Divided We Stand
Kayra Feliz
Van Houten
College Composition
March 3, 2015
Divided We Stand:
An Overview of the Origins of American Apartheid
Although people oftentimes believe segregation is synonymous with the Civil Rights movement, some people might be surprised to learn that racial residential segregation was not always the status quo. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, racially and economically diverse neighborhoods were the norm across the country. Urban “ghettoization” came about after the Great Migration of southern blacks to the North during industrialization. The influx of black residents coincided with the blossoming real estate industry nationwide, which used discriminatory practices to reshape the urban (and suburban) diorama. The rise of the modern real estate industry during industrialization and its discriminatory practices contributed to the inception of racial residential segregation in the United States.
Residential segregation in the United States developed slowly and deliberately. In fact, prior to the turn of the century, blacks were interspersed throughout white neighborhoods. For instance, in the South, black laborers often lived side-by-side with their white employers, a vestige from times of slavery when workers lived on or adjoining their master’s property. In northern cities, blacks were much more likely to share a neighborhood with whites than to live in racially homogenous communities. The two racial groups interacted regularly in a common social circle, despite the continuance of racial discrimination after the abolition of slavery. However, the housing landscape began to shift in the early 20th century. Although its studies were limited to population samples within the city, the Kansas City Board of Public Welfare’s 1913 Social prospectus of Kansas City played a significant role in the inception of racial housing segregation by singling out race as a cause for the social problems a number of blacks faced in their neighborhoods. The report was
Van Houten
College Composition
March 3, 2015
Divided We Stand:
An Overview of the Origins of American Apartheid
Although people oftentimes believe segregation is synonymous with the Civil Rights movement, some people might be surprised to learn that racial residential segregation was not always the status quo. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, racially and economically diverse neighborhoods were the norm across the country. Urban “ghettoization” came about after the Great Migration of southern blacks to the North during industrialization. The influx of black residents coincided with the blossoming real estate industry nationwide, which used discriminatory practices to reshape the urban (and suburban) diorama. The rise of the modern real estate industry during industrialization and its discriminatory practices contributed to the inception of racial residential segregation in the United States.
Residential segregation in the United States developed slowly and deliberately. In fact, prior to the turn of the century, blacks were interspersed throughout white neighborhoods. For instance, in the South, black laborers often lived side-by-side with their white employers, a vestige from times of slavery when workers lived on or adjoining their master’s property. In northern cities, blacks were much more likely to share a neighborhood with whites than to live in racially homogenous communities. The two racial groups interacted regularly in a common social circle, despite the continuance of racial discrimination after the abolition of slavery. However, the housing landscape began to shift in the early 20th century. Although its studies were limited to population samples within the city, the Kansas City Board of Public Welfare’s 1913 Social prospectus of Kansas City played a significant role in the inception of racial housing segregation by singling out race as a cause for the social problems a number of blacks faced in their neighborhoods. The report was