Assignment: Chapter 2 Posting Deadline: Thursday, January 23
Reading:
Chapter 2: “Detroit’s Time Bomb”: Race and Housing in the 1940s
Question:
Source
for Questions: Charles Brown, “[Marxism-Thaxis] Study
Guide: Origins of the Urban Crisis.” Retrieved Jan 11, 2009. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism-thaxis/2009-January/023574.html
How was access to housing
of the 1940s affected by:
1. Attitudes
of white homeowners
2. Institutional
practices
3. Government
practices, policies and programs
Assignment - Deadline: Thursday, January 23
A. Post two paragraphs inspired by the study guide
questions/thoughts for the week
B. Post two separate comments to one or more of your
colleagues reacting to their paragraphs.
What instantly caught my attention in Chapter 2 were the awful living conditions of black housing and the unwillingness of whites to sell and rent homes to those who could afford it. Thomas Sugrue doesn't beat around the bush in Chapter 2 of the longstanding segregation issues of Detroit. After examining the map of Detroit's black neighborhoods from 1940s, it's clear that Paradise Valley (Midtown and Downtown in today's Detroit) and the West Side were the most concentrated black neighborhoods of this era. Of the 545,000 homes available in 1947, only 47,000 were available to black residents. To add even more insult to the situation, when the highways were being built, it was the most densely populated black neighborhoods that were affected.
ReplyDeleteAlthough a very eye-opening chapter into the housing situation of the 1940s, it's extremely disappointing to see the lack of compassion and human dignity that white residents had for black residents in Detroit.
My family was one of the one's caught up in the "Negro removal" project mentioned in the chapter. I was too young to remember it, but when my sisters and I were older my parents told us about the circumstances which brought us to live in Romulus. My father - a streetcar driver - owned a house on Frederick near what is now I-75. There, he rented out rooms to several families (at one time, my mother and her mother were boarders). However, when city leaders decided to widen the highway, neighborhood homes - including my father's - were claimed by the city. Although most of his siblings lived in the Covenant Gardens district, my father decided to relocate to Romulus, since the township offered much larger lots. In fact, well into the 1960s, most people referred to Romulus as the "country."
DeleteThat's really interesting. Both of my parents grew up in Detroit; my Dad during the mid-40s through the mid-60s so he remembers some of the tension of those times. My mom grew up in Detroit during the 1950s but her family moved out to Warren in 1960, thus being a little too young to remember a lot of the tensions of the city.
DeleteDetroit’s housing market of the 1940s was largely affected by racism, which manifested itself in governmental and institutional practices. African Americans found themselves the victims of decades of discriminatory policies that greatly reduced their freedom to choose the best home for their money.
ReplyDeleteThe Federal Housing Administration openly practiced “redlining,” often based on race. Those households within such areas found themselves unable to secure loans for the improvement of their property. In addition, those wanting to purchase homes in these districts found it difficult to obtain financing to do so. Blacks desiring to relocate in white neighborhoods found real estate agents adhering to covenants, which prohibited the selling of these homes to African Americans. Consequently, many Black families found themselves in overpriced and grossly inadequate living conditions, while others encountered an inability to secure housing in Detroit.
Both of my grandparents were raised in the Paradise Valley and Black Bottom areas. They also raised my mother, aunts and uncles there for a period of time. The government, housing authority, white residents and some prominent Black residents were relentless in allowing Black to reside where they saw fit for themselves and/or family. Just vile!
ReplyDeleteYes - it is hard for us to imagine now how many restrictions were placed on African Americans who just wanted to find a decent place to live. And, to know the government was a partner in these discriminatory practices is truly un-American.
ReplyDeleteThe expectations of the FHA were unrealistic. If the means aren't there, how is one expected to flourish. Paradise Valley was no more different then a cage which was not necessary in the first place. Too many contributions were made from Blacks for them to be treated the way they were.
DeleteWhat racism did to the housing market during the 40s was appalling. The Federal Housing Administration really gave African Americans a hard time. Using methods like "redlining", a practice in which the FHA would deny someone based on the color of their skin. This in many ways affected Blacks purchasing appropriate living conditions. Paradise Valley was the foulest place based on the descriptions. The situation resembles 'The Trail of Tears' in a way.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazes me is how blatantly racist this tactic was? Yet, it took such a long time for the policy to be changed. Knowing this allows you to better understand what our ancestors endured to attempt to exercise the same rights as other citizens.
ReplyDelete