Black Exodus: American Cities Losing African-American Residents

A look at decreased Black population in major cities.

Black Exodus - On a recent visit to Everett Middle School in San Francisco, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan spoke to a 12-year-old girl who described how an influx of white residents was decreasing the number of Blacks in her neighborhood. The young student highlighted the African-American population decreases plaguing major cities across America. Take a look at other cities that have suffered a decline in Black residency. —Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Black Exodus - On a recent visit to Everett Middle School in San Francisco, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan spoke to a 12-year-old girl who described how an influx of white residents was decreasing the number of Blacks in her neighborhood. The young student highlighted the African-American population decreases plaguing major cities across America. Take a look at other cities that have suffered a decline in Black residency. —Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

1. San Francisco, California  - Where in America can a low-wage worker afford to pay rent for a one- or two-bedroom apartment? The answer is nowhere, according to a recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Take a look at the 10 most expensive metropolitan areas in America for housing. — Natelege Whaley (@natelege)  In San Francisco, a household has to make $37.62 an hour to afford a two-bedroom. The minimum wage in California is currently $8.    (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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San Francisco - San Francisco, once the home to Fillmore and other thriving Black middle-class neighborhoods, has seen the steepest decline in Black population than any other U.S. city. According to census data, the Black population plunged from 13.4 percent of city residents in 1970 to 6.5 percent in 2005. The African-American population continued to decline reaching 6.1 percent in 2012.(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV  - 2010: 48.6 percent 1970: 22.1 percent (Photo: Courtesy Getty Images/Vetta)

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Washington, D.C. - The nation’s capital had a Black majority population for decades, but by 2011 D.C.’s African-American population had dropped more than 11 percent in a decade. According to 2011 data, the district's Black population is now about 301,000 — slightly more than half of its population. (Photo: TexPhoto/Getty Images)

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Detroit - As a result of the auto bailout, the Motor City saw a decrease in overall population of 25 percent. It was the largest percentage loss for any American city with more than 100,000 residents over the last decade. In all, the city lost more than 237,000 residents, including 185,000 Blacks and about 41,000 whites.(Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Photo By Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

7. Oakland-Fremont, California - Workers in the Oakland-Fremont, California, metropolitan area must earn at least $30.35 an hour to afford a two-bedroom.  (Photo: NASA HANDOUT/LANDOV)

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Oakland - Oakland, which has one of the nation’s largest African-American populations, also lost 25 percent of its Black population, a net loss of 33,000 African-American residents by 2011. Those drastic demographical changes led the city to have almost as many whites as it does Blacks.(Photo: NASA/LANDOV)

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18. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI - 2010: 34 percent 1970: 11.2 percent (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Chicago - Oakland, which has one of the nation’s largest African-American populations, also lost 25 percent of its Black population, a net loss of 33,000 African-American residents by 2011. Those drastic demographical changes led the city to have almost as many whites as it does Blacks.(Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The World Trade Center -  The 12-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy is here, and while memorials have been erected nationally over the years, the World Trade Center towers are still being constructed. The 16-acre site in lower Manhattan is set to open within the next year. The Associated Press takes a look at the status of the new WTC site, according to its developers. —Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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New York - New York City has the largest Black population of any city in the United States at close to 3.5 million. According to the 2010 U.S Census, Brooklyn had a Black population of 896,165, a drop from 939,316, according to the 2000 Census. Considered the center for African-American culture, Harlem’s is no longer a majority-Black neighborhood.(Photo: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Atlanta - The fall is a great time to enjoy this historic city and get some Southern hospitality, excellent cuisine and enjoy its thriving music scene.\r\r\rWhat to Do: Throw down on great food at Taste of Atlanta or head to the Georgia Dome and catch an Atlanta Falcons game when they go up against the New Orleans Saints in November. The city also has a thumping club scene where anyone looking to shake it like a Polaroid picture can do so.\r 

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Atlanta - Atlanta is considered the “Black Mecca” by some Georgians. Blacks made up 34 percent of the city’s population in 2010. However, between 2000 and 2010, Atlanta's Black population declined by 29,746 people, or 12 percent.(Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)