{Days 22&23} BHM Appreciation Thread...Important cities?

Today, examining cities that have had some importance in black history….no real question, but feel free to comment on anything.





Atlanta: Blacks becoming a major force in Atlanta after the Civil War. In the late 1800’s, almost half of the residents were black, yet the city remained in racial turmoil. In 1915, ATL became the headquarters for the KKK, and during the 1960’s Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the leader of the civil rights movement, bringing more historic importance to the city. The MLK Jr. National Historic Site has helped make Atlanta a big tourist attraction for those interested in Black History.





Birmingham: this city was added to the Black History books in 1963, when four young black girls at Sunday school were killed by a bomb at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Riots soon erupted, and it was there that Martin Luther King was jailed for anti-segregation protests. Birmingham’s first black mayor, Richard Arrington helped create a historic district devoted to the civil rights movement. “The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute”- museum and research center, opened in 1992.





Boston: By 1700, Boston had an active abolitionist movement. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783, and by the 1830’s, Boston had become the center of American Abolitionist sentiment





Detroit: The Great Migration double Detroit’s black population from 6,000 in 1910, to 120,00 in 1930. By way of the auto and other industries, a black middle class developed, creating an important cultural community. In 1930, W.D. Fard founded the Nation of Islam. In the 1960’s, Motown Records pushed many leading black performers to stardom, ie: Diana Ross, Jackson 5. Today, Detroit is more than 75% black.





Harlem, NY: this city was the political and cultural center of African American life in the 20th century. The completion of Lenox Ave. subway made commuting to lower Manhattan easier, Blacks (many from the South and West Indies) began moving in. Black culture flourished during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and 30’s, led by the likes of Marcus Garvey, and other intellectuals. By 1960, what was left of Harlem was a poor community struggling with various social issues, still going on today.





Memphis: Beale St., which stretches along the Mississippi River, was the center of the Blues in the earlier part of the 20th century. With the Jim Crow laws in effect, Blacks migrated to Beale St., which was a thriving location of black businesses. Memphis is home of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.





Montgomery: This city represents a milestone in the civil rights movement. Famous for Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus, what followed was a boycott of the city’s segregated bus system by 17,000 black residents, this would help launch the civil rights movement. The 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March helped created the momentum that passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.





New Orleans: By the Civil War, light-skinned blacks called Creoles (descended from French %26amp; Spanish settlers, and African slaves) had created a healthy middle class community. A lot of creoles were educated and lived apart from black slaves. The slaves, kept alive vestiges of African culture by performing traditional songs and dances. The Jim Crow laws classified Creoles as blacks and barred them from white institutions. They were forced to mix with Blacks, the fusion of these cultures gave birth to Jazz and Blues, giving New Orleans the reputation for being one of the most musically creative cities in the U.S. Then of course Hurricane Katrina in 2005, forced most of the citizens to relocate, those left behind had no power, food, or drinkable water. There is currently no plan to rebuild some of the large scale structures in the city.





Nicodemus, Kansas: As Reconstruction came to an end in the 1870s, Many Black southerners feared they’d lose their civil liberties. Known as “Exodusters”, thousands fled to new black towns, like Nicodemus, which was promoted as “the Promised Land”. In 2 years, the community had 700 residents. Bad Weather + crop failures + Union Pacific Railroad’s decision to bypass the town = end for Nicodemus, it was soon deserted. The historical importance, communities such as this offered African Americans opportunities that were very rare in the 19th century.





Washington DC: A frequent stop for runaway slaves, many Blacks came to this area after the Civil War. By 1960, the city had a majority black population. The presence of black political organizations, and large marches in the 60’s, made Washington a major center of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, it is one of the largest and most prominent black-dominated communities in the United States.





Info for todays thread courteous of infoplease.com/bhmcities

{Days 22%26amp;23} BHM Appreciation Thread...Important cities?
Surprise surprise idiot... I did.





BTW, interesting.
Reply:That was funny little boy that doesnt read.
Reply:yes, i remember reading all about Marcus Garvey





interestin summary, ish i don't know
Reply:ay, ATL. hmmm, i remember going to the MLK site thing, and i think the church where he preached? iunno if he preached there or not but yah. very interesting dre.
Reply:whoa...too much information soldier. For a less intense BHM presentation please feel free to drop a line at:





http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...





Im back ya'll, and ready to rock
Reply:Harlem is changing again, brother... with real estate booming in NYC, rich folk looking to find the next hip, edgy neighborhood to gentrify and Bill Clinton's arrival, Harlem has morphed into the new Village (downtown Manhattan for those not from there). Where there were only fish and chicken shacks and weed spots, there are now Starbucks coffee shops and brownstones that cost a mint. It's not letting up and soon, all those people who made the area hip and edgy won't be able to afford to live there. It's a sad, sad tale...





Peace, Me
Reply:i find it hilarious that the other person who is jacking the BHM thread says that this is "too much information"...cuz now having a lot of knowledge and info is a bad thing...smh





thanx for ALL THE INFORMATION....very informative...4 those of us who actually know how to read and comprehend....
Reply:some day some how this all well end and people well be all equal ...
Reply:That is the longest Fkn question ive seen on yahoo answers... N i dont think people are gonna read all that lol