blackest city
-
Where Is America's Blackest City?
How do you define the blackness of a city? For Black History Month, we challenged writers to explain why they think their city deserves the title of blackest city in America. And man, did they rep their cities hard. So now, we’re asking you, our readers, to vote for who made the strongest case. Here’s…
-
For Us, By Us: Newark’s Blackness Doing It for the Culture, the Politics, the People
Newark is so black that during the Great Migration, folks thought it was “New York,” got off the train, and stayed. True story. Newark so black they gotta mayor named Ras, a royal title in Amharic, and you know how black people love grand names (also see: NWK native Queen Latifah— who named herself). New-Ark,…
-
A (Very Short) Case for Why Pittsburgh Is the Blackest City in America
I’m not going to cite the Homestead Grays or the history of the Hill District. Nor will I The Pittsburgh Courier, Homewood, Teenie Harris, Billy Eckstine, Phyllis Hyman, John Edgar Wideman, Little Haiti, The Crawford Grill, Mary Lou Williams, George Benson, Josh Gibson, Antoine Fuqua, Billy Porter, Latoya Ruby Frazier, Art Blakey, Romare Bearden, Kyle…
-
Atlanta Is the Real Wakanda
Everyone believes in heaven. The Norse called it Valhalla. Greeks called it Elysium or Olympus. But the concept of heaven is not necessarily reserved for the afterlife. Shangri-La, Atlantis, El Dorado, Camelot and the Garden of Eden all exist in the imaginations of many. Regardless of society, religion or culture, people eventually create an idealized…
-
There's No Place Blacker Than Birmingham, Ala., and If You Disagree…Fight Them
Look at those beautiful faces. Those are the children who lived in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963. Because this picture was taken only 55 years ago, many of those people are still around today. They were and are still angels. But don’t let those sweet faces fool you… Those negroes will fight. When I chose to…
-
Harlem’s Blackness Is Triumphant. When It Comes to Blackest City, There Is No Competition
There are very few words synonymous with blackness. “Harlem” fits that bill. Harlem is a place, yes, but it is also an idea; it is an exhortation. It is our very own Oz. In fact, Harlem, unlike most things in America that signify blackness—“inner city,” “urban,” “welfare”—is triumphant. It represents the very best of us,…