Lack of Black Americans in Southern California (Los Angeles, San Bernardino: university, earthquakes)

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by jamills21

Finally a legitimate question.

I'm from Mid City Los Angeles, which is Central LA. Where I grew up was very mixed ethnically. My next door neighbors were white, opposite side were Latino, next them black, white. Across the street going left to right was Korean/Black, Latino, White/Black, Filipino, Black, Korean, White, Black, and so on... I loved growing up there. Now, a lot of LA county is not like this. The Central parts of L.A. tend to be the most integrated. My neighborhood today have seen more whites, and asians, but blacks still buy homes in my hood.

I never had a problem hanging around anywhere. I never had been rejected entry cause I was black anywhere or felt like anybody had a problem with me. This is going to be different for everybody obviously and what they perceive as racist. I guess I can tell you that if you never want to deal with any race other than black people. Stay Home.

I apologize if my wording is not successful in what I'm trying to relay. I also grew up with a variety of races which I PREFER. I like learning about other cultures which is why I travel a lot. I grew up with Black, White, Filipino and Central American Latinos and we all got along with no problems. Attending college in Miami, I was usually the only AA in my group of friends as they were all first generation Carribbean Americans, Carribbean or Latino, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Chinese Jamaican and the list goes on and on. In NYC, my circle of friends was also very diverse including German, Ukranian, Korean, Japanese, NA from the NM Pueblos, Persian, etc. I say all this to reiterate the fact that I LOVE diversity. In all these groups, I was accepted with no question and had close friendships. The question I addressed here was wondering if AAs in LA as a whole are treated well and accepted by other races due to what I've read about other AAs having bad experiences. I'm not used to racial tension because in all the areas I lived in, diversity was normal and different cultures and ethnic groups hang around one another.

Thank you for clarifying the areas that you grew up in. That does matter as people interact with one another differently from neighborhood to neighborhood. Sometimes it is due to race. Other times it can be due to socioeconomic standing. Perhaps my interactions with people in certain neighborhoods may not have been due to race but me not wearing the latest designer clothes. I don't know honestly. But in reality, if you are looked at strangely and you are AA, the first assumption that one may assume is that it is happening because of one's race. It's a reaction that a lot of us have as AAs if complete strangers treat us oddly in a new environment.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by KOC_Sights

For you they may make a difference, I was born and raised in the LA area that you visit from time to time. For me, I've been the "minority" in every part of LA/Orange County. Diversity can be what you make. Either you embrace it or you let it affect your everyday life. I chose the former subconsciously at a young age. If you truly need to be surrounded by others that look like you then it may be best you stay where you are. To each their own, i personally couldn't imagine only seeing one race everyday. That's the appeal of LA, along with the women, w**d and weather.

I do the same. I've been in many areas where I was the only AA and felt completely comfortable. I only get uncomfortable if someone singles me out or profiles me. Like I said, I felt perfectly fine in DTLA. It was only when I ventured into other more remote areas/cities or places in the OC where I encountered staring. My male friend who is also AA had the same situation happen when he went into certain stores by himself (e.g. The Starbucks incidents I discussed previously). I definitely don't let it affect me, I just keep it moving. But as far as my everyday environment, I do prefer a culturally diverse setting where people do not make assumptions about me before getting to know me as a person. I tend to get along with just about everyone. It's sad that one culture would hate another culture without trying to get to know them as people first and see their commonalities.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

Cost of livong is going.up. Many Blacks are leaving as a result. Alot of Blacks who move to Georgia move to the suburbs. Many suburbs in metro Atlanta are majority Black, such as:
Powder Springs, Austell, Douglasville, Morrow, Lawrenceville, Stone Mountain, Redan, Lithonia, College Park, East Point, Fairburn.

Thanks, that clarifies the previous answer. I took it to mean that Blacks are leaving Atlanta as a whole and moving to other cities. I do know that a lot of Blacks and other races have moved from the NE and West to Houston due to the lower COL. I personally prefer a diverse city with a decent COL myself. The problem is that I am into the arts scene which can really only be found in either CA or NY. I'm dealing with the lack of an art community in MD now and it's not fun.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by West of Encino

There seems to be a lot of racial hate crimes in the LA region, according to the LA County Human Commission.

This is what I'm seeing online which is why I addressed it here. It is a sensitive topic of course but has to be factored in when you are considering making a move anywhere.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

I checked the statistics for LA county. There are close to 857,000 Blacks in LA county. While Blacks aren't the largest ethnicity in the county, a large number of Blacks can be found.

It is a question of where they make up a majority and where Blacks are moving to within the county.

Thanks for the answer!

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by NyWriterdude

It was not a culture shock at all me going to Los Angeles. I loved it. I've been in many places in the nation and I'm not attracted to a place just because of the percentage of Black people.

I also love it and wanted to get more of a picture on what it is like to live there. I know that there are a lot more things that you have to factor in when you live somewhere like taxes, COL, preferred lifestyle, political climate, affordability, etc. when you move to a new place as opposed to just visiting. So you live in LA now?

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by NyWriterdude

This thread has become muchado about nothing. Really the OP and NYtoDC have their opinions, and if you disagree with them, you disagree. And NYtoDC no one is forcing to move to Los Angeles and I doubt it matters to anyone if you like it or not. If you want to go, go. If not, don't.

It won't stop anyone else from doing whatever they do in regards to LA.

I understand that. Just came here to get more feedback which I did.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by jm1982

It must of been the Pacific Palisades HomeBoyz , you can find them chillin' in their lowered Volvos sippin' on Chardonnay in the Gelsons parking lot . Don't mess with those guys. Do you know who their daddys are?

Lol

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Oh ok I see, thanks for explaining. Yes I know that Atlanta suffered pretty bad with the housing crash and I'm sure it changed neighborhoods a lot. I know it happened to many parts of the country as well.
These homebuilders built out many new suburbs during the boom....and young families mostly moved into them ..but then with the crash many were just left vacant , which is always bad. Then after that the bank probably sold it to an investor for much less than the original price and then put a renter in there..which isn't always bad...but can be of course.

Yes I agree. That sucks you were harassed that way in the IT field. I wish you much success. Keep on Hustling!

Thank you! Right back at you. Yeah, IT can be a racially charged and misogynistic field at times. I had a young white female coworker who had been there for years and practically ran the place. They refused to promote her simply because she was female and the department subdivision she would have been promoted to was all male. Luckily, with her credentials, she was able to leave that place behind and find a greet engineering position somewhere else. It's the nature of the beast.

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by NYtoDC

So, if Blacks can't even feel comfortable in Atlanta (which used to be the Black Mecca from what I heard) what areas are left? The suburbs are slowly decaying in a lot of areas as well. I'm dealing with this issue now in my neighborhood which is why I am looking for other areas to live. That is why Black people have to step up their entrepreneurial game and become business owners. Sad...

This is the definition of black mecca. Only DC and Atlanta fits the definition of black mecca.


A black mecca, in the United States, is a city to which African Americans, particularly professionals, are drawn to live, due to some or all of the following factors:

-superior economic opportunities for blacks, often as assessed by the presence of a large black upper-middle and upper class
-black political power in a city
-leading black educational institutions in a city
-a city's leading role in black arts, music, and other culture
-harmonious black-white race relations in a city



As far as blacks leaving Atlanta they are leaving for the suburbs. Atlanta had the first housing project in the country (Techwood) and dozens of others were built in the CITY OF ATLANTA. After the city got rid of most of them those low income people moved to the suburbs. Also the average black person moving to Atlanta from somewhere with a high COL is probably going to move to the suburbs in a big house verses living in the city, generally speaking