black americans are the largest racial minority with 32.4% of the population in 2010, up from 28.9% in 2000. the city of atlanta has long been regarded as a "black mecca" for its role as a center of black education, political power, wealth, and culture. from 2000 to 2010, the geographic distribution of blacks in metro atlanta changed radically. long concentrated in the city of atlanta and dekalb county, the black population there dropped as more than half a million african americans settled across other parts of the metro area, including approximately 112,000 in gwinnett county, 71,000 in fulton outside atlanta, 58,000 in cobb, 50,000 in clayton, 34,000 in douglas, and 27,000 each in newton and rockdale counties. due to its availability of jobs, atlanta has been a destination for young college-educated blacks in the reverse great migration of african americans from the north since the turn of the 21st century, with many settling quickly into suburban locations. the metropolitan area has the second highest total african american population of any metropolitan area, with only the new york city metro area having more.