Last June, we reported on the top worst states to raise Black children based on the Casey Foundation findings (2013-2014). This year, as of July 22, 2015 based on Forbes List of Poverty rates for children under the age of 17 and newly released information about the number of violent crimes against African American children, we have the 2014-2015 worst cities to raise Black children. Take a look…
10. Jackson, Mississippi — With 41 murders and 455 robberies per 100,000 people, Jackson is a high-crime city.
9. Orlando, Florida — This central Florida city’s crime rate is nearly four times as high as the national rate. In an effort to reduce violence, the police department has placed surveillance cameras around the city.
8. Atlanta, Georgia — Notice that the surrounding suburbs of Atlanta are not listed, just the city proper. That’s due to the fact of property crime has risen in this southern city: motor vehicle theft is 55 percent higher than the average and burglary is 38 percent higher.
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7. Birmingham, Alabama — With high poverty rates (the median household income is less than $32,000) and a high number of violent crimes (1,517 per 100,000 residents), Birmingham makes many “most dangerous cities” lists. In addition to a high murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate, the city also has a high property crime rate.
6. Bridgeport, Connecticut — A surprise to some, but the biggest city in Connecticut has a problem with violence, particularly with youth ages 12-17, so the city has introduced a curfew in an attempt to end late-night violence.
5. New Orleans, LA – Surprisingly, the Big Easy made it on this list. We say surprisingly because even though New Orleans is home to the University that graduates more Black Doctors than anywhere in the world (Xavier University), the youth under age 17 are still struggling due to low education scores and the number of violent crimes in a small radius.
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4. Oakland, California — High poverty rates among African Americans and proximity to drug corridors put Oakland on the dangerous cities list.
3. St. Louis, Missouri — Partially because it’s less spread out than other cities, which incorporate safer suburbs and smaller communities, St. Louis has a high crime rate. It’s also a destination along drug-trafficking routes. Like Detroit, crime levels are falling, but not much.
2. Detroit, Michigan — Notice, how Illinois was in the top 10 last year, but a big city like the City of Chicago was not. The Motor City makes it on many lists of dangerous cities. The main reason? Gangs. And while violent crimes are on the decrease, they’re still higher than in many other cities.
And the number one worst city to raise Black children is…
1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Similar to other areas in the Midwest, Black people traveled to Milwaukee in large numbers during the 1960s to take advantage of the burgeoning manufacturing industry, leading to the formation of Black communities. When the city’s industrial base collapsed, it served as a catalyst for racial disparities. This pattern of racial inequality continued as a result of the Great Migration when millions of Blacks relocated to the North and Midwest between 1916 and 1970.
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Wisconsin Council on Children and Families director Ken Taylor pointed out a horrifying trend in Milwaukee, stating, “If we look at education, if we look at employment, if we look at involvement in the juvenile justice system and the child welfare system, if we look at adult incarceration – on every indicator, we see that African American children are doing worse, in some cases much worse than other children, particularly, white children in our state.”
In Milwaukee in particular, the median household income disparity between Black and white households in particularly discouraging, with white households earning $73,700 annually, one of the highest in the country, while Black households earn only a whopping $28,000 a year. Painting an even more contrasting picture is the fact that Milwaukee has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 3.9 percent, but the city’s Black residents face an unemployment rate of 12.8 percent.
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