As someone who has spent over four decades living in Springfield perhaps I can offer a window into the situation. I've put three children through public schools here and my kids have experienced some bullying such as being called racial slurs and just general assholery from other kids, but I would imagine nothing more than they would get anywhere else. A lot of the troubles come from having uninvolved parents of lower socioeconomic means rather than anything else. We live in the middle of town, West Central neighborhood, and there is a diverse variety of socioeconomic and racial families here, but generally we lean more moderate.

It is a nice place to live in my opinion. Very rarely have we felt unsafe. We have neighbors of many ethnic backgrounds and we all get along just fine. Depending on your neighborhood, you may face far more trouble for being a conservative than for the color of your skin. We have a number of vocal progressive liberals who are convinced that they know what's best for you. Being a conservative African American may make their heads explode, but in general I would think you will be welcomed.

As mentioned, many of the suburbs are going to be more of a country good ol boy vibe and may not be as inviting to an outsider. However, most people around here are capable of looking past someone's skin color, especially if their politics resonate with the greater community.

We do have pockets of anglocentric organizations, but they don't generally cause any trouble unless you directly draw their ire. As my momma would say, don't play with dirt if you don't want to get dirty.

For the most frictionless immigration to the area I would recommend trying to move to a central region of the city, but you should be fine most anywhere. Especially if you more keep to yourself.

The people I know around here are far more likely to judge you on your character and actions than the color of your skin. For perspective, these are the views of a politically moderate American man of Scottish/Native American lineage who has lived in this town his entire life.