After the Great Migration of
African Americans to the industrial and urban areas in the North, the
subsequent sudden population shift of millions of African Americans back
to the South in just 35 years needed some explanation. Analysis of migration data
showed that the deindustrialization of the Northeast and Midwest, the growth of
jobs in the south, the lower cost of living in the South, and family ties in
the South were all factors of this "New Great Migration" beginning in
1965 and becoming more prevalent in the late 1900's.
Two of the
largest groups of people to contribute to this migration were recent college
graduates and the middle-class. The populations dramatically dropped in New
York and Northern New Jersey as they rose in the Southern United States,
especially in Florida, Georgia and Texas. In fact, Georgia and Texas became
known as the "brain gain" states because they brought in the most
African American college graduates from 1995 to 2000.
Outside the
Confederacy, the African American population in Maryland rose steadily,
especially in the areas surrounding Washington D.C. Analysis showed that the
African American population also shifted from Northern metropolitan areas like
Chicago and Los Angeles to Southern metropolitan areas, especially Atlanta. The
cities in California lost more African Americans than they even gained in the
1900's.
 |
| African American population according to 2000 census. Darker states show a greater population. |
The New Great Migration
was especially concentrated in the cities and states with the most economic
growth, like Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas.
The effects of
this migration and resulting population shift impact the government today. As
more and more middle-class African Americans leave the North to go to the
South, it is more difficult for government officials to count on tax revenues
in the North. Also, the owners of African American business are now suffering
from losing patrons, customers, church members, etc. to the South.
Today, as this
population change still continues, scientists and sociologists are looking into
the motivation and everlasting effects of this continual change.
Sources:
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