3 Residential Segregation and Its Legacy Free Online FlashCards

What is residential segregation?

Residential segregation is the unequal separation of people among neighborhoods, often by race, ethnicity, or income.

What barriers restricted Black Americans’ housing choices during the Great Migration?

During the Great Migration, many Black Americans faced violence, discriminatory real-estate practices, and restrictive covenants that limited where they could live.

What did a restrictive covenant do?

Restrictive covenants were deed clauses intended to prevent people of certain races from occupying or buying homes.

What did Buchanan v. Warley decide?

In 1917, the Supreme Court struck down Louisville’s racial-zoning ordinance in Buchanan v. Warley. Segregation continued through other practices and rules.

How did Home Owners’ Loan Corporation maps grade many neighborhoods of color?

Home Owners’ Loan Corporation maps graded neighborhoods by perceived mortgage risk; areas with Black residents and other communities of color were often given the lowest grades.

Who often had greater access to postwar homeownership and suburban development programs?

Postwar housing and suburban programs often gave white households greater access to homeownership and new suburban developments.

How did public housing and urban renewal reinforce segregation?

Public housing was often built and operated along racial lines, while urban-renewal projects displaced many Black residents from areas targeted for redevelopment.

How could highways affect established communities?

Highways and other infrastructure sometimes cut through established communities, weakening residents’ connections to jobs and services.

What are examples of exclusionary zoning rules?

Exclusionary zoning can allow only detached single-family homes, require large lots, or set minimum home sizes, limiting construction of apartments and other lower-cost homes.

How can restrictive zoning limit access to high-opportunity communities?

Where high-opportunity communities restrict lower-cost housing, lower-income households may find it harder to access strong schools, jobs, transit, and public services.

What does the Fair Housing Act prohibit?

Enacted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on characteristics including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.

What are examples of discrimination in individual housing transactions?

A landlord or real-estate agent may discriminate by giving prospective renters different information, steering people toward or away from neighborhoods, or unfairly denying housing.