Does Milwaukee have a racism problem? I have wanted to visit... (Green Bay: apartment, crime)

[sub]

Not majority as in +50%, but still the largest group overall.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by sub

Not majority as in +50%, but still the largest group overall.

Milwaukee has a plurality of Blacks. However, the Black population is starting to drop.

[Jim Mac]

Every city has a racism problem

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Jim Mac

Every city has a racism problem

True. However, Milwaukee has garnered a reputation for it. It gets mentioned more than some other cities.

[Leona Valley]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

Milwaukee's Black population is starting to decrease. Milwaukee never really had a Black majority. It has a Black plurality. Blacks reached 39% of the population in 2010. As of 2020, it has dropped to 37.8%.

And during that time the white pop has decreased from 37 to 32.3 while the Hispanic and Asian % has increased.

[dbcook1]

I visited last year for the first time (I live in Virginia) and had an amazing experience. I personally did not see much in the way of racial strife while there and found neighborhoods like Walker's Point, Riverwest, Brady Street, and Brewer's Hill to be pretty diverse and accepting places (saw several BLM signs in windows and flags which was great). Now granted I am white so I am not sure if my experience would have been different if I were African American.

Now my best friend from high school in Georgia is African American and we are both HUGE Bucks fans. We recently reconnected on Facebook and I floated the idea of us both going to Milwaukee later this year for a game and he is down. I plan to take him around to all the neighborhoods I visited (and maybe some new ones further afield too) and am curious what his perspective will be. I will circle back after our visit there with an update.

One more thing of note. While I don't live there and know the specifics of what is driving the demographic change in neighborhoods, it does look like the more affluent east side areas of Milwaukee is where the African American population is booming from 2010 - 2010 in Milwaukee and the historically segregated and poverty stricken north side area is bleeding residents at a rapid clip. Milwaukee's east side diversity index has grown rapidly over the last decade as well:

African American population change on the East Side from 2010 - 2020:

Source: https://data.dispatch.com/census/tot...50-55079/#cmap

Diversity Index Change:

Source: https://data.dispatch.com/census/tot...50-55079/#cmap

[Master Jay]

I don't like to use descriptors...

But, I am Hispanic. I am almost 50-years-old. I live in Milwaukee County. I would say I experienced some incidents of racism as a young Hispanic in the 1980s/1990s (ages 16 to 21) in Wauwatosa and Menomonee Falls.

I also experienced a couple examples of racism when I was married and first moved to Hales Corners in 2003/2004.

So, the majority of my life has been rather smooth sailing..... fortunate for me, I guess.

[Allan Trafton]

Originally Posted by dbcook1

I visited last year for the first time (I live in Virginia) and had an amazing experience. I personally did not see much in the way of racial strife while there and found neighborhoods like Walker's Point, Riverwest, Brady Street, and Brewer's Hill to be pretty diverse and accepting places (saw several BLM signs in windows and flags which was great). Now granted I am white so I am not sure if my experience would have been different if I were African American.

Now my best friend from high school in Georgia is African American and we are both HUGE Bucks fans. We recently reconnected on Facebook and I floated the idea of us both going to Milwaukee later this year for a game and he is down. I plan to take him around to all the neighborhoods I visited (and maybe some new ones further afield too) and am curious what his perspective will be. I will circle back after our visit there with an update.

One more thing of note. While I don't live there and know the specifics of what is driving the demographic change in neighborhoods, it does look like the more affluent east side areas of Milwaukee is where the African American population is booming from 2010 - 2010 in Milwaukee and the historically segregated and poverty stricken north side area is bleeding residents at a rapid clip. Milwaukee's east side diversity index has grown rapidly over the last decade as well:

African American population change on the East Side from 2010 - 2020:

Source: https://data.dispatch.com/census/tot...50-55079/#cmap

Diversity Index Change:

Source: https://data.dispatch.com/census/tot...50-55079/#cmap

The reason the black population went up 87% in that area is due to the fact that almost all of that housing built on Commerce street was in the past 10 years or so. The street had almost no apartments 20 years ago, and now maybe thousands live on it. So it not a big surprise. Some of the buildings come with requirements that x amount of lower income apartments are set aside and the rest at market rate.

[InnovativeAmerican]

I'm a little late to this thread. Milwaukee is so segregated that white people in places like Cedarburg, Brookfield, New Berlin, West Bend, etc., will give you strange looks when you visit. Happened to me all the time when I lived in Mequon and would shop at Piggly Wiggly in Cedarburg. With Mlwaukee having a nearly 40% black population, you'd think they'd be used to seeing black people, but I reckon those suburban dwellers very seldom (if ever) visit Milwaukee. I have never seen a major city in a metro so disconnected from its suburbs like Milwaukee. Funny how I haven't experienced this in the Twin Cities (or even my hometown Detroit). If you're black, whether you're working-class or middle-class, please don't move to Milwaukee. Milwaukee is an immensely beautiful city with so much potential, but it still has a ton of racial problems. However, I'd like to avoid the Midwest altogether. Midwest nice has inconvenienced me in so many ways, personally and professionally. At least southern white people tell you how they truly feel about you and your community.

[MortonR]

I would say as soon as you cross the Ozaukee county line you're going to get "looks" all the way to Manitowoc or Green Bay.

Very few people of color once you get north of Milwaukee.

RM