One of the biggest stories of the census has been how the big cities of the north-east and Midwest have been losing African-American voters even as they have otherwise grown far more diverse
One of the biggest stories of the census has been how the big cities of the north-east and Midwest have been losing African-American voters even as they have become far more diverse otherwise. The city of Chicago lost 85,000 black residents in the decade to 2020, or about 10% of the total. That was more than any other city except Detroit. And yet the city also gained 40,500 Hispanic residents and 45,000 Asian ones, as well as 34,500 people of two races and 9,000 whites.
Today, the black political power machine in Chicago is looking shakier. The census results require the redrawing of the council ward map. The Hispanic caucus, a relatively new bloc in the city’s racial politics, wants two more seats in the 50 seat council, to account for Hispanic population growth. Mostly white members from the north of the city lobbied for the creation of the city’s first Asian-American ward, something that almost everyone seemingly agrees on.