There鈥檚 a constant drumbeat lately touting efforts to redevelop of Downtown St. 不良研究所导航网址. But for whom?
St. 不良研究所导航网址 has a storied history as a major American city, once the fourth largest in the nation and host to the 1904 World鈥檚 Fair. But as we reflect on calls to 鈥渕ake St. 不良研究所导航网址 great again,鈥 we must ask: for whom was it ever truly great?
Even during St. 不良研究所导航网址鈥 heyday, African Americans faced systemic barriers that prevented them from fully sharing in the city鈥檚 prosperity and promise. As St. 不良研究所导航网址 grew into an industrial powerhouse in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, racial segregation and discrimination were deeply entrenched.
Black residents were confined to overcrowded, underserved neighborhoods through restrictive housing covenants and redlining practices. They were largely excluded from high-paying jobs and denied equal educational opportunities.
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The stark racial divide was exemplified by the 1916 residential segregation ordinance 鈥 one of the first of its kind in the nation 鈥 which prohibited Black people from moving onto majority-white blocks. Though later struck down by the Supreme Court, its legacy of segregation persisted for decades.
Even Sumner High School, a source of pride for the Black community, saw its enrollment plummet from 5,000 students in its mid-century peak to less than 200 today 鈥 a stark indicator of the exodus of Black families from the city.
Economic disparities have remained stubbornly persistent. Today, white households in St. 不良研究所导航网址 that of Black households 鈥 $55,000 versus $28,000 annually. Black residents face disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, and housing insecurity. They are also far more likely to be incarcerated, with some majority-Black neighborhoods having incarceration rates as high as 20%.
Efforts at urban renewal and development have often come at the expense of Black communities. The demolition of the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood in the 1950s displaced thousands of Black residents. More recently, the ongoing population decline has hit the Black community hardest, with many families leaving for the suburbs or other cities entirely.
So when we speak of St. 不良研究所导航网址鈥檚 former greatness, we must reckon with the fact that it was built on a foundation of racial inequality. Any vision for the city鈥檚 future must prioritize addressing these longstanding disparities.
This means confronting the legacies of segregation head-on. True greatness for St. 不良研究所导航网址 can only be achieved when all of its residents are able to thrive and reach their full potential. It requires building a more equitable, inclusive city 鈥 not simply restoring a romanticized past that never existed for a large portion of St. 不良研究所导航网址ans. Only then can we create a St. 不良研究所导航网址 that is truly great for everyone.