Dallas; A Place for Black Millenials Who Don't Want to Move to Atlanta

Tiara Burns
Jun 7, 2018
2 min read

I moved to Dallas, in May of 2013 with the complete full intention of staying for solely 2 years. I figured I would get my bread up, get my letters up and move back to the East Coast/MidWest. As a nativeto Detroit, MIch, I did not think I could deal with a conservative south and very hot weather. Here I am exactly, 5 years later, In Dallas and discovering so much more to enjoy about the city every day.

For Americans outside of Texas, there are three things that come to mind when one thinks of Texas; Dallas Cowboys, Barbecue, and actual cowboys which is synonymous for people walking up and down the streets in Stetsons yelling "YEEE HAW!"

Boy, were my assumptions wrong. Texas is a vast, complicated, and quite different state. Dallas is a fastly changing, sprawling metropolis that has potential to be the next big city that can shadow over the other major cities in Texas.

If you were to google the best places for black prodessionals, black millenials, or black families, you will be mislead to believe that the best city in Texas for Black folk to move to is Austin. The numbers are skewed: Black people are barely 8% of Austin's population which is a jump from Austin's African American population in 2010 which was 5%. Cities like Dallas and Houston, who both share a 25% African Amrican population have a larger variety. Unlike Austin, Texas where most native Black Austinites were forced out by gentrification and heavy policing, Dallas and Houston have a much larger variety of Black people who make various incomes and have various lifestyles where he median income for Black Millenials is growing rapidly .

Dallas is a great place for Black Millenials. There is a fairly low cost of living and widening housing market for young people looking to build or buy a new home. Among all of the uber adult pros to living here, Dallas has a giant, vibrant cultture scene.

Millenials want an authentic experience in everything we do. Without conscious, we ask "What makes this unique?" ior "What was different?" The Black Millenial has very different taste for sights. We are looking for the most uniique experience abd the blackest experience is the majority of our activities. Not only do black millenials embrace yoga and craft bear but we attend Yoga N da Hood or Trap Yoga where the ambient can include tracks by Erykah Badu or Two Chainz.

Dallas is very different in its variety. The city has different and distinct. neighborhoods.

Uptown is the bougie side of town to enjoy. Nestiled in less than a mile away from City Hall , Uptown has luxurious condos but so does every neighborhood. On both sides of Uptown and Downtown are two very lively neighborhoods; Bishop Arts and Deep Ellum. Aside form the various neighborhoods, Dallas is modable. Cities like Atlanta or Houston have a long history of black culture. Dallas is Great for Black Millenials because there is oppurtunity to build from the ground up.