H/T reader Kay M.

Image via screenshot.

Image via screenshot.

According to NBCDWF.com’s article,
Since 2000-2010, there’s been a large migration of African-Americans to North Texas,” Sherman said. “In fact we’re the leading [community] second only to Atlanta for the migration from north to south. And many of those have chosen to live in the city of DeSoto because of the caliber of the citizens that we have here.”

According to the U.S. Census, 68 percent of people in DeSoto are black or African-American compared with 25 percent in Dallas and 18.9 percent in Fort Worth.

In 2013, the median household income in DeSoto is $60,945. The statewide average is $51,900. The average in Dallas is $42,846. Only nine percent of DeSoto residents live below the poverty line. Read the rest of the article here.

What is even more impressive is that over 50% of the businesses there are Black owned. Desoto, TX  is the kind of Black community I want to see all across this country. It does not have to be wealthy, but it must be place where Black people can thrive. I have to say something some African-Americans may not want to hear. Now they have to keep a certain element out.

What element am I talking about? Few will admit it, unlike what most racists and self-hating Blacks believe, there are different mindsets that exist within the Black population. We are not monolithic. Just like the majority of us have positive mindsets, there is a small, but vocal group that has a negative one. That negative group has the ability to destroy a community. Here is an example.

I live in the Memphis area. The city is 63% African-American with over 25% percent of its citizens living in poverty and a very high crime rate. The city of Memphis tore down several projects in Downtown Memphis because of redevelopment aka gentrification. They thought if low-income section eight African-Americans living in the projects were surrounded by working class and high-income African-Americans, low-income folks would adjust. Eventually, many of those people from the crime-ridden projects were moved to Hickory Hill. Prior to being mostly African-Americans, Hickory Hill was largely White. When the city annexed it, many of its White residents moved out, and high income and working class African-Americans moved in. Within a few years many of the vacant homes from the White owners became section eight rentals and that’s when everything changed.

You can move folks out of the projects, but you can’t move the projects out of some folks. The city’s social engineering project failed. Crime went up, and businesses have closed in Hickory Hill aka Hickory Hood. There are gangs in the schools and the only ones left are the people who cannot move and the section eight folks. One of Memphis’ great African-Americans  communities was ruined. Many affluent and working class African-Americans  have now moved out to the suburbs of Shelby County, TN (Cordova and Collierville) and into Desoto County, Mississippi. I am sure many of you have experienced the same thing in your communities too.

Call me elitist or whatever and I understand the collective need for unity, but I recognize all my skin folk ain’t kin folk. Our need for Black unity isn’t worth lowering my family’s or anyone else’s quality of life. I am not here to save diseased self-hating communities either. I am here to provide a better life for those who want it. Honestly, some people don’t want to be “saved.” If we were really unified, we wouldn’t want that element in our communities. Look, just because we are African-Americans  it does not mean we share the same outlook. I have nothing in common with the African-Americans drug dealer, gang member, multiple litter baby producer or any other person who wants to destroy my community except the fact that we are African-Americans . Those are the negative elements. So if you live in a community like Desoto, protect it.

How can the local citizens protect it? Run for political office. Join your local school boards. Go out to community meetings. Join neighborhood and community organizations. Just be active and invested in the future of your community. When citizens are active in their community, they are a force.

Do you think we can create more Desotos?

A revolution always begins between two ears. Start yours today.

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