WASHINGTON (AP) — The Great Migration, the 60-year escape from segregation and racism that brought American blacks to the North, has reversed course. Better jobs and quality of life in the South are beckoning, as is the lure of something more intangible — a sense of home.
"It's no coincidence that the shift is
happening as we encounter economic turmoil that is being felt
disproportionately among blacks, such as mortgage foreclosures, loss of jobs
and economic devastation in major Northern hubs," said Hilary Shelton,
director of the NAACP's Washington bureau. "With major changes and less
racial devastation in the South, people are finding their way back."
The nation's black population grew by roughly 1.7
million over the last decade. About 75 percent of that growth occurred in the
South — primarily metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami
and Charlotte, N.C. That's up from 65 percent in the 1990s, according to the
latest census estimates. The gains came primarily at the expense of Northern
metro areas such as New York and Chicago, which posted their first declines in
black population since at least 1980.
Illinois had its first decline in the black
population in the state's history, with the number of African-Americans
decreasing by 1.3 percent since 2000, according to official 2010 census figures
released Tuesday.
In all, about 57 percent of U.S. blacks now live in
the South, a jump from the 53 percent share in the 1970s, according to an
analysis of census data by William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings
Institution. It was the surest sign yet of a sustained reverse migration to the
South following the exodus of millions of blacks to the Midwest, Northeast and
West in the Great Migration from 1910 to 1970.
"The Great Migration of millions of
disenfranchised blacks from the South to Northern cities has now completely
turned around," Frey said. "Blacks now look to states like Georgia,
Texas and North Carolina as the places with the most promise in the 21st
century — a prospect that would have been unimaginable a generation ago."
The converts include Shelton Haynes, 33, a housing
manager in Atlanta. He grew up in New York City and lived in Harlem for many
years with his wife and two children before growing weary of the cost of living
and hectic pace. After considering other places in the South such as Charlotte,
the two settled on Atlanta, where Haynes' brother, sister-in-law and parents
now also live.
"We have a great support network of family and
friends here, and there is good community involvement, with our kids involved
in swimming, tennis and basketball," Haynes said. "In Atlanta, I also
see a lot of African-Americans do very well in a variety of professions, so it
was good to see things changing."
The findings, based on 2009 data, are expected to
be highlighted in official 2010 results that show changes in non-Hispanic black
populations in states such as Texas, New York, Georgia and Florida. Illinois' official
2010 data was released Tuesday. The recent census figures for blacks refer to
non-Hispanic blacks, which the Census Bureau began calculating separately in
1980.
Historically, the South was home to roughly 90
percent of the nation's blacks from 1790 until 1910, when African-Americans
began to migrate northward to escape racism and seek jobs in industrial centers
such as Detroit, New York and Chicago during World War I. After the
decades-long Great Migration, the share of blacks in the South hit a low of
about 53 percent in the 1970s, before civil rights legislation and the passage
of time began to improve the social climate in the region.
The current 57 percent share of blacks living in
the South is the highest level since 1960.
The latest estimates show that the Atlanta
metropolitan area increased by more than half a million blacks over the last
decade to about 1.7 million, making it the metro area with the second-largest
black population. Despite losing blacks, the New York metro area continued to
be home to the largest black population, at roughly 3.2 million.
The Chicago metropolitan area, which previously was
ranked No. 2 in black population, slipped to No. 3.
Broken down by state, Georgia was tops in the total
number of African-Americans, edging out New York state. It was followed by
Texas, Florida and California. California in recent decades has seen its black
population slip or remain largely unchanged.
In December, the Census Bureau reported the
nation's population was 308.7 million, up from 281.4 million a decade ago. Most
of the population growth occurred in the South and West, where some states
stand to gain seats in Congress to reflect their increases in population.
Texas, for example, will pick up four new House seats, and Florida will gain
two, while Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington each
gain one seat.
Frey noted that the continued Southern migration of
blacks, who tend to vote Democratic, could have political implications as they
flow into mostly Republican-leaning states. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was
able to win in traditionally GOP-leaning states such as Virginia, North
Carolina and Florida after a jump in black voter turnout.
"While much attention is currently given to
Hispanic and Asian immigration to new parts of the South, the return migration
of African-Americans seems to have flown under the radar," Frey said.
"It's a factor which should not go unnoticed by politicians and those
creating new congressional districts in growing parts of the South."
Other findings:
—Despite a slowing of the black population, the New
York metro area could see racial and ethnic minorities become the numerical
majority when 2010 results are released. Other metro areas that could tip to
"majority-minority" status in 2010 are Memphis, Tenn.; Modesto,
Calif.; Jackson, Miss.; Las Vegas; San Diego; Washington,
D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.; and Oxnard, Calif.
—Texas will become a majority-minority state for the first time based on official 2010 results; its switch occurred in 2005, according to census estimates. It joins Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Washington, D.C. Eight states, led by Arizona, Maryland, Nevada and Georgia, have shares of non-Hispanic whites nearing the tipping point of 50 percent.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/David Goldman)
