We all read the news about inner city violence. Do you believe that violence an inherently black and brown problem? One answer is this, residential segregation, poverty, food insecurity, inadequate housing, unequal education, breeds violence and violence continues to breed poverty. It’s a hopeless cycle. Impoverished neighborhoods are BY DESIGN. Segregation was a tool used to make it easier to concentrate and isolate communities of black and brown people. What happens when communities are isolated? In addition to education inequities there is economic disinvestment. Food insecurity (being without access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food). Health disparities. The psychological effects are Low self-worth, devaluation of life, mental health issues, using drugs as a way of coping to name a few. This isn’t an issue for just for black people, this is what happens to humans in these circumstances. Segregation exacerbated these issues for select groups of people. So you might say, well segregation ended (Y’all’s free..again). “why don’t they just leave these neighborhoods” (but it might make you uncomfortable if too many come to yours). Well residential segregation never ended. Residential segregation impedes access to middle-class neighborhoods with strong schools. Higher levels of education and which can typically lead to higher income, translates into access to neighborhoods with many opportunities and the possibility of accumulating wealth. If you aren’t given access to a neighborhood with a strong school system, you are more likely to experience educational inequities, and thus the cycle continues.
Have you ever heard of “Redlining”? It was a practice where lenders would refuse a loan to someone because they live in an area deemed to be a poor financial risk. This was a practice where mortgage lenders that would draw red lines on a map to indicate areas or neighborhoods in which they don’t want to make loans (usually areas where Blacks Latinos and other people of color live). Redlining was made illegal in the 1970’s but in order to make things a little harder, a person could be offered a Subprime loan, often given to people who have low credit ratings or are PERCEIVED as likely to default on a loan. Wells Fargo was involved in this practice all the way up until 2012! This is just one example of how to keep groups of people confined to a particular neighborhood.
If you have any continued interest into learning more check these out:
PBS documentaries "Decade of Fire" and "East Lake Meadows"
and these links that give information about public housing:
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