The state of racial inequality in 12 major U.S. cities
The March Against Racism in Boston Common in 1974. Photo: Frank C. Curtin / AP
A deep-dive into racial inequities from the Boston Globe's Spotlight team reveals the cities where gaps between white and black residents are closing and the cities where little has changed since the 1970s.
The big picture: A survey commissioned by the Globe found that 54% of African-Americans feel Boston isn't welcoming to people of color, the highest of the cities surveyed. That percentage is 34% for Chicago and 28% for New York. Atlanta fares best, at 16%.
Boston
7% of residents are black; 73% are white
54% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
4 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations meaning, per the Globe's analysis, "At least 15 percent of the residents are black; and among the black residents, at least 30 percent had a four-year college degree and their household income was at or above the median for their metro area."
New York
16% of residents are black; 48% are white
28% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
150 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Washington, D.C.
25% of residents are black; 47% are white
119 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Philadelphia
20% of residents are black; 63% are white
34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
36 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Chicago
17% of residents are black, 54% are white
34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
33 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Atlanta
33% of residents are black; 49% are white
16% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
110 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Dallas
15% of residents are black; 49% are white
50 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Houston
17% of residents are black; 38% are white
57 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Miami
20% of residents are black, 33% are white
24% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
38 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Los Angeles
6% of residents are black; 31% are white
24 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
Charlotte
35% of residents are black, 45% are white
38% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
San Francisco
6% of residents are black, 54% are white
34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
9 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations
