Assignment: Chapter 9 Posting
Deadline: Thursday, March 13
Reading: Chapter
9: “United Communities are Impregnable”: Violence and the Color Line”
Questions:
1.
What
does Sugrue mean by “defended” versus “undefended” neighborhoods?
2. What was the nature of the organized harassment against black pioneers, whites who sold to African Americans real
estate people who deal with Blacks?
3. What forms did violence against African
American home purchasers in defended neighborhoods take?
Assignment - Deadline: Thursday, March 13
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.
Defended neighborhoods represented those sections of the city sharply defined by a high majority of white residents with organized resistance to African American home buyers in these areas. Undefended neighborhoods were those districts with a racial composition that was already or perceived to be turning from predominately white to majority black.
ReplyDeleteOrganized resistance to black homeownership took various forms. Home associations planned ways to intimidated home sellers, buyers and real estate agents who attempted to sell to African Americans. Female homemakers used their telephones to make anonymous calls to harass those they felt were undesirables. If a black family purchased a home in a white neighborhood, mobs would gather in the evening hours to make threats, throw paint to mar the home or throw rocks to break windows. Those maniacs who resorted to arson often chose garages and rear porches as their targets.
Chapter nine continues to address the issues of neighborhood segregation in Detroit during the early-to-mid 20th century. Sugrue also talks about the the consistent violence that occurred against African Americans as traditionally white neighborhoods became more diverse.
ReplyDeleteThe Chapter places emphasis in text and on statistical data regarding "Defended" and "Undefended" Neighborhoods and the significant differences between the two.
From vocal, personal threats to physical destruction of property, Chapter 9 allows the reader to step back in time to see the truly cruel treatment of those who moved into diverse neighborhoods during this time period.
After reading this chapter, it saddens me as a Christian that so many of the abusers were members of a church. It just proves they were frauds in applying the teachings of Jesus to their own behavior.
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