African American Community and Business information in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Shoreview: middle-class, school)

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by lunabobo

I guess you may be right, about that. The area sounds wonderful. I guess I am afraid of the stereotypical so called Midwestern mentality. It can be a bit frightening. You would think for a person who has lived all over the world and knows that these stereotypes mean nothing, I would be able to let go of such unfounded bias. Thank you really for answering all of my questions with patience.

I think your stereotype of the Midwest is that it is close-minded?

I would caution you that the opposite is true. Midwesterners-- particularly Minnesotans-- are more of a 'live and let live' type. We're conditioned from an early age to mind our own business, and that weirdly leads to a pretty accepting atmosphere for people of all sorts of different backgrounds, cultures, opinions and affiliations.

More to your point, check out the German-American Institute on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. I can't help you much on the African-American stuff...you don't really find neighborhoods that are 90% African-American and 10% white, or vice-versa. That's something that's very different, I think, between the Twin Cities and Pittsburgh (where I live now) and other rustbelt cities. A typical neighborhood back home will be comparably racially and ethnically diverse-- my old neighborhood, for instance, was probably about 50% African-American, 30% white folks, 10-20% Hispanic/Latino of any race, 5-10% American-Indian.

The Northside is sort of the hub of African-American activities. Even there, a predominantly African-American neighborhood is only going to be about 70%, with the other 30% being white or Asian-American. I think of Bryn-Mawr as a hub for some African-American businesses, and there are cute coffee shops and boutiques up there, too. The annual Juneteenth celebration always happens in Wirth Park, very near there.

Since we are so far north, fewer families came to Minneapolis during the Great Migration than to, say, Chicago or St. Louis. Our African-American community is a pretty eclectic mix of families that are "traditional" African-Americans, and immigrants from East Africa that have come over relatively recently (within the past 20 years). I have no doubt you'll be able to find the things you are looking for in terms of African-American culture if you seek it out...

[west336]

I thought the Great Migration impact on Minneapolis-St. Paul had more to do with available lower-educated jobs than distance from the South (I mean, it's closer than LA or SFO). Particularly, the milling industry that WAS here wasn't hiring many people during the Great Migration.....or so I'm told and understood.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by west336

I thought the Great Migration impact on Minneapolis-St. Paul had more to do with available lower-educated jobs than distance from the South (I mean, it's closer than LA or SFO). Particularly, the milling industry that WAS here wasn't hiring many people during the Great Migration.....or so I'm told and understood.

Certainly a combination. Most of those jobs were already filled by European immigrants.

I think it was mostly a matter of where bus/train fare was cheapest, although I don't remember where I read that. I don't want to generalize, but most of the families on the West Coast tend to have ties to Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas (which is maybe equal distance or closer than Minneapolis?), most in Chicago, KC, and St. Louis have ties to Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi/Georgia. Most from Cincinnati eastward have ties to Georgia/Florida/the Carolinas/Virginia.

Now, Minnesota was sort of the last stop on the Underground Railroad before you hit Canada and freedom. Long before the Great Migration, African-Americans were settling down here because of that. The Dred Scott case was about a freed slave in Minnesota, although he was emancipated by his master, who was an officer at Fort Snelling, I believe?

[srsmn]

Here we go (scroll to second to last paragraph in "demographic changes"):

Great Migration (African American) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not totally definitive, but...

[Squeaky2012]

Originally Posted by srsmn

Certainly a combination. Most of those jobs were already filled by European immigrants.

I think it was mostly a matter of where bus/train fare was cheapest, although I don't remember where I read that. I don't want to generalize, but most of the families on the West Coast tend to have ties to Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas (which is maybe equal distance or closer than Minneapolis?), most in Chicago, KC, and St. Louis have ties to Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi/Georgia. Most from Cincinnati eastward have ties to Georgia/Florida/the Carolinas/Virginia.

Now, Minnesota was sort of the last stop on the Underground Railroad before you hit Canada and freedom. Long before the Great Migration, African-Americans were settling down here because of that. The Dred Scott case was about a freed slave in Minnesota, although he was emancipated by his master, who was an officer at Fort Snelling, I believe?

Your generalization is absolutely correct. You can also consider the Twin Cities area as part of a secondary black migration, which has occured in the past couple of decades as blacks have left large metros such as New York and Chicago, with their rapid deindustrialization and high COL for cheaper places such as the Southern U.S., Central Pennsylvania, and Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa. Those areas have a cheaper COL, a high level of low-skilled jobs (restaurants/retail/factories) generally better schools (don't want to generalize, since some districts are atrociously bad), and overall safer communities.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by lunabobo

I guess you may be right, about that. The area sounds wonderful. I guess I am afraid of the stereotypical so called Midwestern mentality. It can be a bit frightening. You would think for a person who has lived all over the world and knows that these stereotypes mean nothing, I would be able to let go of such unfounded bias. Thank you really for answering all of my questions with patience.

fyi, the stereotypical Minnesota mentality is "Minnesota nice", very little racism & an extremely integrated city. There's a reason so many young blacks from other parts of the country move here to play sports/attend the U of M or play for a local pro team & never leave. Especially guys from the South. If the cold doesn't kill them (lol) they realize how nice it is to leave all that Southern racial BS behind them & just live their lives here in the Twin Cities where work & housing are readily available to anyone with the will & the skills.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by srsmn

I think your stereotype of the Midwest is that it is close-minded?

I would caution you that the opposite is true. Midwesterners-- particularly Minnesotans-- are more of a 'live and let live' type. We're conditioned from an early age to mind our own business, and that weirdly leads to a pretty accepting atmosphere for people of all sorts of different backgrounds, cultures, opinions and affiliations.

More to your point, check out the German-American Institute on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. I can't help you much on the African-American stuff...you don't really find neighborhoods that are 90% African-American and 10% white, or vice-versa. That's something that's very different, I think, between the Twin Cities and Pittsburgh (where I live now) and other rustbelt cities. A typical neighborhood back home will be comparably racially and ethnically diverse-- my old neighborhood, for instance, was probably about 50% African-American, 30% white folks, 10-20% Hispanic/Latino of any race, 5-10% American-Indian.

The Northside is sort of the hub of African-American activities. Even there, a predominantly African-American neighborhood is only going to be about 70%, with the other 30% being white or Asian-American. I think of Bryn-Mawr as a hub for some African-American businesses, and there are cute coffee shops and boutiques up there, too. The annual Juneteenth celebration always happens in Wirth Park, very near there.

Since we are so far north, fewer families came to Minneapolis during the Great Migration than to, say, Chicago or St. Louis. Our African-American community is a pretty eclectic mix of families that are "traditional" African-Americans, and immigrants from East Africa that have come over relatively recently (within the past 20 years). I have no doubt you'll be able to find the things you are looking for in terms of African-American culture if you seek it out...

Summit-University, the old "Rondo" neighborhood in St Paul which is a historic African-American neighborhood is much more of a cultural center for the black community in the Twin Cities than North Mpls imo. It was devastated by the construction of 1-94 in the 1960's, and devastated again in the 1980's by the crack epidemic but has made huge strides, seen a lot more racial integration (read" gentrification) & now areas like Cathedral Hill are exploding, Selby Ave has lot's of things happening now, the new Oxford Community Center is state-of-the-art, Selby JazzFest is big & with the light rail soon to be completed along University Ave there's an opportunity for even more black owned businesses in the area. The St Paul Urban League, Summit-U planning council & virtually all of the black church activity in St Paul occur here. It's an area where you'll find many strong, smart African Americans looking to build the neighborhood & I'm sure you'd be welcomed with open arms in the community if you chose to get involved.

Summit-University

Rondo Neighborhood & the Building of I-94 : Library : MNHS.ORG

MHS Library Catalog - View Individual Record

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by Mason3000

Summit-University, the old "Rondo" neighborhood in St Paul which is a historic African-American neighborhood is much more of a cultural center for the black community in the Twin Cities than North Mpls imo. It was devastated by the construction of 1-94 in the 1960's, and devastated again in the 1980's by the crack epidemic but has made huge strides, seen a lot more racial integration (read" gentrification) & now areas like Cathedral Hill are exploding, Selby Ave has lot's of things happening now, the new Oxford Community Center is state-of-the-art, Selby JazzFest is big & with the light rail soon to be completed along University Ave there's an opportunity for even more black owned businesses in the area. The St Paul Urban League, Summit-U planning council & virtually all of the black church activity in St Paul occur here. It's an area where you'll find many strong, smart African Americans looking to build the neighborhood & I'm sure you'd be welcomed with open arms in the community if you chose to get involved.

Summit-University

Rondo Neighborhood & the Building of I-94 : Library : MNHS.ORG

MHS Library Catalog - View Individual Record

Very familiar with the area-- worked at Lexington and University and was somewhat active with that community.

Highway 94 really destroyed it, but there's been a resurgence, for sure. Rondo Days is a community institution around there, as well as the Central High School marching band and drum line.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by Squeaky2012

Your generalization is absolutely correct. You can also consider the Twin Cities area as part of a secondary black migration, which has occured in the past couple of decades as blacks have left large metros such as New York and Chicago, with their rapid deindustrialization and high COL for cheaper places such as the Southern U.S., Central Pennsylvania, and Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa. Those areas have a cheaper COL, a high level of low-skilled jobs (restaurants/retail/factories) generally better schools (don't want to generalize, since some districts are atrociously bad), and overall safer communities.

All true. Also, typically better social services and safety nets in Minnesota than in other states, so when issues tied to deindustrialization-- income disparity and poverty, namely-- arose in places like Chicago, we became a magnet for transplants from that area (of any race, actually...)

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by srsmn

All true. Also, typically better social services and safety nets in Minnesota than in other states, so when issues tied to deindustrialization-- income disparity and poverty, namely-- arose in places like Chicago, we became a magnet for transplants from that area (of any race, actually...)

This.