prominently in Boston acting mayor Kim Janey's campaign video.
But a closer look at the Fed study shows the net worth of Black families in Greater Boston is more nuanced.
For one, it wasn’t based on all Black households — but specifically non-immigrant Black families. The same study also looked at several other ethnic groups and found Black Caribbean families had a median net worth of $12,000 — a number that is possible within the margin of error of both groups.
Another caveat is the relatively small sample size. Researchers only surveyed 71 U.S. Black families. That means the $8 dollar estimate could actually be thousands of dollars higher —or lower.
[It also avoids the fact that many black families are both US Black and Caribbean black or African black).
It also cited data used from 2006-2010 (can anyone guess what was going on then?)
So because of these glaring flaws the Boston Fed and partners are doing the study again with a larger sample size and not in the midst of the great recession
Right so like I said its on par with NYC and DC. It actually has a higher median income than DC itself. Its also the metro with the 2nd highest Black Median Housheold income after DC at elats it was accoridng to Brooking in 2018.
No not only is the MA SJC Chief Justice Balck, the AG to be Andrea Campbell is (she won the Dem. Primary), the Suffolk DA is too, and the head of the Boston Foundation, Simmons College, and Boston Childrens Hospital are also all black.. as is the head of the Boston Police and the Chief Economic Development officer
Looking at middle-class jobs- often city jobs. 31.3% of all people employed by the City of Boston are Black. as are 21.2% of those making over 100,000 per year.
Got to most black neighborhoods in Boston and they give off a lower middle-class urban vibe. That's the dominant vibe. And then in the suburbs (where most back in the area live) its definitly mostly middle-class blacks. Also its home to the largest black-owned bank in the nation.
It's honestly a total mystery to me why people say Boston doesn't have a black middle class. You can literally walk around and see that is not true. I’m aware people don’t know much about us but that perception seems at odds with how people say the city is so neurotic educated and safe even in bad areas. They’ll even oversell that but then turn around and say it’s only ghetto in black areas? But then bemoan the price? I just don’t get it.
I actually like Boston. So, you're preaching to the choir.
I honestly think it has to do with how media drives select places for black people, when there are plenty of places out there in all regions that have good metrics in regards to their black population. Even the cities I added later to the post before this one, a couple of those cities are either predominantly black(Mount Vernon) or pluralistically more black than anything else(Brockton). So, I think it really just comes down to education/exposure.
I actually like Boston. So, you're preaching to the choir.
I honestly think it has to do with how media drives select places for black people, when there are plenty of places out there in all regions that have good metrics in regards to their black population. Even the cities I added later to the post before this one, a couple of those cities are either predominantly black(Mount Vernon) or pluralistically more black than anything else(Brockton). So, I think it really just comes down to education/exposure.
This isn't even about liking Boston though... its just about ignorance of what it is, really. You can say it's segregated or inhospitable or whatever but the basic idea that it lacks a substantial black middle class is just flat-out wrong. (I did forget to mention the US Attorney for Massachusetts is also black. So the Attorney General, US Attorney, Suffolk DA, and BPD police commissioner all blackk. 3/4 Black American)
Not only does that not pass the eye test at all, it doesnt pass the objective data test.
BTW
I read that all the people who checked Cape Verdean got their race moved to "some other race" without their knowledge.
In 2020, the Census reclassified the collection and processing of race and ethnicity data which led to large increases in the “some other race” and “two more races” categories independent of actual demographic or cultural changes.
...
respondents listing Brazilian or Cape Verdean origin were reassigned by the U.S. Census Bureau to the “some other race”
This makes sense because Brockton went from 50.9% non-Hispanic black in 2019-1-year ACS to 35.0% in the 2020 Census with 17% mixed race. Simple math would indicate...
Esp considering it was less than 5% mixed race in 2010.
This isn't even about liking Boston though... its just about ignorance of what it is, really. You can say it's segregated or inhospitable or whatever but the basic idea that it lacks a substantial black middle class is just flat-out wrong. (I did forget to mention the US Attorney for Massachusetts is also black. So the Attorney General, US Attorney, Suffolk DA, and BPD police commissioner all blackk. 3/4 Black American)
Not only does that not pass the eye test at all, it doesnt pass the objective data test.
BTW
I read that all the people who checked Cape Verdean got their race moved to "some other race" without their knowledge.
In 2020, the Census reclassified the collection and processing of race and ethnicity data which led to large increases in the “some other race” and “two more races” categories independent of actual demographic or cultural changes.
...
respondents listing Brazilian or Cape Verdean origin were reassigned by the U.S. Census Bureau to the “some other race”
This makes sense because Brockton went from 50.9% non-Hispanic black in 2019-1-year ACS to 35.0% in the 2020 Census with 17% mixed race. Simple math would indicate...
Esp considering it was less than 5% mixed race in 2010.
Yeah, I think that a lot of cities undercounted their black population or as the press release stated, were assigned to "some other race", given the big jump in that category. https://www.npr.org/2022/03/10/10837...t-data-quality
Yeah, I think that a lot of cities undercounted their black population or as the press release stated, were assigned to "some other race", given the big jump in that category. https://www.npr.org/2022/03/10/10837...t-data-quality
No doubt about it. No doubt. It was just a total bush league useless Census as we all knew it would be.
It's especially acute in Boston though precisely has one of the very largest per capita concentrations of Latino Blacks and Cape Verdeans. Quite Frankly? the United States census isn't designed for that.
But the city did log a 10k increase in Black including mixed race and latino. It's just still significantly below where I think it really is- especially statewide and in places on the South Coast near Providence and Afro-Latino areas like Lawrence.
Cape Verdean isnt a race and their ancestry isn't that complicated they're about 60% Sengalese/another windward coast Black Africans and 40% Portuguese/Iberian. It's not an obscure mix we dont know. ITs prety simple- theyre mixed race but predominately black. And the rane is from about 53-66% balck on any given island. Theyve long identified as African American at this point
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 09-13-2022 at 02:45 PM..
Right so like I said its on par with NYC and DC. It actually has a higher median income than DC itself. Its also the metro with the 2nd highest Black Median Housheold income after DC at elats it was accoridng to Brooking in 2018.
No not only is the MA SJC Chief Justice Balck, the AG to be Andrea Campbell is (she won the Dem. Primary), the Suffolk DA is too, and the head of the Boston Foundation, Simmons College, and Boston Childrens Hospital are also all black.. as is the head of the Boston Police and the Chief Economic Development officer
Looking at middle-class jobs- often city jobs. 31.3% of all people employed by the City of Boston are Black. as are 21.2% of those making over 100,000 per year.
Got to most black neighborhoods in Boston and they give off a lower middle-class urban vibe. That's the dominant vibe with stand alone two family homes, some triple deckers and some SFHs. Some decent parks and clean streets. And then in the suburbs (where most back in the area live) its definitly mostly middle-class blacks. Also its home to the largest black-owned bank in the nation. They also outperform black student in every city and state mentioned here. That’s on an elementary high school and post secondary level.
It's honestly a total mystery to me why people say Boston doesn't have a black middle class. You can literally walk around and see that is not true. I’m aware people don’t know much about us but that perception seems at odds with how people say the city is so neurotic educated and safe even in bad areas. They’ll even oversell that but then turn around and say it’s only ghetto in black areas? But then bemoan the price? I just don’t get it.
.
As discussed ad nauseum, Boston and its black population don't have good/positive media depictions. Most people outside of New England/Northeast honestly know very little about Boston and even black people know little about Black Boston. As I'm sure you experienced.
I also initially thought Boston's black population wasn't doing well because of my personal experiences with family up there.
As discussed ad nauseum, Boston and its black population don't have good/positive media depictions. Most people outside of New England/Northeast honestly know very little about Boston and even black people know little about Black Boston. As I'm sure you experienced.
I also initially thought Boston's black population wasn't doing because of my personal experiences with family up there.
Yea it’s been discussed ad nauseam but that doesn’t make it any less wrong. Or just factually inaccurate. Again I can cite sources all day long on to what extent that it’s wrong. When I see it, I offer the corrections- I’m obligated to. Such is my life.
This isn't even about liking Boston though... its just about ignorance of what it is, really. You can say it's segregated or inhospitable or whatever but the basic idea that it lacks a substantial black middle class is just flat-out wrong. (I did forget to mention the US Attorney for Massachusetts is also black. So the Attorney General, US Attorney, Suffolk DA, and BPD police commissioner all blackk. 3/4 Black American)
Not only does that not pass the eye test at all, it doesnt pass the objective data test.
BTW
I read that all the people who checked Cape Verdean got their race moved to "some other race" without their knowledge.
In 2020, the Census reclassified the collection and processing of race and ethnicity data which led to large increases in the “some other race” and “two more races” categories independent of actual demographic or cultural changes.
...
respondents listing Brazilian or Cape Verdean origin were reassigned by the U.S. Census Bureau to the “some other race”
This makes sense because Brockton went from 50.9% non-Hispanic black in 2019-1-year ACS to 35.0% in the 2020 Census with 17% mixed race. Simple math would indicate...
Esp considering it was less than 5% mixed race in 2010.
That's actually wild that they unilaterally assigned CVs and Brazilians to some other race.
Yea it’s been discussed ad nauseam but that doesn’t make it any less wrong. Or just factually inaccurate. Again I can cite sources all day long on to what extent that it’s wrong. When I see it, I offer the corrections- I’m obligated to. Such is my life.
and frankly, the fact that Black Boston is dominated (or perceived to be dominated) by Caribbean and African origin people cuts against it. I've even seen people discount the blackness of places like NYC, DC, and Miami for these reasons.
Yea it’s been discussed ad nauseam but that doesn’t make it any less wrong. Or just factually inaccurate. Again I can cite sources all day long on to what extent that it’s wrong. When I see it, I offer the corrections- I’m obligated to. Such is my life.
^study by two black men at USC. FOund balckw ere overrpresented at state school in MA and had the higest graduation rate of any state, and entered colllege best prepared.
Its....like for people to get on here and declare it doesnt have a black middle class. Thats absolutely insane to me. Honestly...putting it in a bin with Harrisburg or Providence in that regard is truly wild.
It reminds me of some thread on surprising black populations someone (not me) said Boston and then some quoted it like most of the blacks in the Boston area live in Boston. Wasnt true. Easily identifiable that that was not true, mathematically false and not really close to true.. Never mind that a deflection away from Boston.
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