The Mannings are part of an emerging pattern of Black migration from larger cities to smaller ones, primarily in the South, according to Sabrina Pendergrass, an assistant professor for African American and African Studies at the University of Virginia. After a decadeslong migration by Black people to Atlanta, “there’s this feeling that ... it might be tougher to get an economic foothold if you wanted to open a business,” Pendergrass said. “In cities like Charlotte, there’s not as much competition.”