Dallas’ “Black Brain Drain”

I just read a very interesting piece over at Michael Davis’ Dallas Progress entitled “Does Dallas do Enough to Retain Young African-American Talent?” Here are a couple of grafs I found illuminating:

This is not just a problem with non-Blacks. Most prominent Black power brokers, as a whole in this city, do not include my age bracket on the money side of any decision. You want a picture? Sure. You want to volunteer? Cool! You want to do business??? “Um, here’s my card…give me a call.” They’re full of it. There are some exceptions, but they are few and far between.

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Our consumption dollars are wanted in this City, but nothing else. Until our power is appreciated and our ideas embraced, the Black Brain Drain will continue. How can you have urban renewal in places like South Dallas and Oak Cliff when the best minds are leaving for greener pastures?

Michael makes a good point, and one I must admit I never thought about. I’m well aware that in smaller cities like Tyler and Longview, few African Americans return to those cities after finishing their educations because there are greater opportunities for them in larger cities.

I am a little dismayed that this happens in Dallas as well. I hope Michael will write more on what he addresses in the first paragraph I quoted above. No doubt, many of the African American business leaders in Dallas today got to where they are as a result of the assistance of the black business leaders in Dallas who helped them when they were young. It seems only right and proper that the favor should be returned.

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