Capital of Black America? (living, state, largest, place)

[NewOrleanstopics]

Originally Posted by afonega1

You make good points and actually New Orleans,and NYC were my very close choices.But you forget that not everyone who is black does not have the same story in the U.S. .The history of Boston,NYC,Savannah,Charleston are all represented well.black are well represented there.After all size has nothing to do with choosing a capital.

When I mention achievement I was talking about personal succes,not just the famous names,but everyday people.

Even before Katrina,Blacks that could afford to leave were leaving for Houston and Atlanta.Of course Katrina just exasperated it.

So if I would agree with you it would be this way:
until 1950's New Orleans all day.But for the last 40 or so years till present?;Atlanta all day.

You have some good points too. I'm a little perplexed why you would have New York on that list other then the Harlem renaissance history. Yes Charleston, Savannah, or historic cities but they are still anglo-saxton so blacks during slavery times did not get to maintain the roots music other then the Gullah people on the sea islands. Here the pulse is everywhere due to our French/Spanish Caribbean style of slavery we had. As for the last 40 years, yes New Orleans has lost alots of whites and blacks due to the high murder rate and a economy that focuses mainly on tourism/service, health, law, and the oil business. But that is really the only thing Atlanta has over New Orleans is a more diversed economy. It still does not have the living culture, living archetecture, and living history. It still does not have that connection to our African roots. Atlanta has only one thing. That is why I say New Orleans is the Capital of Black America.

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by NewOrleanstopics

Well like there is many aspects that makes a city "A black capital in your words", these other cities listed lack a main aspect that New Orleans has which is culture. What I mean by that is these cities do not have their own identity culturally. These other cities tried to forget their roots Here in New Orleans you live in the midst of the beginning of Black existence in the New World daily. I can walk down the street daily and see multiple things built by the hands of the slave. I can go out on any given sunday and walk out of church into a Second Line which roots are traced back to Africa. I can go to church then to a Vodou temple or JuJu lady and it want be imported Juju or Vodou. And these cultures from the roots have evolved into modern times too. Black achievement among blacks from New Orleans is high too. I can name many famous names in recent black history from here. Marc Morial (head of urban league), Dona Brazile, Suzanne Malveaux (cnn reporter), and Desiree Rodgers former White House Social Secretary for Obama. Remember even though New Orleans public school system is one of the worst, It has the top Black Catholic schools in the country with hundreds of years of success. Therefore there are many prominent educated blacks from here. While Atlanta and those other cities might have a better infrastructure, we have history, cuture, and prominent names from here. When it comes to qaulity of life happiness is a big part of that. People in New Orleans are very happy to live in New Orleans. Most people here living in poverty would rather live in New Orleans poor then comfortable in Atlanta. You just can't get the culture and the soul that is in New Orleans in these other cities.

First let me point out that you make some good points. New Orleans culture is definitely unique to all other cities in the US BUT to go as far as saying that culture is something you can find in NO and not the other cities is pushing a bit. From a historical perspective NO can easily hold its own but many of the other cities have just as much culture. Yes holding on to a lot of African traditions is amazing but African Americans have been here for a while now and have developed our own culture. You can't discredit other cities for their culture evolving. Because collectively it all played a part in making us what we are today (btw we all pretty much differ from city to city period....no city is exactly the same). NYC Harlem Renaisance played a major role in AA culture, hip hop originated in NYC as well. Detroit and Chicago IMO are some of the most unique cities as well when it comes to black culture. And its no denying that ATL has played a major role in AA culture as well.

There really is no capital of black america because we may share plenty of similarities but we also have many differences from region to region, city to city. Different struggles, differen outlooks *smh

[suburban_boy]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

I never denied Chicago, Atlanta or DC historic black communities. There are a couple of other cities Detroit and New Orleans that can also make that claim.

Atlanta was the chosen city of black media. Just look at the census data back in 1990 and you will see Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston black population where very similar in raw numbers. Atlanta gained a significant edge on those cities due enlarge part to black media. Negroes moved to ATL because BET said it was the promise land and you know it is some truth that O_O.

There is some truth to this.

However, isn't BET and TV one/Radio one based in DC? Isn't Ebony/Jet is based in Chicago? Therefore, it was the black media of other cities that pretty much christen the ATL as the "Black Mecca". Atlanta was chosen by the Black Media probably b/c for decades it has been a more economically viable, progressive-minded city that is very welcoming to Black professionals, entertainers and esp. Gay/Lesbian Blacks than any other city on this list (maybe with the exception of Houston). Also the combination of year-round warm wheather, record labels and large number of celebraties along with a black-owned film studio makes it feel like "Black Hollywood".

Now I think the mainstream media is jumping on the bandwagon. Networks like Bravo, VH1, MTV, TBS, Cartoon Network, etc. are featuring programs or series with majority or exclusively black casts to appeal to black audiences. Most of these shows are based most of them in the ATL (RHW of ATL, What Chilli Wants, Meet the Brown, House of Payne, Freaknic the Musical , etc)

I also believe that ATL a Mecca for the Independent Black women, which is why the city appears to have more fiiiiiiiiiiine black women than any other city.(Although, there's a lot of fine Black women in Chicago as well).

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by NewOrleanstopics

You have some good points too. I'm a little perplexed why you would have New York on that list other then the Harlem renaissance history. Yes Charleston, Savannah, or historic cities but they are still anglo-saxton so blacks during slavery times did not get to maintain the roots music other then the Gullah people on the sea islands. Here the pulse is everywhere due to our French/Spanish Caribbean style of slavery we had. As for the last 40 years, yes New Orleans has lost alots of whites and blacks due to the high murder rate and a economy that focuses mainly on tourism/service, health, law, and the oil business. But that is really the only thing Atlanta has over New Orleans is a more diversed economy. It still does not have the living culture, living archetecture, and living history. It still does not have that connection to our African roots. Atlanta has only one thing. That is why I say New Orleans is the Capital of Black America.

NEW YORK?Here is one reason:

GSA’s African Burial Ground project began in 1991, when, during excavation work for a new federal office building, workers discovered the skeletal remains of the first of more than 400 men, women and children. Further investigation revealed that during the 17th and 18th centuries, free and enslaved Africans were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground in lower Manhattan outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, which would become New York. Over the decades, the unmarked cemetery was covered over by development and landfill.

I have to correct you.Atlanta does have living architecture,culture ,etc.It may not be as old or as celebrated but it definitely there

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

There is some truth to this.

However, isn't BET and TV one/Radio one based in DC? Isn't Ebony/Jet is based in Chicago? Therefore, it was the black media of other cities that pretty much christen the ATL as the "Black Mecca". Atlanta was chosen by the Black Media probably b/c for decades it has been a more economically viable, progressive-minded city that is very welcoming to Black professionals, entertainers and esp. Gay/Lesbian Blacks than any other city on this list (maybe with the exception of Houston). Also the combination of year-round warm wheather, record labels and large number of celebraties along with a black-owned film studio makes it feel like "Black Hollywood".

Now I think the mainstream media is jumping on the bandwagon. Networks like Bravo, VH1, MTV, TBS, Cartoon Network, etc. are featuring programs or series with majority or exclusively black casts to appeal to black audiences. Most of these shows are based most of them in the ATL (RHW of ATL, What Chilli Wants, Meet the Brown, House of Payne, Freaknic the Musical , etc)

I also believe that ATL a Mecca for the Independent Black women, which is why the city appears to have more fiiiiiiiiiiine black women than any other city.(Although, there's a lot of fine Black women in Chicago as well).

Freaknic the Musical

Are u serious?LOL

[NewOrleanstopics]

Originally Posted by afonega1

NEW YORK?Here is one reason:



I have to correct you.Atlanta does have living architecture,culture ,etc.It may not be as old or as celebrated but it definitely there

Well every city has living architecture and culture. I misstated that. But what I am getting at is that New Orleans in many places is just how it was during the arrival of blacks in this country. The architecture and traditions practiced here today were practiced since the arrival of Africans to the United States. Therefore New Orleans is always connected to the roots of Black peoples existence in the United States. Pop culture is everywhere in this world but there is only one city in the Country where the Hip Hop culture immerses itself next to our original African traditions and that happens to be in New Orleans. I can go to the club and listen to rap here and then they might spin local songs that have been around for 100s of years and young people will be dancing to it just as hard as rap. Here in New Orleans we are always connected to our roots and ancestors. People have this misconception that New Orleans is not a evolving city but if that was the case you wouldn't have Cash Money, The start of the Civil Rights movement here, Bounce music, etc....New Orleans just never forgets its past and always celebrates the old traditions while celebrating the new traditions. That is what you do not have going on in Any other United States city and that is why New Orleans is truly the Black capital.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

There is some truth to this.

However, isn't BET and TV one/Radio one based in DC? Isn't Ebony/Jet is based in Chicago? Therefore, it was the black media of other cities that pretty much christen the ATL as the "Black Mecca". Atlanta was chosen by the Black Media probably b/c for decades it has been a more economically viable, progressive-minded city that is very welcoming to Black professionals, entertainers and esp. Gay/Lesbian Blacks than any other city on this list (maybe with the exception of Houston). Also the combination of year-round warm weather, record labels and large number of celebraties along with a black-owned film studio makes it feel like "Black Hollywood".

Everything else you wrote is true except the bolded. It's Chicago or NYC kind of cold, but we do in fact have a winter here. It's not anything like the "year round warm weather" you would find in California, Florida or south Texas.

[NewOrleanstopics]

Originally Posted by afonega1

NEW YORK?Here is one reason:GSA’s African Burial Ground project began in 1991, when, during excavation work for a new federal office building, workers discovered the skeletal remains of the first of more than 400 men, women and children. Further investigation revealed that during the 17th and 18th centuries, free and enslaved Africans were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground in lower Manhattan outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, which would become New York. Over the decades, the unmarked cemetery was covered over by development and landfill.

While that is a great part of Black history, I can go to one graveyard here alone and find 10,000 of graves of slaves and free blacks dating back to the days of slavery. New York has the Harlem Renaissance, The birth of Hip ,and the Apollo Theater, but all of those things would not have happened if it was not for Jazz. Jazz was born in New Orleans. The whole Harlem Renaissance was during the age of when Jazz was like Rap is today. Jazz would not have happened if it wasn't for New Orleans. The Apollo theatre was founded during the Harlem Renaissance, therefore it would have not been built if it wasn't for Jazz. Once again, where was Jazz born? Hip Hop would have not been born if it wasn't for Jazz cause there would have not been funk and Jazz tracks to sample. Furthermore, New Orleans still practices the practices from the 1700s and 1800s of blacks today widely, yet we practice the pop culture of Black America here too widely today. They don't do that in New York or any United States city and you know that yourself. I'm not saying that New York, Atlanta, or Washington DC are not great cities filled with monumental black history and living culture. I'm just saying that New Orleans has more Black history perserved here and a very long history here too. I'm just saying that New Orleans is still connected to the early African tradition that were practiced by slaves when they came off of the boat. New York or any other city in the United States is not. Therefore New Orleans has that over all of these other cities. Not only that, New Orleans is a place where the largest Black events are thrown in the country. Essence Fest and Bayou Classics. We have the new here and we have the old. Not to mention New Orleans is a major port city where more slaves came into the any other city in the United States so more black peoples Ancestors passed first threw this port then any other in the United States. New Orleans is the true black capital becaues it lives in the old and new times simotaneously. In New Orleans the beginning of black American existence in the United States stairs you in the face everyday while hip hop culture does too. Nowhere else in the United States does this happen to the magnitude that it happens in New Orleans and you know that too.

[Exult.Q36]

What city was the political and production center of confederacy and epic center of the civil rights movement in the state of Texas? It is also considered cultural capital of black Texas and a famous HBCU exist in this city.

Hint it wasn't Dallas or Houston

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

What city was the political and production center of confederacy and epic center of the civil rights movement in the state of Texas? It was also known as the cultural capital of black Texas due to its black institutions of higher learning.

Hint it wasn't Dallas or Houston

Waco?