How I mourn that my adopted city, Pittsburgh, is such an unwelcome place for black thriving. Having visited Atlanta, I can feel the difference in the atmosphere. When I went hiking around the parks around Atlanta and saw black men and women comfortably exercising in the woods, I knew I was a different place. The North may have been open to abolitionists, it may have been opposed to Jim Crow laws, but it never had to deal with its latent racism.
The purchasing power of the black citizens in the South had more power than their counterparts in the North. Boycotts cut into the economic well-being of the South, mandating the death of legalized segregation. But in the North? Red-lining, lack of public transportation between cities and suburbs, zoning laws that made the minimum lot size unaffordable, and the de-investment of cities were implicit segregation of systemized racism.
In my city, predominantly black neighborhoods were neglected or decimated. My own neighborhood, although one of the most central with the best views, is an afterthought even with the rich history of August Wilson, Teenie Harris, the Homestead Grays, and Crawford Grill. Even today, the mantra of “Most Livable City” stands at a point of reckoning – for whom? Pittsburgh has a serious color drain (over 3,000 Black or African Americans according to 2010 Census and 2015 Census Estimate data). With world class institutions and universities here, more people are coming or staying in the city. However, this does not include black men and women.
I am thankful for my black brothers and sisters who have remained in Pittsburgh or decided to live here. Thank you for your sacrifice. I hope and pray that our city will become one where your contribution is truly appreciated and celebrated. I hope and pray that generations to come would say – Pittsburgh is a place where people of color have thrived and have opportunity to thrive.