Our class discussions about race, cities, and various forms of residential segregation (both systemic and self-perpetuating) got me thinking about my own hometown, Columbus Ohio. Growing up, we lived in a primarily white neighborhood in the city limits. Then we moved to an even more white suburb on the west side, where my parents still live today.
I think it’s safe to say that Columbus considers itself a pretty “white” city. It’s the capital city in a Midwestern state surrounded by suburbs and farms, and has long been primarily white-collar, unlike its neighbors to the north and south (Cleveland, Youngstown, Toledo, and Cincinnati). Sure: Ohio State University, with about 60,000 students from all around the world, is a major source of diversity, but one which remains somewhat concentrated around the campus itself. And sure: Columbus actually has a three-term black mayor, Michael B. Coleman (1999-present). But he is Columbus’ first black mayor, only a few decades behind other Ohio cities like Springfield (Robert C. Henry, 1966) and Cleveland (Carl Stokes, 1968).
That said, however, it should also be said that much of the political and social power in the Columbus area (apart from the University and state politics in the Capital) lies in the suburbs, which are pretty uniformly white. I dug up some demographics from the Census in the American Community Survey and found some interesting results:
Columbus (City)
Total population: 729,369
67.5% White
27.9% Black
4.5% Hispanic (of all races)
4.6% Asian
1.7% Other
Columbus (Metro Area)
Total population: 1,752,870
81.9% White
14.9% Black
2.9% Hispanic (of all races)
3.5% Asian
1.1% Other
(ACS 3-year estimates, 2006-2008)
This seems typical for an American metro area, but that’s the point! The city population is 28% black, but only 15% in the whole metro area. Compare the numbers themselves: there were 203,493 black residents in the City of Columbus counted (out of 730,000), and 261,422 black residents in the entire metro area (out of 1.75 million, more than double). That says to me that the suburbs must be pretty white. Here’s the data for Hilliard, a city I would consider to be predominately white but with some pockets of diversity. The numbers suggest I’m even overestimating the latter point:
Hilliard (City)
Total population: 31,556
91.0% White
3.0% Black
2.7% Hispanic (of all races)
6.2% Asian
0.9% Other
(Interestingly, the percentage of Asian residents is slightly larger than the average for both Columbus proper and the metro area).
All these numbers are to say, there is a discrepancy between perception and reality here. It got me thinking about my own experience growing up: I attended a racially-mixed public (arts) elementary school, and was bussed a fair distance to get there; I briefly attended a public middle school in which I was in the minority; but otherwise most of my friends, neighbors, and classmates were white.
Then I started thinking about all the areas of town I didn’t go to, for one reason or another: Franklinton, immediately west of downtown; the east side, south of the campus area and out by the airport; in fact, much of the east side, period. I had the perception, particularly in Franklinton and east of campus, that these areas were “bad” or unsafe; these areas are also, I know now, predominately black neighborhoods.
Furthermore, a lot of the “desirable” places to go–the shops along Grandview Avenue, shopping at Easton Town Center mall, the boutiques along the Short North, and pretty much all of the northern suburbs–are very “white” places. White not only in terms of their typical patrons, but also in that very intangible, subjective set of assumptions you make when you hear the description “white neighborhood” or “black neighborhood.”
I don’t know enough about the history of housing and politics in Columbus to talk more specifically about residential segregation, whether it was a large-scale project like in some cities (Chicago) or more of an informal sorting-out of the real estate market by income and racial groups. But in evaluating my own experiences and perceptions about Columbus, I feel suddenly aware that race was an unspoken issue in the area, despite the fact that it is clearly an issue nonetheless.
Why does this matter? Beyond the obvious political implications for the neighborhoods in question and the city as a whole, I think it’s really too bad that Columbus continues its self-identification as white for this reason: its story is actually more complex, and it has a lot to offer!
- Columbus is the capital of a large and influential Midwest state;
- Columbus has the largest single-campus university in America, and attracts smart and interesting people from all over the world to do what I can only assume is helpful research and study;
- Columbus hosts an annual International Festival, in which for a small price you can sample international foods, music, and purchase small wares;
- Columbus also hosts an annual Asian Festival, a Greek Festival, a Jazz Festival, an Arts Festival, and a bunch of other interesting events year-round;
- Columbus is home to a significant Japanese population, due in part to a nearby Honda plant; a growing Somali refugee population; a growing Hispanic population; a sizable (but clearly not visible) African American population; an active gay/lesbian population; it’s the historic home of a Native American population (though I’m not sure what those numbers are now); and of course a variety of ethnic and cultural groups which we generally lump together as “white.”
- At the risk of sounding superficial, Columbus also has a great variety of ethnic restaurants, given that it’s in the middle of some cornfields: Blue Nile (Ethiopian), Udipi Cafe (South Indian), a bunch of North Indian places, Central Asian Market and surrounding Japanese restaurants; Thai Orchid (Thai); Greek; Italian; Chinese; Mexican; and a host of things I’m forgetting.
Based on conversations I’ve had with those from elsewhere in the country, Columbus is either seen as a lukewarm place, or it’s not on the radar at all. And that’s really too bad. Columbus needs to improve its image, and part of that should be more closely evaluating its own self-image in regard to its diverse population. It’s not that Columbus needs to become a more diverse (and international) city; it’s that it already is, but doesn’t think of itself that way. I don’t want to gloss over the social problems of segregation by saying it’s enough to do an image makeover, because I think those problems are made worse by their invisibility. But perhaps even before we (the collective residents of that area) can be in a place to address and improve those problems, we–city AND suburbs–need to think about where we live a little differently.
1,752,870 |
81.9% |
14.9% |
2.9% |
3.5% |
1.1% |
15 comments
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19 April 2010 at 6:54 am
Mike
Very interesting. followed a link here and then ran the demographics from my own adopted hometown, Bethesda MD. It’s also surprisingly white, white, baby. Odd given all of the diversity in the DC area, and even here, but then, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised given the entry fee in the form of housing costs.
1 November 2013 at 4:50 pm
Jonnhy Danes
You reply doesn’t make sense. You’re implying blacks/ethnic minorities are not living in Beth., MD because of housing costs. Be you also stated the diversity of DC, which is correct.
Tell me? Which place is most expensive? DC or Meth.,MD?
DC is more expensive. So your theory of not being able to afford it is in accurate.
Here’s a thought!! How about this—maybe blacks don’t want to live in Beth., MD? Hmmmmmmmmm
25 April 2010 at 5:57 pm
Anna
Interesting comparison! Especially since Bethesda is generally held up as a great example of effective planning (though more for land use and density than for diversity and housing mix). I wonder if the DC metro is similar to Columbus in that much of the non-white population lives in the city itself, with the surrounding suburbs and communities being primarily white.
After posting this, it also occurred to me that perhaps the Census data is skewed – for example, I am vaguely aware of a growing Hispanic community in Columbus, even in the suburbs. Given the anxiety over immigration, documentation, and deportation, however, I suspect that population has been significantly undercounted, and therefore does not show up on the radar to the degree it should. But as you said, housing cost is an effective barrier, it seems.
1 May 2010 at 2:28 pm
Immigrants: The Missing Link in Revitalization of Columbus’ Struggling Urban Neighborhoods « Columbusite
[…] another urbanism-oriented blog entry from a fellow Columbusite on City Forward titled, “Columbus, Ohio: White City?” which makes the point that Columbus is dropping the ball on highlighting the diverse […]
1 May 2010 at 9:30 pm
Immigrants: The Missing Link in the Revitalization of Columbus’ Struggling Neighborhoods. « Columbusite
[…] across another urbanism-oriented blog entry from a fellow Columbusite on City Forward titled, “Columbus, Ohio: White City?” which makes the point that Columbus is dropping the ball on highlighting the diverse population […]
3 May 2010 at 7:09 am
John
I remember a few years back, BET rated Columbus the best city in the country for African-Americans.
http://bet.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=304
3 May 2010 at 9:43 pm
Anna
Interesting post, thanks! I would be curious to see a survey based on perceptions in addition to the data used for BET’s evaluation – whether black Columbus residents feel that this is accurate. Certainly in comparison to some other American cities – Baltimore, Chicago, and New York come to mind – Columbus has fewer historical and current tensions.
To go back to perceptions, though – does the average resident of Columbus, or even better, of central Ohio, see Columbus as a diverse place? Would they be surprised to find that the city is 1/4 black and has other significant non-white populations? I still question Columbus’ self-image, not the statistics.
26 July 2011 at 11:12 pm
Jesse D.
As someone who just recently moved to Columbus I have to disagree with the views expressed. With the exception of Dublin & Bexley, I’m yet to find what I would consider a “white neighborhood”. I actually find it quite frustrating that just about everywhere I go to do commerce I’m the only one speaking English let alone having white skin.
31 July 2011 at 4:32 am
Anna B.
Jesse,
Your observation actually gets nicely to my point – that Columbus (metro area) is not a homogeneous place, despite the attitudes of many who live there now. And your experience with service employees (I’m assuming you mean dealing with workers at call centers, retail, and restaurants?) highlights the different economic opportunities for different groups there. (Not to say that everyone is in a caste system, obviously.) But in a place like Upper Arlington or Worthington or Dublin, where you have a lot of shopping centers but also a lot of high-priced houses and (with the exception of UA) not a lot of rental or lower-priced housing, how many of the people working there can afford to live in the same place they work? How far do they have to commute, and where are they driving (or taking the bus) from? Being visible in a community is not the same as being a part of that community. I’m not saying that a truly “white neighborhood” exists in Columbus, although I think some of the suburbs probably get close, but that the metro’s residents perceive themselves as living in a much less diverse place than they actually do, and the issues accompanying the reality of diversity just aren’t discussed enough.
21 December 2011 at 12:16 pm
Jesse D.
No, I’m talking about dealing with people as well as employees.
Go to a restaurant in my area and your inundated with Mexicans and Somalians and none of them apparently can speak a lick of English. I won’t shop at the local Walmart because its like entering a 3rd world country. Took my family out to breakfast up on Broad St. over by Georgesville rd. and the place was full of somali’s/muslims.
You might like the idea of diversity but not all others do. I don’t consider myself to be a racist person but since I’ve moved into this city I find myself becoming very hostile towards a lot of the ethnics.
My contract will be up in October and I will be so glad to get away from here.
Maybe Columbus doesn’t advertise itself or think of itself as diverse because they know it would be bad for business.
28 December 2011 at 2:20 am
Anna B.
I can’t speak to how someone feels or emotionally responds in the presence of someone different, but to the idea that diversity is bad for business, I will point to New York and northern California and Chicago and Austin, Texas and other cities whose strength has been built on diversity (using several definitions of the word). While I can’t really prove that diversity always results in more economic activity or better quality of life, the evidence out there (including some well-known economic development theories) support the idea that diversity strengthens a community.
And the word “ethnic” (or rather, “ethnics”) got me thinking about some things I learned about American history – namely, that immigration (and anti-immigrant sentiment) has always been present in the U.S., but the groups at odds have also changed over time, and have indeed many ethnic and cultural groups have changed sides. For example: in 1800, a “white” person in America would be of English, possibly Scottish, or German descent. An Irish person would not be considered “white,” and indeed may be classified alongside or just above those considered “black.” This took decades to change, but although Irish Americans still self identify by their ethnicity, they certainly consider themselves white. Ditto with Italian Americans, as well as many Eastern Europeans, not to mention Jewish Americans (of mainly European descent).
All of this is to say, things change, and will continue to change in America in the near future. We do ourselves a disservice by assuming that how things are now is the natural and permanent order of the world, and by not looking for more ways to make proactive and positive change.
30 September 2012 at 6:56 pm
Theo
Thoughtful essay and responses. I grew up in Bethesda, have lived in Cincinnati (and Covington,KY), Atlanta, Chattanooga, Washington, D.C.
Am moving to Columbus.
I followed the link to this site in response to one of my concerns: Is Columbus a racist town?
No particular answer here, and I feel that Urbanistos live in a self-generated world of trains-are-cool, etc.
I like downtowns. I like a mix of ethnic groups. I am hoping to find that in Columbus — which, I will note, does seem to be under-appreciated.
(BTW, Bethesda was never planned — and has been largely white always. Check out the black community that used to live along Seven Locks Road near the Montgomery Mall. People there go back longer than the burbs that surrond — though they probably have wisely sold out by now.)
1 October 2012 at 9:47 pm
Anna B.
Hi Theo,
Thanks for your insight! I’m not very familiar with the DC area but have had a chance to visit Bethesda, I didn’t spend much time there but my initial impression was well-to-do (probably mostly white) DC commuters.
To answer the question you were searching for, no, I don’t think Columbus is a racist town. However, I say that as a white person who grew up in safe neighborhoods in the city (Clintonville) and suburbs (Hilliard, Upper Arlington). But while it does sometimes have elements and character traditionally associated with the south – the Appalachians, not the Deep South – it is a diverse and economically successful place, a state capital and the site of one of the biggest universities in the U.S. No doubt you will run into people who look down on you for some aspect of who you are, but that can happen even in the most “progressive” places. As you say, Columbus is underappreciated, and I think a lot of the residents maybe under-appreciate the value of having things like a big university and the international/national diversity that brings to an otherwise kinda boring Midwest city. That was more my point in this post – that they (generalizing, for sure) how interesting of a community it actually is. But I think that’s also particularly true in the suburbs, which (although it’s changing) to tend to be more white and more conservative than the central city / university area. But I think more people are starting to realize how cool Columbus is / could be … especially when comparing its current fortunes with that of Cleveland, Toledo, a lot of the old industrial areas that have suffered in recent decades.
I also feel compelled to add that I now live in Anchorage, Alaska – another place that is a LOT more diverse than one might assume! The military bases contribute to that, as do the various federal agencies and close connections with Russia and East Asia geographically and culturally. They say that there are over 100 languages spoken in the Anchorage School District! Anchorage reminds me of Columbus, in some ways. Except for the mountains and the ocean. 🙂
24 December 2013 at 6:10 am
Michael
I know this is a really late post, but as a Columbusite (now living abroad) I couldn’t help adding my two cents.
I asked my grandmother (we are an African-American family) who was born in Columbus in the 1920’s and grew up there what the racial climate was like during the city’s 20th century history.
She told me that it was quite a bit more subtle than in other cities in Ohio like Cleveland or Cincinatti. There was, and still is, a well established and proportionally important black community in the city, but Columbus was always majority white – much more so before the 1980’s. My grandma thought that maybe this was the reason the people of the city were less vocal and violent when it came to racism; since they were so much in the majority, most whites didn’t feel threatened and we all know that racism stems primarily from fear of the “other. Also the generally higher levels of education (the university, all kinds of lawyers and lawmakers in the city since it is the capital of the state) probably helped.
What she did remember was that there were certain areas and establishments that were percevied as “white”. There were almost never any written signs, like in the South, stating this; it was more de facto, a matter of common knowledge. If you, as a black person, ventured into one of those places you might got odd looks, perhaps a snide comment from passer-by and just the general feeling that you were someplace that you were not “supposed” to be.
The main black area of the city was the Long Street and Mt Vernon Avenue corridors and that’s where most black people went for shopping, socializing and entertainment. And most black people in the city lived in close proximity to those streets.
Incidentally those neighborhoods were devasted in the 1950’s-1970’s by urban development and the building of the freeway system. They were marked for destruction because they were perceived by the majority white city powers as “bad neighborhoods” that needed to be cleared. Perhaps, as you say, because majority black neighborhoods are automatically perceived by outsiders to be “bad”?
I also agree that Columbus is a very diverse place, but it doesn’t seem to realize that it is. I think part of the issue is that the city is just very subtle. Columbus is not an in-your-face, look-at-me kind of town and when it tries to be, it often ends up looking ridiculous. Flash doesn’t seem to become us. I don’t know why this is, but it’s something I’ve noticed and come to appreciate since I’ve moved away. But, it’s also the reason that alot of people write the city off as boring. They don’t look closely enough to notice all the complexity simmering under the placid facade. And that’s too bad!
11 June 2015 at 6:19 pm
WC43205
As a black male that moved here from the east i can say alot of blacks are being fooled by the jobs. Columbus has plenty of good jobs but they pretty much ALL go to whites. For what the area has to offer its a real disapointment for folks that have been here their whole life & cant move up.