Black Inequity in Los Angeles County: Geographic Information System Maps

[Serious]

I actually made this post in a thread in TLR, but this is really the topic of a thread or conversation I've been meaning to have in HL for awhile, but I didn't know how to fully structure it or make a valid case in a clear and concise

Here's my take below, click on the images to enlarge them:

For those unfamiliar with LA, pay attention to the geographic location below because this is basically where the core of black LA residents live. Black people still live in various other parts of the city, but they're just scattered in lesser number. FYI, what constitutes Los Angeles County, is close to 11 million people, approximately 845,000 of them are black people.


Certain areas of LA or more exposed industrial / hazardous waste than others. Take a guess where most of the people tend to be affected. There's also inequitable distribution of resources such as parks, supermarkets, gyms, jobs and transportation

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Same trend with parks. Remember where most black people in LA live.

Households living above the poverty line. Keep in mind, not everyone living in these areas are poor. A lot of the blobs are oversimplified, representations.


It's kind of outdated, but not really. Once they open the stadium, I imagine by 2030, this area will look uniquely different. Like I've mentioned before, there's a trend of pushing people out the city who don't make at least 70K a year.

This is why I keep bringing up education. There's a direct correlation between education, health and wealth. In the past, I've cross referenced tons of data when comparing wealthier neighborhoods to less affluent ones. The most blatant trend I noticed was the correlation between graduate degrees and wealth. It doesn't mean if an individual has a graduate degree that they'll be wealthy or that they'll automatically make a decent living, but rather there's a greater chance that they'll be making above median / very stable income.




I'd love to dive a bit deeper and explain a lot more, I ain't getting paid for this shyt.

Lastly the reason a lot of these trends that persist, are a continuum of a multitude of issues that have never been addressed. It's not one single entity that is causing this disparity. For individuals not familiar unique challenges or history of LA, the root cause of the inequity in black neighborhoods, isn't merely "culture" but rather discrimination and marginalization, with no adequate compensation / reparations for past wrong doings influenced by the local city government.

Here's a short clip that summarizes a lot of what I said above:


@19- @theworldismine13 @hashmander @Rhakim @Booksnrain @88m3 @FAH1223 @Broke Wave @No1 @DEAD7 @Behelit @newworldafro @Berniewood Hogan @Call Me James @Cole Cash @Black Panther @jj23

 

[Insensitive]

Damn shame how my city rocks.



This kind of issue from what I gather isn't unique to LA either, the same sorts of happenings are going on across the
nation from Detroit to Chicago to LA and so on.

 

[Serious]

Damn shame how my city rocks.



This kind of issue from what I gather isn't unique to LA either, the same sorts of happenings are going on across the
nation from Detroit to Chicago to LA and so on.

Right and that's really what I wanted to get at. I know this structuring isn't unique to LA by any means. From the literature and data, I've come across this plays out in various forms throughout major cities and states in the US.

What is evident, is that many lingering of the issues and problems have never been properly addressed or compensated for. Thus why we continue to see a self perpetuating cycle of disparities.

 

[88m3]

Will check it out tomorrow

 

[ogc163]

I don't think education will do much to close the gap. There is evidence that education primarily because of the role of debt isn't that big of a game changer. The reparations debate is very interesting and I've posted before on the issue, but one of the things I've been pondering is what can and should be done in the highly likely event that reparations doesn't occur within the next decade or two?

Black Delusional Optimism:

There are beliefs about potential economic outcomes in the Black community that are etched in improbability. The conversations about money, lifestyle, and potential outcomes simply don't sync up with reality, and I think it is the result of a lot of black media still talking as if it is 1998. The impact of the recession on Black life is not apparent on most outlets, and so many Black people who came of age during that time period have expectations that Gen Z buppies and Black baby boomers have constructed.

The Role of Cities:

People in general are overly optimistic about future outcomes, and unfortunately I don't foresee that changing even if dire shyt is staring them dead in the face. This optimism impacts how people mentally and economically engage with big cities, especially millennials whose values, desires, and incomes don't sync up with heading to the far out suburbs and which in turn leads them to want to move into cities.

Black professionals in general do not have the access to capital that their white counterparts have and yet are tempted by similar narratives. The conversations we have as a community will likely have to change so that certain short term moves are not shamed (moving back home after graduation, going to a community college, not owning a home after a certain age, shaming woman for not being married after a certain age) and the time horizon for long term moves are shifted, taken into ample consideration the harsh realities of the Black macro economic situation.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

I don't think education will do much to close the gap. There is evidence that education primarily because of the role of debt isn't that big of a game changer. The reparations debate is very interesting and I've posted before on the issue, but one of the things I've been pondering is what can and should be done in the highly likely event that reparations doesn't occur within the next decade or two?

Black Delusional Optimism:

There are beliefs about potential economic outcomes in the Black community that are etched in improbability. The conversations about money, lifestyle, and potential outcomes simply don't sync up with reality, and I think it is the result of a lot of black media still talking as if it is 1998. The impact of the recession on Black life is not apparent on most outlets, and so many Black people who came of age during that time period have expectations that Gen Z buppies and Black baby boomers have constructed.

The Role of Cities:

People in general are overly optimistic about future outcomes, and unfortunately I don't foresee that changing even if dire shyt is staring them dead in the face. This optimism impacts how people mentally and economically engage with big cities, especially millennials whose values, desires, and incomes don't sync up with heading to the far out suburbs and which in turn leads them to want to move into cities.

Black professionals in general do not have the access to capital that their white counterparts have and yet are tempted by similar narratives. The conversations we have as a community will likely have to change so that certain short term moves are not shamed (moving back home after graduation, going to a community college, not owning a home after a certain age, shaming woman for not being married after a certain age) and the time horizon for long term moves are shifted, taken into ample consideration the harsh realities of the Black macro economic situation.

What you say about being tempted by narratives, and the role of false expectations from cities, both hold real weight.

I know people don't like abandoning those semi-historic neighborhoods (semi-historic because a lot of those black neighborhoods in LA were only black for 2-3 generations), but I think part of the solution is to get the hell out of the cities. And not for the shytty-ass suburbs either.

Get out back into rural areas to the point where you can buy land. Either become a farmer, or develop a trade that is sustainable in a rural area, or develop a skill where you can work from home, or live somewhere where commuting to the city from a rural area is viable (that is NOT LA, but it works fine in the south, northwest, mountain states, midwest, etc.) Build up communities on that real land that aren't bytched over by high and rising costs, that aren't dependent on the whims of big city government.

My uncle quit his job with Delta when he was like 50 and is self-sufficient on an organic fruit orchard outside of Indianapolis (he'd been building the thing up for 10+ years while he still worked before he was ready to have it sustain his family full-time). My sister lives on 17 acres in Oregon that cost less than half of what a 2-room condo costs in LA, her husband works as a mechanic at a power plant but one day they want to be growing crops on that thing. You DON'T have to live in the city to make your way in this country. Don't buy the hype.

 

[Serious]

I don't think education will do much to close the gap. There is evidence that education primarily because of the role of debt isn't that big of a game changer. The reparations debate is very interesting and I've posted before on the issue, but one of the things I've been pondering is what can and should be done in the highly likely event that reparations doesn't occur within the next decade or two?

Black Delusional Optimism:

There are beliefs about potential economic outcomes in the Black community that are etched in improbability. The conversations about money, lifestyle, and potential outcomes simply don't sync up with reality, and I think it is the result of a lot of black media still talking as if it is 1998. The impact of the recession on Black life is not apparent on most outlets, and so many Black people who came of age during that time period have expectations that Gen Z buppies and Black baby boomers have constructed.

The Role of Cities:

People in general are overly optimistic about future outcomes, and unfortunately I don't foresee that changing even if dire shyt is staring them dead in the face. This optimism impacts how people mentally and economically engage with big cities, especially millennials whose values, desires, and incomes don't sync up with heading to the far out suburbs and which in turn leads them to want to move into cities.

Black professionals in general do not have the access to capital that their white counterparts have and yet are tempted by similar narratives. The conversations we have as a community will likely have to change so that certain short term moves are not shamed (moving back home after graduation, going to a community college, not owning a home after a certain age, shaming woman for not being married after a certain age) and the time horizon for long term moves are shifted, taken into ample consideration the harsh realities of the Black macro economic situation.

I've been pondering potentially about the role of reparations as well. It's interesting to hear conversations start to gain political momentum, despite the fact that I think the feasibility of it is disingenuous in nature

Hypothetical if reparations where to be distributed, I wouldn't push for direct monetary funds, as a form of payment. Instead I believe in heavily subsidizing certain forms of aid through entities such as education, medicine, and housing. Another potential major repayment would be waiving the initial costs regarding legal fees pertaining to opening up a dispensary.

With that said, the premise of this thread is really just to paint the case that there's a dire problem within the construct of many black communities that needs to be addressed. Simply entailing a cultural or attitude shift, doesn't negate all the other forces that hinder black progress in America. I focused on education because I believe its a step in the right direction. There's a clear problem when there's public college campuses with only a2-5% enrollment. This is before even controlling for athletes who are potentially being pushed through the system.

 

[DEAD7]

Just push for M4A and higher taxes... you nikkas will be alright

 

[DEAD7]

I've been pondering potentially about the role of reparations as well. It's interesting to hear conversations start to gain political momentum, despite the fact that I think the feasibility of it is disingenuous in nature.

Sounds like you are only entertaining a cash payout

 

[Insensitive]

Right and that's really what I wanted to get at. I know this structuring isn't unique to LA by any means. From the literature and data, I've come across this plays out in various forms throughout major cities and states in the US.

What is evident, is that many lingering of the issues and problems have never been properly addressed or compensated for. Thus why we continue to see a self perpetuating cycle of disparities.

yup. The disparities continue because the issue is very complex.
We have a society of people who believe racism stops at using the N-Word
or denying the right to vote,however the problem was/is systemic and deep rooted.


When whole neighborhoods are cut at the knees when it comes to education due
to low funding or proper nutrition because there's more 99 cent stores than
whole food marts or there's more check cashing places than there are actual
banks.The idea of racism and it's damning effects become more varied and nuanced than
the general public is willing to admit.


It's much easier to attribute someone failing to rise above such situations to "Their culture
is shyt" or "Blacks are just inherently inferior", that's an easier pill to swallow than "I'm lucky
to have been born into the right tax bracket".

 

[Serious]

yup. The disparities continue because the issue is very complex.
We have a society of people who believe racism stops at using the N-Word
or denying the right to vote,however the problem was/is systemic and deep rooted.


When whole neighborhoods are cut at the knees when it comes to education due
to low funding or proper nutrition because there's more 99 cent stores than
whole food marts or there's more check cashing places than there are actual
banks.The idea of racism and it's damning effects become more varied and nuanced than
the general public is willing to admit.


It's much easier to attribute someone failing to rise above such situations to "Their culture
is shyt" or "Blacks are just inherently inferior", that's an easier pill to swallow than "I'm lucky
to have been born into the right tax bracket".

Couldn't have said it any better.

 

[#1 pick]

Black people have no choice to lose in the globalized society. Everyone needs a government to help them. Black people have no one as a collective.

 

[#1 pick]

What you say about being tempted by narratives, and the role of false expectations from cities, both hold real weight.

I know people don't like abandoning those semi-historic neighborhoods (semi-historic because a lot of those black neighborhoods in LA were only black for 2-3 generations), but I think part of the solution is to get the hell out of the cities. And not for the shytty-ass suburbs either.

Get out back into rural areas to the point where you can buy land. Either become a farmer, or develop a trade that is sustainable in a rural area, or develop a skill where you can work from home, or live somewhere where commuting to the city from a rural area is viable (that is NOT LA, but it works fine in the south, northwest, mountain states, midwest, etc.) Build up communities on that real land that aren't bytched over by high and rising costs, that aren't dependent on the whims of big city government.

My uncle quit his job with Delta when he was like 50 and is self-sufficient on an organic fruit orchard outside of Indianapolis (he'd been building the thing up for 10+ years while he still worked before he was ready to have it sustain his family full-time). My sister lives on 17 acres in Oregon that cost less than half of what a 2-room condo costs in LA, her husband works as a mechanic at a power plant but one day they want to be growing crops on that thing. You DON'T have to live in the city to make your way in this country. Don't buy the hype.

I lived in the sticks before, they don't treat nikkas well in terms of careers there. There is a reason nikkas are in the city. It's not just because we like being poor where it's most expensive.

 

[Serious]

I lived in the sticks before, they don't treat nikkas well in terms of careers there. There is a reason nikkas are in the city. It's not just because we like being poor where it's most expensive.

Cities are still where the epicenter of jobs are too.

 

[Hood Critic]

What you say about being tempted by narratives, and the role of false expectations from cities, both hold real weight.

I know people don't like abandoning those semi-historic neighborhoods (semi-historic because a lot of those black neighborhoods in LA were only black for 2-3 generations), but I think part of the solution is to get the hell out of the cities. And not for the shytty-ass suburbs either.

Get out back into rural areas to the point where you can buy land. Either become a farmer, or develop a trade that is sustainable in a rural area, or develop a skill where you can work from home, or live somewhere where commuting to the city from a rural area is viable (that is NOT LA, but it works fine in the south, northwest, mountain states, midwest, etc.) Build up communities on that real land that aren't bytched over by high and rising costs, that aren't dependent on the whims of big city government.

My uncle quit his job with Delta when he was like 50 and is self-sufficient on an organic fruit orchard outside of Indianapolis (he'd been building the thing up for 10+ years while he still worked before he was ready to have it sustain his family full-time). My sister lives on 17 acres in Oregon that cost less than half of what a 2-room condo costs in LA, her husband works as a mechanic at a power plant but one day they want to be growing crops on that thing. You DON'T have to live in the city to make your way in this country. Don't buy the hype.

That sounds great in theory but black folks moving into rural areas would leave them worse off than living in the city. If we ignore the culture shock and lack of skillsets in agriculture for a second, you're looking at communities of black people starting over and struggling for one to two generations for a greater good that only assists a few. The assets would belong to a few families and the rest of the community would be just living to be with no real means of growing their own individual wealth.

We need to start taking advantage of the systematic oppression that has devalued our current neighborhoods. The black faces are there, the wealth is there if families are educated on pooling their money together for investment and debt management, and the land, buildings and spaces are undervalued for gentrification. The ultimate goal is to establish cultural wealth where our people can operate outside or on the fringes of typical American society. This is when our vote, intellectual property and economic power give us leverage to ensure our interests are actually addressed.