Meghan is correct, in that when blacks move in, whites often move out. That causes a continuation of the deteriorating of the neighborhood.
But, why is this inevitable? The author is correct. It is paternalistic to assume that only whites can maintain a decent neighborhood.
The problem is the victim mentality of the majority of blacks in modern America. When one claims to be a victim, that takes away personal responsibility.
I urge everyone to read Thomas Sowell’s book, “Black Rednecks and White Liberals”. It says it all.
Sowell claims that there were many free blacks living in New England prior to the Civil War, and they were educated, and had assimilated well within the entire community. After the Civil War, large numbers of blacks from the south entered the urban communities - they were uneducated, and liberals helped them to enter free society. But excessive help and sympathy for their difficulties, caused a never-ending downward spiral of many of these newcomers. They were treated like children rather than as adults.
This is not to deny the other problems befalling their group such as in the south the Jim Crow laws, the KKK, etc. Lots of negative history is also part of the bad outcomes for the black community.
Still, since the Civil Rights era in the 1960’s, opportunities have abounded for those willing to study, work hard, and assimilate into the larger community. Yet, many refuse to do so. And therein is the crux of the matter.
Right...see my post at #51.
Good post, by the way.
RE: when blacks move in, whites often move out. That causes a continuation of the deteriorating of the neighborhood.
Here’s the question — WHY SHOULD IT?
Why can’t it be BETTER than when the whites were originally there?
I’ve seen American neighborhoods thrive when Asians move in in Long Island.
Wrong.
There are ugly little economic realities here... something Sowell would 'get' but Walter Hudson might not...
First: Gentrification: (elite whites win - blacks lose.)
Gentrification is where white liberal elites find an old but potentially beautiful neighborhood that's black. They start moving in because the 'bones' of the houses are great and the prices are artificially cheap because blacks live there.
Liberal elites make a fuss about the 'wonderful old black lady' and her stories - and they're 'down with the struggle' or whatever... BUT THE REAL thing going on is they're buying great homes cheap.
When enough liberal elites move in they stop with the gushing about the 'wonderful old black lady' and kick back as more and more liberal elites 'discover' their cool community. The value of the white liberal elite's investment has gone from 'very little' to a 'whole lot'. Houses have gone WAAAAAY up in value. Taxes go sky high (because houses have increased in value) and blacks must either sell or lose their homes.
The old black couple living on Social Security can't afford the new property taxes - and are forced out of the neighborhood. Liberal elites moving in never had anything to do with elite whites living a 'liberal lifestyle' in a multicultural settings... it had to do with taking over neighborhoods cheap and running the residents out by making the community too expensive.
Second: White Flight (Blacks win - middle class whites lose)
The flip side - white flight - (blacks win economically - middle class whites lose). Blacks want better homes... Places that have been better maintained, don't have debris tossed on all the streets, have better schools and less crime. The houses are expensive BECAUSE it's a white neighborhood. But as soon as a tipping point is reached, whites leave because crime is going up, people are throwing trash out their car windows, and young black men glare at them if they look askance at loud obscene music being played from car radios. So, great houses are sold cheap. Moving into white neighborhoods never had anything to do with wanting to live with white people - it had to do with getting great homes cheap.
Gentrification and White Flight - More bonds between liberal elites and black democrats...