The Stratification of "Quality of Life" in the Black Community of Atlanta, Georgia

THE STRATIFICATION OF "QUALITY OF LIFE" IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA Sanford H. Bedermari* The city of Atlanta, Georgia, is the home of over a quarter of a million black residents, ranking it twelfth in the nation in the absolute size of its black population. The city possesses a large cadre of black entrepreneurs and professionals, and unquestionably Atlanta has long been a cultural and intellectual center for all black Americans. Atlanta is much like the other great urban centers of this nation in that it contains a large racial ghetto where blacks have been forced to reside. Blacks in Atlanta have been able to experience both social and geographic mobility; nevertheless , until very recently, when a black man and his family were financially able to leave the inner city core, they could not depart the ghetto. The black ghetto of Atlanta, therefore, includes every level of social strata. For this reason, one must be careful not to confuse slums with ghettos. Indeed, the "gilded ghetto" of West Atlanta features some of the most fashionable housing in the city. This fact, however, in no way diminishes the reality that most of the poor in Atlanta are black. Since 1960, considerable demographic change has occurred in Atlanta and especially in the black community. The black population has increased from 186,465 in 1960 to over 255,000 in 1970. In 1960, blacks comprised 38 percent of the city's total population, whereas 10 years later, it was over 51 percent. In 1972, the public school population was 73 percent black. Geographically, black living space in the decade expanded considerably, especially toward the southwest, northwest, east, and south (Figure 1). Many parts of the city that were inhabited by high-middle and low income whites in 1960 had middle and low income blacks residing there in 1970. Also, high income blacks replaced high income whites in large sections of southwest Atlanta. Several studies are available which characterize the social and economic variation existing in Atlanta during the 1960's. (1) The most extensive research was conducted by the Community Council of the Atlanta Area. As part of its work, this public service agency published the results of an extensive survey of the city which delineated those areas most severely affected by social blight. Additionally, the Community Council produced a city map detailing composite socioeconomic conditions. At a much larger scale, Clarke compared the quality of life of blacks and whites who lived in close proximity to each other in some of the inner city neighborhoods. (2) She is the first researcher in Atlanta who Dr. Bederman is associate professor of geography at Georgia State University. This paper was accepted for publication in March 1974. Vol. XIV, No. 1 27 Over 60% white 1950 - 1970 Over 60% black 1950 ?? Tracts added to over 60% black, 1960 Tracts added to over 60% black. 1970 40% - 60% black 1970 Georgia State University, Department of Geography. Cartography Laboratory, 1973 Figure 1. Change in Black Population in the City of Atlanta, 1950-1970 (on 1970 base). Source: Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission, Population and Housing— Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, by Census Tract, April 1, 1970 (Supplement ), Atlanta, 1970, Table 6. attempted to do more than compare and describe only economic characteristics . Included in her analysis were such variables as social involvement , health, education, and demographic considerations. DEVELOPMENT OF 1970 QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX. Following Clarke's lead, this study develops a relatively simple technique that allows for the reduction of an enormous amount of data to one meaningful value which subsequently can be mapped. Drawing on 1970 census and local agency sources, a Quality of Life Index was created and applied to all but 3 of the census tracts wholly within the city of Atlanta. Those tracts in which the black population was 60 percent or more of the total were then mapped separately. (3) Therefore, not only was the current black community stratification depicted, all the values used to set levels were based on city-wide norms. 28Southeastern Geographer Quality of life is considered in this study to be more than simply economic well-being. For example, indicators of social pathology such as...