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That is the thing, there are more than one that usually do, if the area is of at least a "substantial" size. for instance, here is a list with companies based all over the country: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/bes...diversity/2018
Some of the cities mentioned are of various sizes and have operations in multiple places. At least a few of the companies are in the area I'm in(#'s 4, 36 and 61), with others in nearby areas. So, some of this comes down to the skills/education a person has as well.
But even then, your chances are much lower of finding another position in your field with an employer that values diversity in a smaller market. On top of that, if the social scene is somewhat lacking and the city isn't at least in a larger dynamic region, folks would be more likely to just head to a bigger market with more opportunities if the initial job didn't pan out, especially if they weren't there long enough to really get connected and plugged in to the local scene.
At the end of the day, Black folks aren't doing anything different than what everyone else is doing.
If you look at the Unemployment rate by state, many of the "Shine Belt" states are statistically insignificant from a "Rust Belt" state. For every state with a good economy in the south.....I can match it with a state with a good economy in the North.
People are not moving to the rust belt because that is not the direction the crowds are running and people are basically just following the crowd right now, given that economic factors are not pushing people from one region to another, with the exception of people living the high cost of living on the West or East coasts.
If you are an AA professional, you would probably find more opportunities in Minneapolis than many of the "hot" cities where large numbers of blacks are moving. There are also many medium sized metros in the Midwest that are doing quite well economically. Furthermore, cities like Detroit are deceptive when it comes to opportunity. There is actually opportunity there for people with education and skill sets, but because there are so many people in the area without the education and skill sets, that its hard for them to find jobs as the area is traditionally an area where one did not need education to make good money in factories.
What you are saying USED to be true.....not so much now. People just are not hip to the new realities and still mostly following the herd. Also, people are often addicted to things that are "new" and or different. It's like you are dating this women and she is smart, pretty, nice personality....but after you have been with her awhile it gets "old" and you find someone else "new"....until that one gets old and then you find the next one, etc...never looking to settle down but just looking to take advantage of ALL that is out there. It's like you are chewing the gum for the sugar...and not for the chew. So once the sugar is gone from the initial burst of a new piece.....you discard it for a new sugary piece.
The Midwest has good chewing now....it just does not have the sugar like the south has for a lot of people. Its "old gum".
One thing you're missing though is that the South is the ancestral homeland for most African Americans. Characterizing it as some entirely new shiny toy is a bit disingenuous, and many of us have long entertained the idea of returning "home." Remember, many of us weren't all that enamored with Northern cities during the Great Migration either.
But even then, your chances are much lower of finding another position in your field with an employer that values diversity in a smaller market. On top of that, if the social scene is somewhat lacking and the city isn't at least in a larger dynamic region, folks would be more likely to just head to a bigger market with more opportunities if the initial job didn't pan out, especially if they weren't there long enough to really get connected and plugged in to the local scene.
At the end of the day, Black folks aren't doing anything different than what everyone else is doing.
Good points, but that(not doing anything different)could also be an issue. An example of what I am referring to is the movement of some immigrants to neighborhoods and they pool the money they have to build up neighborhoods that were viewed as not being desirable. In turn, they build up the neighborhood economically as well. Bangladeshis are doing this in parts of Buffalo’s East Side. I’m not saying that everyone should do that, but I think that there is an opportunity to do something similar, if there is a plan in place. That is how gaps get closed and there are plenty of places where it is possible.
BINGO!!! That is a great example of what I am talking about. The south is growing because it has the momentum/trend. Growth begets growth. People moving to a place means lots to new construction for housing and commercial establishments to sell things to the new residents and businesses (all requiring new jobs to do). A good part of the economy in the south is GROWTH itself. To me, its kind of a ponzi scheme...meaning that if population growth died....the economy would collapse.
Last edited by Indentured Servant; 03-21-2019 at 12:18 PM..
One thing you're missing though is that the South is the ancestral homeland for most African Americans. Characterizing it as some entirely new shiny toy is a bit disingenuous, and many of us have long entertained the idea of returning "home." Remember, many of us weren't all that enamored with Northern cities during the Great Migration either.
Well....I consider Africa my ancestral homeland. The south is where my ancestors were enslaved. However, I get your point, but I don't think people born up north see it as their native land. What you say is true for my parents generation, because they came from the south. However, most blacks who were not born in the south see it as something shiny and new to them.
I am not throwing shade on the south. I am just saying that I do not see it as a SUPERIOR place to be for AA, at this point in time.
One thing you're missing though is that the South is the ancestral homeland for most African Americans. Characterizing it as some entirely new shiny toy is a bit disingenuous, and many of us have long entertained the idea of returning "home." Remember, many of us weren't all that enamored with Northern cities during the Great Migration either.
A lot of people I know that live in the South simply won't consider Northern cities because they don't want to deal with the cold anymore. This includes people that grew up in the North. For the people who grew up in the South whose families never left they even have less desire to consider Midwestern or Northeastern cities. As far as people finding jobs with unskilled labor ..There are also a lot of automobile and parts plants that have sprung up in southern cities over the last 20-25 years. This was happening at the time when the big American manufactures particularly the big 3 were doing massive job cuts.
A lot of people I know that live in the South simply won't consider Northern cities because they don't want to deal with the cold anymore. This includes people that grew up in the North. For the people who grew up in the South whose families never left they even have less desire to consider Midwestern or Northeastern cities. As far as people finding jobs with unskilled labor ..There are also a lot of automobile and parts plants that have sprung up in southern cities over the last 20-25 years. This was happening at the time when the big American manufactures particularly the big 3 were doing massive job cuts.
The cold is definitely a draw back of living up north for AA....because we tend to not get along with the cold to well...lol. I am one of those who hate the winters up here, but to be honest, the winters are getting milder than they used to be. I don't know if it is global warming, but winter is not as bad as it used to be. That having been said, there are also a lot of people who cannot stand the heat of living in a place like Houston or New Orleans....or even Atlanta. However, there are probably more black folks that hate the cold than hate the heat.....my brother loves hot steamy days.
I think we live in fortunate times in that there appears to be opportunity for AA in most regions of this nation. We had to move from the South for better opportunity and to escape legalized oppression, then we had to escape from the the economic depression of a collapsed industrial economy in the Midwest. Now, we can pretty much choose where we want to live as a people. That is what is really important to me....we can choose where we want to live and there is opportunity in nearly all regions for us.
I don't want to throw shade on the folks in the south or the south as a place. The south is a good place to be....but its not the only place where there is opportunity for AA these days. I can't think of how my life would be better by living in the south, other than not having to deal with the snow and cold for 4 months out of the year. That is made up for, in the Twin Cities, by the quality of life though. Everyone is different and has different taste, though. Like I said, I am a square.....never been a player. I am a family man in where I live is conducive for family life. If I was a player this might not be the place for me, but if you live in a metro of 3 million or more people and there is at least 200k black folks.....if you can't get your player on....then it's probably not the place.....but the player.
also....I am a very conscious black person. I guess the term for that today is being "woke". Things "black" is very important to....our history, our struggle, our rise, etc. I don't feel like I am missing out on much living where I do. When I first moved here I did.....but the black population of the area has grown significantly....and I love that a large percentage of the black population here are native Africans.
Last edited by Indentured Servant; 03-21-2019 at 12:48 PM..
Just a note that black population shifts are not entirely due to domestic migration:
1. The black birthrate has been falling faster than the white birthrate, with the two now almost having reached parity. If a part of the country has a sub-replacement fertility level, then it's termed a "natural" decrease. Certainly in rural areas where the young people moved away decades ago, like much of the Black Belt, this is happening. This dynamic may also be the case in some older cities.
2. Black people do immigrate to the U.S. - from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Thus some of the black population growth is undoubtedly due to immigration.
3. A more lowkey thing is the increasing number of multiracial children in America. One-droppism does not rule the way it did historically, and a lot of people who are - say 1/4th black by ancestry may not self-identify as being black on the census. All things considered when there's little difference between the black and white birth rate, you'd expect both the number of black people and the number of white people to fall as the number of interracial people rises.
I don't know if her opinion is a result of the D...or the D.... but I think its on point.
Detroit is underrated people only know the bad about it so I'm not surprised at her reaction. It's a more mature city that was once one of the largest cities in the US. There's so much history, architecture and culture there. With some of the sunbelt cities you get a lot of suburban cookie cutter blandness until those cities start to mature but that's how a lot of them are initially. I still think she's at least half motivated by the 2nd D though...
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