Heh, back in the day white flight was the worst thing that ever happened to black people. Now it's allegedly reversing (I'm really not convinced that there are more white people who want to live in cities, than those who want to live in exurbs, for instance) and it's still a problem for black people. The Wall Street Journal looks at more whites moving into cities and blacks moving out and concludes there must be a crisis afoot:
In Washington, a historically black church is trying to attract white members to survive. Atlanta's next mayoral race is expected to feature the first competitive white candidate since the 1980s. San Francisco has lost so many African-Americans that Mayor Gavin Newsom created an "African-American Out-Migration Task Force and Advisory Committee" to help retain black residents.
"The city is experiencing growth, yet we're losing African-American families disproportionately," Mr. Newsom says. When that happens, "we lose part of our soul."
Oh no, not our soul! A black church actually trying to attract white members, a white guy actually running for office in Atlanta, and a big city mayor who has to fight to keep black people. Race war, indeed. Sometimes, there really is no way to win with media. Part of the reason cities like Atlanta are becoming white is because black folks (like myself) who grew up caged in cities want their taste of the stereotypical American dream and thus are leaving. But there never is any black agency--to be African-American is to be an automaton responding to either white racism or cultural pathology. No way you could actually have free will. Race war, always Race war. And the whites win. Again.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
i love the fact that as african-americans, we are somehow supposed to be tethered to urban areas, thus making us an integral part of the urban landscape.
come on! this is insane. black folks aren't inherently made for city living (see the great migration, parts 1 & 2). but yes, this is another example of the "box" many of us are lumped into by prevailing stereotypes.
and i'm sure all types of folk are moving out of san fran. maybe gavin needs to work on creating some affordable housing, hmm?
Dear Mayor Newsome,
I've been cool with you ever since you forced the gay marriage issue--you're a real straight ally--and I'd be happy to help with getting more black folks in SF. All you have to do is find me a place to live that I can afford, and I'm totally there. The only reason I'm in Sacramento with it's crappy air quality and 100+ degree summers is that my fiancee (!) and I can't afford to live in the Bay Area on her SSDI income and my salary from UC Davis. I can assure you, though, that we love San Francisco, and would love to live there.
Sincerely,
Me
"...black folks (like myself) who grew up caged in cities want their taste of the stereotypical American dream and thus are leaving."
Yup.
Black folks have created a whole 'nother world of exurban mini-mansions, mega-churches and a general lifestyle of conspicuous consumption in PG County.
Accokeek, Upper Marlboro, Bowie, etc.
Doesn't the alarmist nature of the referenced articles really say that their is some appropriateness to limit black people to living in heart of cities and no where else - or it is a problem that must be solved? Last time I checked in my suburb black dudes can pay Mexicans to cut their laws just as swell as the white guys.
As a resident of Atlanta I'd just point out that the city itself isn't getting "whiter" because black folk are moving out. Moreso, white folks are moving back in. By the droves. That whole "live in the 'burbs and commute 2 hours each way" thing got really old. And as the former white-flighters are moving back in they're moving into traditional black neighborhoods (because middle class white families can't all afford to live in Buckhead or Morningside either.) So you're getting a lot of new white residents in places like Castleberry Hill, Blandtown and The Old Fourth Ward.
And yes, you're getting more black families out in the suburbs as they too rush out to chase the two-car, postage stamp lawn, what's-left-of-the American Dream.
I didn't know a white guy was running for mayor though. I'm probably going to vote for Franklin's successor because she's my district rep over in the maybe-not-as-black, possibly a deep caramel brown 30318.
Which leads us to the next crisis ... white flight from the suburbs. Someone tell Newsome, so he can form a committee.
My God, Ta-Nehisi, my brother, have you not heard about The Dark Crusaders (aka: The Black Crusaders)?! http://www.chappelletheory.com/index.html
Careful with what you say or they'll come after you, too!
....and a big city mayor who has to fight to keep black people.....HA! This is an over rated cow-town, whose quality of life is evaporating along with the fog each 'summer' day....EssEff has the lowest percentage of residents who could afford to buy in the city in which they live. We're taxed to death, used as guinea pigs for the board of supervisors' and mayor's 'progressive' programs, where the streets and skools have gone down the toilet- and Gavin Greusome wants then to do to CA as he's done to this place....The same progressives that trashed the Fillmore district, which has yet to recover- historically African-American neighbourhood- now they want to fix it? God help us in Frisco.
To understand a little more about the African-American story in San Francisco, watch "The Fillmore: It Was Called "The Harlem of the West"-
Then Urban Renewal Came to Save It", at:
http://www.pbs.org/kqed/fillmore/program/index.html
Money quote:
"Many people have ascribed racist motives to redevelopment," says Rick Butler, who directed the documentary. "There was a phrase at the time: 'Urban renewal equals Negro removal' -- and quite a few of our interviewees point out that whether it was deliberate or not, the Black presence in San Francisco practically disappeared with the bulldozing of the Fillmore."
Interesting discussion. As a white upper middle class male from the suburbs, I've always found it strange how big city liberals treat both gentrification AND suburban racial segregation as evil.
When I moved to NYC, I lived in transitional areas for two major reasons - I was broke (when I say upper middle class, none of my friends were in the trust fund set ), and I wasn't as racist or paranoid as the white kids who were willing to pay twice as much to live in a white neighborhood.
If that's evil, sorry. Sorry for paying my rent on time, sorry for supporting locally-owned restaurants and shops, sorry for being okay with being around a lot of non-whites. I guess liberals want us to stay in our own indigenous racial zones - which for me would require living in environmentally inefficient suburbs.