Surrogate Suburbs: Black Upward Mobility and Neighborhood Change in Cleveland, 1900–1980

by Todd M Michney

The story of white flight and the neglect of black urban neighborhoods has been well told by urban historians in recent decades. Yet much of this scholarship has downplayed black agency and tended to portray African Americans as victims of structural forces beyond their control. In this history of Cleveland's black middle class, Todd Michney uncovers the creative ways that members of this nascent community established footholds in areas outside the overcrowded, inner-city neighborhoods to which most African Americans were consigned. In asserting their right to these outer-city spaces, African Americans appealed to city officials, allied with politically progressive whites (notably Jewish activists), and relied upon both black and white developers and real estate agents to expand these "surrogate suburbs" and maintain their livability until the bona fide suburbs became more accessible.

By tracking the trajectories of those who, in spite of racism, were able to succeed, Michney offers a valuable counterweight to histories that have focused on racial conflict and black poverty and tells the neglected story of the black middle class in America's cities prior to the 1960s.

334 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2017

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading well-researched books, but sometimes the academic style leads to dry reading. This is not the case in Todd M. Michney's well-researched and important book about Black upward mobility in several Cleveland area neighborhoods. Anyone interested in the Cleveland area, racial relations, or housing inequality will find this book to be an important and enlightening read. There are plentiful references for those who want to dive more deeply into the neighborhoods and situations he discusses. I was particularly interested in the Glenville area and the work provides a solid foundation about housing patterns in that neighborhood.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating lenses into the history and tension of black families moving away from the urban core of Cleveland and the powerful ways the black communities fought back against discrimination. Historical and research-based read, but the takeaways are still incredibly relevant.

[Dominic Ferrante · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and interesting read. Often dry, and text book like but captivating non the less.