Welcome to our blog! Today we are sharing our blog in class - whoop whoop!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
New 2010 Census Data Shows CD Mostly White for the First Time in 60 Years
Newly released 2010 Census data shows that the Central District has a white majority for the first time in 60 years, reports Central District News and the Seattle Times.
58% of the neighborhood is now white. This is in contrast to 2000, when Census data showed that the neighborhood was 45% white, 36% black, 8% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 5% mixed race.
The Seattle Times article narrates the history of the neighborhood's Immaculate Conception Church to explore the changing racial makeup of the neighborhood.
According to the Times, the CD has been a largely African American neighborhood since after World War II when many African Americans moved to Seattle and "found jobs at Boeing or at shipyards lived in the Central Area, in large part because of housing discrimination and restrictive covenants in the city."
2010 Census data for Washington is still being released. What has been already published can be accessed here.
58% of the neighborhood is now white. This is in contrast to 2000, when Census data showed that the neighborhood was 45% white, 36% black, 8% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 5% mixed race.
The Seattle Times article narrates the history of the neighborhood's Immaculate Conception Church to explore the changing racial makeup of the neighborhood.
According to the Times, the CD has been a largely African American neighborhood since after World War II when many African Americans moved to Seattle and "found jobs at Boeing or at shipyards lived in the Central Area, in large part because of housing discrimination and restrictive covenants in the city."
2010 Census data for Washington is still being released. What has been already published can be accessed here.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Segregated America
Remapping Debate website has these new interactive maps which highlight the racial segregation in America. In these maps you can zoom to the census block group level, which is a smaller geographical division than the census tracts. In this way you are able to see the segregation in smaller area which census tracts fail to show.I highly recommend playing around with these to see some visual display of diversity or the lack of.
Key findings of the report show that
“75 percent of African-Americans in the United States live in only 16 percent of the country’s Census Block Groups.”
“30 percent of African-Americans live in Census Block Groups that are 75 percent African-American or more.”
A zoom in snap shot of Seattle from interactive maps below shows racially segregated blocks.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
SU launches Youth Initiative
Last month, Seattle University announced plans to roll out a $1 million-a-year project to strengthen neighboring Bailey Gatzert Elementary. The school is situated in the cradle of the Central District and serves residents living inside South Dearborn Street, Alaskan Way, James Street, East Cherry Street and 23rd Avenue South. 94 percent of students at Bailey Gatzert receive free or reduced lunch.
The Youth Initiative is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone and will feature after-school tutoring, legal aid from law students, and health care provided by the nursing school.
SU's web page for the Initiative can be accessed here. You can read glowing press from the Seattle Times here and Opinions here.
There has been criticism of the Initiative. This Spectator editorial calls the Initiative a "PR tool". This is in the same vein of concerns articulated by community members at a panel discussion on February 15th. A member of our Multiculturalism class who attended the meeting reported community members were concerned that the University neglected to thoroughly survey their needs.
It will be interesting to observe how the University responds to this criticism. $1 million dollars a year represents a big budget. Hopefully, it includes some room for reflexivity.
The Youth Initiative is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone and will feature after-school tutoring, legal aid from law students, and health care provided by the nursing school.
SU's web page for the Initiative can be accessed here. You can read glowing press from the Seattle Times here and Opinions here.
There has been criticism of the Initiative. This Spectator editorial calls the Initiative a "PR tool". This is in the same vein of concerns articulated by community members at a panel discussion on February 15th. A member of our Multiculturalism class who attended the meeting reported community members were concerned that the University neglected to thoroughly survey their needs.
It will be interesting to observe how the University responds to this criticism. $1 million dollars a year represents a big budget. Hopefully, it includes some room for reflexivity.
Prince Among Slaves: TOMORROW
A wee bit last minute, but very, very worthy: the Central District Forum for Art and Ideas is sponsoring a showing of Prince Among Slaves tomorrow on SU's campus. The film will be screened Thursday, March 3rd at 7:00 pm at Piggott Hall.
From the CD Forum's website: "Winner of the Best Documentary at the 2007 American Black Film Festival, Prince Among Slaves tells the compelling story of Abdul Rahman, an African Muslim prince. Directed by Andrea Kalin and Emmy Award winner Bill Duke and narrated by actor and hip-hop artist Mos Def. Prince Among Slaves is based on the biography of Dr. Terry Alford and explores the global nature of slavery and the role and identity of Muslims in early America."
As of Wednesday evening, the free tickets are waitlist only (email blairb@cdforum.org), but you may be able to snag a last-minute unclaimed seat.
The CD Forum for Art and Ideas plays an important role as a cultural vessel for Seattle's Black community. Their mission is "to present and produce Black cultural programs that encourage thought and debate for the greater Seattle area". They offer programs that broaden the view of black culture, feature its uniqueness, and offer performers that have "no limitations or pre-conditions prescribed by race". You can read more about the CD Forum and their offerings here: http://www.cdforum.org/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)