Policy Implications of the Movement of Blacks Out of the Rural South

Implicit or explicit national governmental actions designed to perpetuate, change conditions, maintain the status quo, or introduce change (although not designed for that purpose) are known as policy. Some of these actions relate directly to population distribution from early land grants to present urban renewal and rural development activities. Others relating to agriculture, growth, and relocation of industries and government facilities, expansion of higher education opportunities, service in the armed forces, housing, and the widespread construction of transportation systems have had unanticipated impacts on population relocation. Shifts in demands for services have also resulted in population redistribution. When these occur, the government must consider their impact in formulating policies; existing policies must be evaluated and their implementation mechanisms reassessed or new programs devised. Factors which should be considered are: (1) the numbers involved, (2) the locations affected, (3) the migrant's importance in his parent and host populations, and (4) characteristics of people which predispose them to require specialized services. In recent decades, the heavy movement of blacks out of the rural South has produced shifts in service needs. This outmigration effected compositional changes in both rural and urban populations, affecting the urban South, the urban non-South, and the rural South. The paper also examines some policy implications related to service needs caused by this movement.