Do black people live in Montana? They sure do.
Montana, with its vast open spaces and rugged natural beauty, is a state that is often associated with outdoor adventure, ranching, and hunting. But what is it like to live in Montana as a black person? For many, it may seem like an unlikely place to find a diverse community, but the state is home to a growing population of black Montanans who are making their mark in a variety of ways.
Do black people live in Montana?
Key takeaways:
Black people make up a tiny amount of the Montana population at only 0.6%
You’re definitely going to stand out and get stares
You will encounter people who aren’t welcoming
But you’ll also find plenty of kind people
The nature scene, hiking trails, space, and lack of materialism are the biggest benefits
How many black people live in Montana?
According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau, black people make up a small percentage of Montana's population, accounting for just 0.6% of the state's total population–about 6000 people. This is significantly lower than the national average, where black people make up around 13.4% of the total population.
In comparison, the largest racial group in Montana is white, accounting for 87.8% of the population—or over 930,000 people. Native Americans make up the second-largest group, at 6.1%.
Despite the small percentage of black people in Montana, the state has seen a gradual increase in diversity over the past few decades, with more black people choosing to call Montana home.
Is it safe for black people to visit or live in Montana?
On the positive side
Pamela, a black female TikToker, homesteader, and mom, resides in Montana with her family, who owns 46 acres of land in the state. “The question I get often is, why would you guys move to Montana? Are you afraid of discrimination or racism or anything like that?”
People also often tell Pamela they’re afraid to come to Montana because of the lack of diversity. “I always tell people that the reason we moved to Montana is to be in nature because the state is such a beautiful state.”
Pamela also pointed out that discrimination happens all over the United States. “Personally, we experienced more racism living in Florida than we do in Montana. People typically are friendly. But yes, there are some people that kind of stare at us because we're not the typical family you would see in Montana.
However, Pamela still believes Montana is a great place to come and at least visit. “I would also like to encourage anyone out here that's thinking about vacationing here to absolutely come to Montana. Don't let fear stop you from seeing this beautiful world that our Lord has created.”
On the mixed side
Another Black Montanian, Danielle Gonzalez, has lived in the state since 2011, residing primarily in Missoula, a city in western Montana.
Danielle has met and befriended quite a few black women since she moved to Montana and each of them has had very unique experiences. “Missoula tends to be a very friendly place. If you're walking down the street, a lot of people will say ‘hi’. People will probably talk to you in the grocery store.” But Danielle says the more passive experiences, such as being ignored on hiking trails or people not making eye contact, feel most hurtful. She also never quite knows how she’ll be received in small towns.
After getting married in June of 2021, Danielle and her husband wanted to go on their honeymoon to a remote northern part of Montana, close to Idaho. “One friend who grew up near that area and another friend who's heard a lot about the area just suggested that we not go there because there isn't any reception,” Danielle explained. “They're like, ‘We're not really sure how you'll be received up there’. So we ended up changing our honeymoon plans and went to an area that was still in that similar vicinity. It was within like 25 miles, but just a little closer to a bigger town and we had a really great experience there. It was still small-town Montana but everyone was really welcoming.”
Danielle described her experience visiting another small Montana town and feeling insecure about going into the grocery store. But she said she doesn’t normally feel that way. “I'm usually just like, ‘Okay we'll just see how it goes’, you know, and I might pray about it. I just pray for strength or courage.” Her husband eventually convinced her to go in and she was surprised to be complimented by a fellow shopper on how beautiful her skin is.
Danielle said it’s not uncommon for her to be the only black person at a store, an event, or a work party. When she first moved, her friend asked her if she thought she’d be treated better if she was white. Danielle gave a resounding ‘yes’, but her friend told her, “‘If you look for the people who don't want you here, you'll always find them. But if you look for the people who do want you here you'll also find them’. I think that's been something that I've really held on to.”
Experience with police as a Black person in Montana
Danielle said her most common experience with law enforcement was in relation to parking tickets—not on the basis of race, however. “I've had the most like parking tickets so one thing I will say is if you park on [the University of Montana] campus, just buy a pass because things will always take longer than you expect them to take.”
Danielle recalled getting pulled over once for not driving hands-free, but fortunately, the experience was positive. The officer let her off with a warning. “I think living here has helped me realize that I need to be careful about my judgments. In the same way that I want people to be careful about their judgments of me, I need to be careful of my judgments of them.”
Building community as a Black person in Montana
“It can be hard to get into the community. People are very nice but sometimes it's a little harder to build a connection that's going to continue,” Danielle explained.
As someone who’s found friends within the Missoula fitness community, Danielle says joining in on different community events around town is essential. “There are Missoula events and opportunities to connect with people whether it's going dancing or getting into a recreation with other folks in town.”
Danielle mentioned that people tend to hibernate during the winter months, mostly due to the snowy weather. But once Spring comes back around, the towns come back to life which makes it easier to get social again.
Overall, Danielle says her experience of living in Montana as a Black person has been a positive one. Despite some uncomfortable situations, she’s felt safe and welcomed, for the most part. “I've been pretty impressed with how many people will go out of their way to make me feel included and be kind. Sometimes it's like a little awkward but it's really neat to see the kindness I've been able to experience over the years.”
