Neighborhoods with Potential?! Black vs. White

This issue continues to be without a solution and it drives me crazy because no one seems to know how to even approach this issue. Since slavery I believe that there has always been an informal tension between blacks and whites. It sucks that history still seems to have an impact on the relationships between these two specific ethnicity.(even if no one wants to admit it) Therefore, I believe the first reason for this persistence of racial divides is due to that tension. Going a little deeper I want to argue the fact that discrimination, the perception of blacks or low-income housing, housing policies and aids to those struggling in bad neighborhoods all play a role in this racial divide.  


As we read in one of our class sections that discrimination against blacks living in a particular neighborhood was very common and sometimes hostile. As blacks migrated to the North from the south many found it difficult to find pleasurable living. Though, jobs were available to blacks due to the shortage in labor men because of WWII they were still had limitations on were they could live. Most blacks ended up residing on the south side of the city. The crazy thing about this is that this was not just for low income blacks to live. However, every social class in the black community was cramped in these available living spaces. This later became known as the black belt in which it lined the living areas of blacks. If whites felt threatened or felt that blacks were trying to cross this black belt they would try to scare blacks by bombing their homes. Another tactic white owners used was an agreement to not sell or rent to blacks in a white community.(restrictive covenants) After this agreement was challenged in court blacks were able to live anywhere. However, as blacks began to disperse from their black belt whites would sell their homes and further out or away from the blacks entering their neighborhoods. (white flight) Mixed income neighborhoods was not an option for blacks at this time. Instead they continued to be isolated or left behind by others. Thus, they had to rely on their minor resources in their communities. As the whites left the neighborhoods, so did business, resources, and the chance for social mobility. 


We also learned about a study that examined discrimination within jobs. The study proclaimed and proved that a white male who has done jail time has an advantage over a qualified black male for a job. The perception blacks especially black men have in our society definitely hinders their advancement economically, We also learned this through our readings and observations in Corsino's class that minorities and low-income housing are perceived to be dirty, dangerous, and an symbol that a neighborhood is poor or economically unhealthy.


There of course is no one correct answer to this issue. However, I do believe there is one thing that can be done to help with this racial line. I believe the racial divide is also because the different cultural needs or interest for both whites and blacks. However, if we could invest, train, and maintain new businesses and recreational facilities into neighborhoods that may have a title as a BAD neighborhood we could help this issue. The problem we always fall into are: they don't have the funds for those investments and why waste our time on a wasteland. However if we actually saw the potential some of these neighborhoods had or even gave a chance I think we could surprise ourselves. We must give as much attention if not more attention we give to the city(downtown) and the suburbs to these down and out neighborhoods. Then, once the atmosphere of that neighborhood is transformed I believe it will attract other residents, tourist, income, and eventually tear down that racial line.