ClassX Video Lessons Why are US cities still so segregated? – Kevin Ehrman-Solberg and Kirsten Delegard
On October 21, 1909, a significant event unfolded in an affluent Minneapolis neighborhood. William Simpson, a Black man who had recently purchased a plot of land, faced opposition from 125 residents who demanded he leave. The Simpsons, poised to become the second Black family in the predominantly white area, intended to build their home there. Despite offers to buy them out and attempts to block their home’s construction, the Simpsons moved in, sparking a ripple effect that would influence housing policies for decades.
In the aftermath of the Simpsons’ ordeal, Minneapolis saw the introduction of its first racially restrictive covenant. These covenants, embedded in property deeds, were designed to control property usage. Starting in the mid-1800s, such covenants began to explicitly restrict properties based on race, preventing future sales or leases to specific racial and ethnic groups, particularly Black people. Between 1920 and 1950, these covenants proliferated across the United States, intensifying urban segregation and limiting access to suburban areas.
In the county surrounding Minneapolis, over 25,000 homes eventually had racial covenants in their deeds. This practice was not only legal but also endorsed by the U.S. Federal Housing Administration, which included racial covenants in its underwriting manual. Real estate developers began incorporating these restrictions from the outset, crafting communities envisioned as idyllic for American families—but exclusively for white people.
In 1947, a company embarked on constructing Levittown, New York, which became a model for postwar American suburbs. This community of over 17,000 identical homes, priced around $7,000 each, was intended to be affordable for returning World War II veterans. However, Levittown’s racial covenants stipulated that homes could not “be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race,” with the sole exception being servants.
From 1950 to 1970, the American suburbs experienced a population surge as white families moved to racially homogeneous areas, a phenomenon known as “white flight.” This expansion replaced natural ecosystems with sprawling developments and necessitated car travel, as evidenced by the quadrupling of American automobile production between 1946 and 1955.
Federal initiatives like the G.I. Bill offered veterans favorable lending rates for home purchases. However, people of color found it challenging to benefit from these resources due to racial covenants and government programs that labeled neighborhoods of color as poor investments, often refusing to insure mortgages in these areas. Consequently, banks typically denied loans to those purchasing property in these neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining. This forced many people of color to rent rather than own homes, preventing them from building wealth over time.
Suburban areas featured cul-de-sacs and dead ends to minimize traffic, while city planners frequently designated redlined neighborhoods as inexpensive sites for industrial development. The massive freeway projects of the mid-20th century disproportionately cut through these neighborhoods, bringing heavy industry and pollution. As a result, many communities of color today face higher rates of drinking water contamination, asthma, and other health issues.
Over time, those affected by racial covenants increasingly challenged them in court. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act finally banned these covenants. However, the damage was already done. Racial covenants had concentrated wealth and amenities in white neighborhoods while depressing conditions and home values in neighborhoods of color. As of 2020, approximately 74% of white families in the U.S. owned their homes, compared to about 44% of Black families, with the disparity being most pronounced in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
Despite the illegality of racial covenants, their legacy persists. Neighborhoods remain segregated, with 90% of suburban counties predominantly white. Some landlords, real estate agents, and lenders continue to discriminate based on race, steering individuals to or away from certain neighborhoods or imposing prohibitively high interest rates. Gentrification and exclusionary zoning practices further displace and exclude people of color from specific areas.
While racial covenants are now illegal, they remain visible on many housing deeds, serving as a reminder of the demographic divides and hidden inequalities that continue to shape our world. The pristine lawns of American suburbs bear the imprint of these covenants, reflecting a history that still influences contemporary housing dynamics.
Create an interactive timeline that traces the history of racially restrictive covenants from their inception to their eventual ban in 1968. Include key events such as the introduction of the first covenant in Minneapolis, the development of Levittown, and the passing of the Fair Housing Act. Use online tools like TimelineJS to make your timeline engaging and visually appealing.
Participate in a role-playing debate where you assume the roles of different stakeholders from the article, such as a Black family affected by racial covenants, a real estate developer, a government official, and a suburban homeowner. Debate the pros and cons of racially restrictive covenants and their impact on American housing policies. This activity will help you understand multiple perspectives and the complexities of the issue.
Use historical maps and modern GIS tools to identify areas in your city or state that were affected by racial covenants. Compare these maps to current demographic data to analyze the long-term effects of these covenants on urban segregation. Present your findings in a report or presentation, highlighting any patterns or disparities you discover.
Watch a documentary that explores the history and impact of racial covenants, such as “Race: The Power of an Illusion” or “The House We Live In.” After the screening, participate in a guided discussion to reflect on the documentary’s content and connect it to the concepts discussed in the article. Consider how the legacy of racial covenants continues to affect housing and segregation today.
Conduct a research project on the history of housing policies in your local area. Investigate whether racial covenants were used and how they have shaped the current housing landscape. Interview local historians, review archival documents, and analyze current housing data. Present your research in a written report or multimedia presentation, offering recommendations for addressing ongoing housing inequalities.
Racial Covenants – Legal agreements that prevent the sale or lease of property to certain racial or ethnic groups, historically used to enforce racial segregation in housing. – In the early 20th century, racial covenants were common in many American cities, effectively barring African Americans from purchasing homes in certain neighborhoods.
Segregation – The enforced separation of different racial, ethnic, or social groups within a community or institution. – The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s aimed to dismantle segregation in public schools and facilities across the United States.
Housing – Structures or accommodations where people live, often reflecting broader social and economic patterns. – The post-World War II era saw a significant expansion in suburban housing, driven by economic growth and government policies.
Discrimination – Unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, often based on race, age, or gender. – Discrimination in employment and education was a major focus of civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
Redlining – The discriminatory practice of denying services, particularly financial and housing, to residents of certain areas based on racial or ethnic composition. – Redlining contributed to the economic decline of urban neighborhoods by restricting access to mortgages and investment.
Suburbs – Residential areas on the outskirts of a city, often characterized by single-family homes and lower population density. – The growth of suburbs in the mid-20th century was facilitated by the construction of highways and the availability of affordable housing.
Wealth – An abundance of valuable resources or material possessions, often measured in terms of money or property. – Wealth disparities between different racial and ethnic groups can be traced back to historical policies like redlining and segregation.
Inequality – The unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges within a society. – Economic inequality has been a persistent issue, influencing debates on taxation and social welfare policies.
Gentrification – The process of renovating and improving a district so that it conforms to middle-class taste, often displacing lower-income residents. – Gentrification in urban areas can lead to increased property values but also raises concerns about the displacement of long-term residents.
Urban Planning – The process of designing and regulating the use of space within a city, including considerations for infrastructure, zoning, and public services. – Effective urban planning is essential for creating sustainable and livable cities that accommodate growth and change.
