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But make no mistakes, the Bay Area is not a great place for the black upper middle class.
Then why do we have so many compared to other cities?
Combined Statistical Areas, Black Households That Earn $150,000+ Annually, 2012
Washington DC 10.4%
Bay Area 7.6%
New York 6.1%
Boston 6.0%
Los Angeles 5.9%
Houston 4.4%
Atlanta 4.0%
Dallas 3.6%
Chicago 3.5%
Philadelphia 3.3%
Detroit 2.3%
And please don't use cost of living as an excuse because New York is just as expensive as here and yet the Bay Area still has a higher percentage of high income Black households.
It's kind of strange that someone who is here and is apparently succeeding would then complain that there's just no way for others like him to also succeed.
If you think SF is better for black people than DC, NY, and Atlanta then you really are biased. I'm a black male who established his career on the East Coast. I couldnt imagine how hard it would be to establish a career out here. Now that I've reach a kre senior role, I'm out here honing my chops. But make no mistakes, the Bay Area is not a great place for the black upper middle class.
I never said SF was 'better' than those cities. In fact, IIRC I remember saying that SF is not nearly as diverse as Oakland- it isn't. But to deny that Oakland has no black, middle class folks is BS. The original question was: Are there any established middle class black communities in the Bay Area? Why yes, there are! Funny how the OP never came back...
I never said SF was 'better' than those cities. In fact, IIRC I remember saying that SF is not nearly as diverse as Oakland- it isn't. But to deny that Oakland has no black, middle class folks is BS. The original question was: Are there any established middle class black communities in the Bay Area? Why yes, there are! Funny how the OP never came back...
Makes you wonder if OP thinks SF is the only place in the Bay Area, people from other areas don't realize how big the Bay Area is, granted you are talking about a place 5-15 miles from SF downtown. So I don't know what their problem is, probably the high bar for it being considered "black", the OP doesn't consider it black unless other races are a small or tiny minority. I'm guessing they just don't feel comfortable living around a significant number of people of a different race for some reason.
If you think SF is better for black people than DC, NY, and Atlanta then you really are biased. I'm a black male who established his career on the East Coast. I couldnt imagine how hard it would be to establish a career out here. Now that I've reach a kre senior role, I'm out here honing my chops. But make no mistakes, the Bay Area is not a great place for the black upper middle class.
There are black people in tech, I think establishing a career out here is easier than other areas due to all the competition companies have for talent. This is the largest reason I and my partner live here, my partner is black, and he wouldn't try to establish his career elsewhere for that reason, having companies have more leverage is not a good thing for the rank and file tech workers.
"But make no mistakes, the Bay Area is not a great place for the black upper middle class."
That really depends, but if you're in tech, this is the best place to be, it is a great place to move up in your career. I think at some point though one's career plateaus and it makes sense to look at moving to a branch office then due to the COL. Other careers can be less lucrative here than other metros.
I disagree.More blacks going into STEM fields would alleviate unemployment and increase wealth. The bay area is a center for STEM careers and generally wealthy compared to the rest of the country
I work in tech, I am not STEM, and I am doing OK. I could have made some different choices and potentially been doing better, but who knows.....I still have plenty of time/opportunity for hitting that big cash out.
The largest issue for blacks in tech is really about networking. Most tech companies hire from their friends/social circles. If you don't find a way to break in via personal networks, then you need to be stellar.
I disagree.More blacks going into STEM fields would alleviate unemployment and increase wealth. The bay area is a center for STEM careers and generally wealthy compared to the rest of the country
Well I'm not against more Blacks going into those STEM fields but at the same time Black business ownership is needed more in most Black communities. I've noticed how several people have pointed out how most of the Black areas in SF are poor areas. Well if those Black areas are like many other poor Black areas around the country they probably have a situation where few Black people in those areas own businesses and the Black spending dollar doesn't circulate once.
I actually promote Blacks having more diversified routes to the middle class. The problem with the Black middle class in general in the U.S is that it's too concentrated in gov't jobs. There's only so many middle class paying gov't jobs. We need more Blacks using business ownership as a route to the middle class. These businesses will then create more employment for those poor unemployed Blacks in SF and other parts of the Bay Area. So I agree with more Blacks going into STEM fields and taking gov't jobs as routes to the mdidle class but lets diversify this by adding more Black business ownership as a route to the middle class.
Well I'm not against more Blacks going into those STEM fields but at the same time Black business ownership is needed more in most Black communities. I've noticed how several people have pointed out how most of the Black areas in SF are poor areas. Well if those Black areas are like many other poor Black areas around the country they probably have a situation where few Black people in those areas own businesses and the Black spending dollar doesn't circulate once.
I actually promote Blacks having more diversified routes to the middle class. The problem with the Black middle class in general in the U.S is that it's too concentrated in gov't jobs. There's only so many middle class paying gov't jobs. We need more Blacks using business ownership as a route to the middle class. These businesses will then create more employment for those poor unemployed Blacks in SF and other parts of the Bay Area. So I agree with more Blacks going into STEM fields and taking gov't jobs as routes to the mdidle class but lets diversify this by adding more Black business ownership as a route to the middle class.
18mountclair posted data that ranked percentage of black household with greater than $150,000 income
Washington DC 10.4%
Bay Area 7.6%
New York 6.1%
Boston 6.0%
Los Angeles 5.9%
Houston 4.4%
The DC statistical area is highly government and military while the Bay Area is highly STEM fields.in order to make your point you would have to supply data showing that a statistical area has higher black business and more blacks making $150,000 than DC or the Bay Area
I also believe most small businesses fail does anyone have data on that? Most of the people I know who went into small business had substantial family money
18mountclair posted data that ranked percentage of black household with greater than $150,000 income
Washington DC 10.4%
Bay Area 7.6%
New York 6.1%
Boston 6.0%
Los Angeles 5.9%
Houston 4.4%
The DC statistical area is highly government and military while the Bay Area is highly STEM fields.in order to make your point you would have to supply data showing that a statistical area has higher black business and more blacks making $150,000 than DC or the Bay Area
I also believe most small businesses fail does anyone have data on that? Most of the people I know who went into small business had substantial family money
When I was in law school, I learned that 80% of small businesses fall. 80% of the CEOs in this country are white also. It's where we are as a country. We've got a Republican silicon valley venture capitalist who wants to split the state up into six parts. He wants a state called "silicon valley" because he knows he's got a good thing here that effectively excludes blacks without appearing to be racist...a right-winger's dream.
Unfortunately, the bay area, particularly silicon valley, practices a new form of racism under the veil of "meritocracy", often referred to as "color-blind racism". This occurs when people in the area support "liberal" causes, pretend as if race doesn't matter and everyone is equal, yet the EFFECT is that blacks are diminishing in numbers and excluded as major players in every high tech company and venture capital firm. Frankly, one would be hard-pressed to find one black engineer thriving in the multitude of high tech firms, creating 100s of new millionaires and quite a few billionaires per year during upswing periods. In essence, silicon valley shows Left, but practices Right when it comes to black people. Whites in the area are largely apathetic and indifferent, floating through life as if racism no longer exists, without noticing or acknowledging that years can go by, and not one black person is seen in a prominent position as a major player in the happenings of a booming SV tech industry. Asians certainly focus on the STEM fields and excel. They study an ungodly number of hours, go to the best "name" schools, get hired by the "premier" companies in the valley who only hire from the name schools (eg. Google, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Facebook, etc.), yet do nothing to open the door for even the most qualified of blacks. Indians are merely happy to be extended a piece of the pie, given the privilege of being sought after. They merely need to do well in school. Unfortunately, qualified blacks are not extended the same consideration, and IMO, this makes the bay area's "liberal" label entirely superficial. Asians and Indians both practice severe separatist behavior, and unfortunately, they do discriminate against blacks in large enough numbers to perpetuate the problem.
At one time I thought there just weren't enough qualified black people to work in valley, but I was once a software engineer in the valley, and a headhunter in the area. I moved here from the east coast in '89. The sharpest, most gifted engineers I have ever worked with and encountered, were black. Yet, time and time again, they were severely hampered in their ability to get hired, get fair treatment once hired, get promoted and treated favorably despite working doubly hard, and being accepted in the culture. Frequently mentioned was a culture of frivolity and folly that offended their sense of dignity. A white engineer who acts like a child, plays games all the time, and routinely cracks corny quips, is considered creative and a welcome part of the culture. A black guy who does this, is simply considered incompetent, and his behavior is proof that he isn't to be taken seriously. Big problems with the culture. So many blacks leave, not because they are unqualified and unable to do the work. They simply find the culture one that is too "cartoon network" to respect as a professional.
One more comment. "Diversity" is a word frequently tossed around about the bay area. Right-wingers would like this term to mean that the area is comprised of many races, excluding blacks (even latinos). "Diverse" here means that the area has many different cultures, but dilutes the practice of excluding blacks as major players through color blind racism. At one time, this term meant that blacks specifically were included in the local culture at every level. This is not the bay area, particularly SV. Oakland shouldn't be the only place touted as the place most advantageous for blacks. San Francisco, the peninsula cities including Palo Alto, Mountain View, the South Bay, including San Jose, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and Santa Clara should also be touted, but it's a shame that these places can't be.
Combined Statistical Areas, Black Households That Earn $150,000+ Annually, 2012
Washington DC 10.4%
Bay Area 7.6%
New York 6.1%
Boston 6.0%
Los Angeles 5.9%
Houston 4.4%
Atlanta 4.0%
Dallas 3.6%
Chicago 3.5%
Philadelphia 3.3%
Detroit 2.3%
And please don't use cost of living as an excuse because New York is just as expensive as here and yet the Bay Area still has a higher percentage of high income Black households.
It's kind of strange that someone who is here and is apparently succeeding would then complain that there's just no way for others like him to also succeed.
I'm just saying.
Keep in mind in regards to Washington D.C. that the Federal Government is a huge employer there. If it wasn't there I'd comfortably say the Bay Area would be no. 1 on this list.
I think the big issue here is that people from neighborhoods with blacks that are overwhelming and historically depressed and poor, don't realize how the Bay Area works. Unlike other regions, money screams louder than your skintone. STEM jobs are really important here, and it's a gateway for many blacks into the life of upper middle-class and wealth.
As others stated, there is no black neighborhoods to the East Coast's extent, because blacks want to live among other wealthy people. You think upper middle class blacks want to cuddle with East Oakland? Over the Berkeley Hills? No, they don't. We don't.
Blacks make more money in the bay, but so does everyone. Cost of living is the highest out of any metro in the us.
Doesn't matter if you are a cop, walmart worker, what ever, you will earn more to compensate for high cost of living.
The feds finally adjusted the poverty rate to include cost of living, which now shows california to have the highest poverty in the us, with many blacks stuck.
I also think it is funny how many people who are not black, yet seem to fancy themselves as experts on our culture.
Notice how it is perfectly fine for other races in the bay to seek their own enclaves, marin, china town, fremont, fruitvale and hayward..
But when a black person inquires about the lack of an enclave, it is met with hostility and condescension from (*big surprise*)people who are not black.
Everyone gets their own enclave, but blacks and poor whites can't have this. They must live multicultural. How dare they long for their own communities!
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