Prominent cities where Black Culture has evolved into its distinct, unique culture.

[Segun]

Both DC and Atlanta also have heavy HBCU culture.

Also, DC used to be stereotyped as the Black Gay capital before ATL took it.

ATL is the King of lavish displays of Black wealth. The land isn’t as expensive as the other metropolitan areas with rich Black people, so you’re going to find a plethora of ridiculously large mansions. It’s also a place where showing off is part of the culture. I think that has its roots in the Southern Black gentile culture.

[proghousehead]

NY has a thriving cricket scene - and a large component of that is immigration and even first generation West Indian (inclusive of Guyana and Trinidad).

Got to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and there are always multiple matches going on, with spectators enjoying the matches and local cuisine and drinks.

It is a rather unique scene in the USA and a nuance of some of the Black culture herein.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Imagine if I stated that Houston has more Swedish immigrants than any other American city, "and people wonder why I prefer Houston to San Antonio."

Not sure what your issue is. I prefer cities with more immigrants. Nigerians are just one group out of many. More Swedish immigrants in Houston would also make it more interesting than San Antonio. To me, at least.

Edited to add: Hmmmm. Come to think of it, maybe that's why Houston had an Ikea 30 years before San Antonio?

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I would assume that you have a predilection for teak furniture and little meatballs.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by proghousehead

NY has a thriving cricket scene - and a large component of that is immigration and even first generation West Indian (inclusive of Guyana and Trinidad).

Canarsie Park in Brooklyn. Cricket everywhere, with representation from all the West Indies.

Actually, any sizable park near West Indian or South Asian neighborhoods will have busy cricket fields.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Well, Jordan retired, and Oprah is quasi-retired. But both of them spent all of their productive years in Chicago. Before them, Chicago was home to the Johnson family, which was very likely the richest black family in America at one point (and they were in-laws with Detroit based multi-millionaire Mel Farr). I don't think it's a coincidence that the country's first black president came from Chicago.

I think Chicago operates along a paradox.

The city doesn’t care a fiddle about black subculture, and dislikes it as a whole. On the other hand, Chicago is very receptive to black mainstream greatness.

Most of the city’s history (and a lot of the nation’s black history) stems from Chicago just not being able to reconcile those two impulses, and waffling back and forth on the issue.

You have this culture where a city is founded by a Haitian black man in the prelude to the Civil War, where free blacks are involved in civic life more or less as equals, but everybody resents the idea of former slaves moving in even if they fiercely oppose slavery.

Then later, Emmett Till’s murder kicks off the Civil Rights Era, while MLK Jr’s failure in the 1966 Chicago Campaign and Fred Hampton’s assassination closes it.

It’s difficult for Chicago’s black community to be seen as a subculture instead of a foundational culture. There’s a real desire in Chicago to be leaders of the national mainstream culture instead of the leaders of a black subculture.

[davee930]

I wish Canada had some more black culture. So jealous of all the great American cities.

I'm sick of all the typical white Canadians.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by davee930

I'm sick of all the typical white Canadians.

[Segun]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

I think Chicago operates along a paradox.

The city doesn’t care a fiddle about black subculture, and dislikes it as a whole. On the other hand, Chicago is very receptive to black mainstream greatness.

Most of the city’s history (and a lot of the nation’s black history) stems from Chicago just not being able to reconcile those two impulses, and waffling back and forth on the issue.

You have this culture where a city is founded by a Haitian black man in the prelude to the Civil War, where free blacks are involved in civic life more or less as equals, but everybody resents the idea of former slaves moving in even if they fiercely oppose slavery.

Then later, Emmett Till’s murder kicks off the Civil Rights Era, while MLK Jr’s failure in the 1966 Chicago Campaign and Fred Hampton’s assassination closes it.

It’s difficult for Chicago’s black community to be seen as a subculture instead of a foundational culture. There’s a real desire in Chicago to be leaders of the national mainstream culture instead of the leaders of a black subculture.

It's only recently that you see more mentions of the South and West Side from the mainstream narratives.

I don't think people understand how deep the segregation is here. Most of the press focuses on the murders and violence.

The South Side is huge, and extends all the way into the South Suburbs. This is an area the size of a small metro that is almost completely Black.

Things you'll only find on the South Side (and small areas of the West Side)

- Ads for Black owned businesses on billboards and alongside the highways.
- A completely different accent, with a very Southern sounding drawl.
- Less reliable bus and EL service
- Lack of customer service standards
- Large abandoned areas that could double for Detroit.
- A lack of everyday amenities (especially groceries)
- Way more automobile oriented development, and crazy drivers to go with it
- Collapsing infrastructure
- It's own insular culture where people rarely venture up North or even the Loop.
- Less healthy food options.

Still, it never feels as desolate as a Detroit or BMore, where you see large windswept streets. There's always a steady stream of traffic and patronage that lets you know Chicago is a huge metropolis.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

I think Chicago operates along a paradox.

The city doesn’t care a fiddle about black subculture, and dislikes it as a whole. On the other hand, Chicago is very receptive to black mainstream greatness.

Most of the city’s history (and a lot of the nation’s black history) stems from Chicago just not being able to reconcile those two impulses, and waffling back and forth on the issue.

You have this culture where a city is founded by a Haitian black man in the prelude to the Civil War, where free blacks are involved in civic life more or less as equals, but everybody resents the idea of former slaves moving in even if they fiercely oppose slavery.

Then later, Emmett Till’s murder kicks off the Civil Rights Era, while MLK Jr’s failure in the 1966 Chicago Campaign and Fred Hampton’s assassination closes it.

It’s difficult for Chicago’s black community to be seen as a subculture instead of a foundational culture. There’s a real desire in Chicago to be leaders of the national mainstream culture instead of the leaders of a black subculture.

You could probably say this about any city that has a large black population that is not named Atlanta or (to a lesser extent) Washington, D.C. Almost all media interest in African Americans as a collective tends to be about how the group underperforms mainstream America according to whatever metric is being discussed. Almost no interest is ever shown to how African Americans thrive.

[MolsonExport]

Montreal is apparently the city with the largest population (135K) of Haitians outside of Haiti. With their French-Creole language and culture, they are a very interesting and unique ethnic group in that city. One of their number was once our Governor General, representing the Queen in Canada.

cdh

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by Segun

Things you'll only find on the South Side (and small areas of the West Side)

- Ads for Black owned businesses on billboards and alongside the highways.
- A completely different accent, with a very Southern sounding drawl.
- Less reliable bus and EL service
- Lack of customer service standards
- Large abandoned areas that could double for Detroit.
- A lack of everyday amenities (especially groceries)
- Way more automobile oriented development, and crazy drivers to go with it
- Collapsing infrastructure
- It's own insular culture where people rarely venture up North or even the Loop.
- Less healthy food options.

Still, it never feels as desolate as a Detroit or BMore, where you see large windswept streets. There's always a steady stream of traffic and patronage that lets you know Chicago is a huge metropolis.

I suppose that’s what I’m asking. Beyond different genres of pop culture and less wealth, what distinguishes a black subculture from the general city culture and other regions?

For instance you mention insularity, and it’s true that the South side is much more insular than the North. But even the North and West sides have been called insular versus comparable areas in other cities.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

I suppose that’s what I’m asking. Beyond different genres of pop culture and less wealth, what distinguishes a black subculture from the general city culture and other regions?

For instance you mention insularity, and it’s true that the South side is much more insular than the North. But even the North and West sides have been called insular versus comparable areas in other cities.

Yeah, black Chicago's accent isn't even unique to Chicago. It sounds about the same as black Detroit's accent. That was the point I made earlier in this thread about how it would be hard to find something about black culture that is unique to a single city in the northern U.S. You're more likely to find truly unique characteristics in the South.

[Segun]

^ Bet I can tell easily. Detroit pronounces it's hard "R's" like the West Coast. Chicago has that "Cah" and "Ovuh Theah" for "Over there".

Jit vs Footwork. They got Crips in Detroit too.

[Camelback]

Originally Posted by Segun

^ Bet I can tell easily. Detroit pronounces it's hard "R's" like the West Coast. Chicago has that "Cah" and "Ovuh Theah" for "Over there".

Jit vs Footwork. They got Crips in Detroit too.

The west coast doesn't pronounce hard R's like the Great Lakes region does. That is for sure. Everybody and their mother can pick out a midwestern tourist from their accent on the west coast.

[Segun]

Originally Posted by Camelback

The west coast doesn't pronounce hard R's like the Great Lakes region does. That is for sure. Everybody and their mother can pick out a midwestern tourist from their accent on the west coast.

I'm talking about Black people. Black Chicago does not pronounce those hard Rs. Like I said, "Ovuh Theah" and "Cah" Also, words like "Drive" get pronounced "Draaave" Straight Mississippi Alabama Arkansas

[Camelback]

Originally Posted by Segun

I'm talking about Black people. Black Chicago does not pronounce those hard Rs. Like I said, "Ovuh Theah" and "Cah" Also, words like "Drive" get pronounced "Draaave" Straight Mississippi Alabama Arkansas

Ah, I see what you're saying now. Remember Antoine Walker? He had a notorious Southside accent, quite different from the typical Chicago twang.

[dc_denizen]

Originally Posted by Segun

Both DC and Atlanta also have heavy HBCU culture.

Also, DC used to be stereotyped as the Black Gay capital before ATL took it.

ATL is the King of lavish displays of Black wealth. The land isn’t as expensive as the other metropolitan areas with rich Black people, so you’re going to find a plethora of ridiculously large mansions. It’s also a place where showing off is part of the culture. I think that has its roots in the Southern Black gentile culture.

Dc black culture is it’s own unique thing though . Very different, more intellectual than the broader black culture in other cities. Atlanta seems like the national black culture just with more wealth , everyone is from some Hcbu fraternity or something in contrast to Dc

Philly and Chicago black culture seems more hard edged and aligned with national trends. In dc it’s more genteel, relaxed , people seem happier. Maybe this is a southern thing ? I feel like it might be a good place for black people that want to go their own way and not have to worry about ‘being black’

[Ant131531]

Atlanta used to sort of have it's own unique Black culture, but in the last two or three decades, it's exported it's culture to the rest of the country and even the world through things like music(Trap music which is the base of modern Rap/Hip-hop originated in Atlanta).

Sort of like how...a lot of people say White Americans "don't have culture", but they do...it's just so mainstream at this point that people don't find it "unique".

Atlanta doesn't have "unique" black culture, but it's where a lot of the modern day black cultural trends start due to an incredibly large creative, ambitious class of black people.

D.C. also have a large ambitious class of black Americans, but it's lacks creativity due to the government and the public industry IMO doesn't really encourage creativity.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by Camelback

The west coast doesn't pronounce hard R's like the Great Lakes region does. That is for sure. Everybody and their mother can pick out a midwestern tourist from their accent on the west coast.

It's not the hard R. It's the short A. The Northern vowel shift.

Nasally awfulness in variations as shown below: