Historical segregation

1997
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Historical segregation refers to the systemic separation of individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, religion, or other social characteristics. This practice was prominent in many societies, particularly in the United States, during the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the United States, historical segregation was enforced through laws and regulations known as "Jim Crow" laws. These laws mandated separate public facilities for White and African American individuals, including separate schools, restrooms, restaurants, and transportation. Black individuals were subjected to widespread discrimination, violence, and economic disadvantages, perpetuating a deeply unequal society.

Historical segregation was also prevalent in South Africa under apartheid, a system of racial segregation and discrimination. This system was enforced by the National Party and institutionalized racial divides through legislation and policies that restricted the rights and freedoms of non-White citizens. The apartheid regime only ended in 1994, following years of protests and international pressure.

Historical segregation was not limited to racial divisions. For example, in Nazi Germany, Jews were segregated, oppressed, and ultimately targeted for extermination during the Holocaust. They were stripped of their rights, forcibly removed from their homes, and subjected to violence and mass murder.

Over time, significant efforts have been made to dismantle historical segregation. In the United States, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s played a crucial role in challenging and overturning segregationist policies. The landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education (1954), declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Similarly, in South Africa, the introduction of democratic governance and the efforts of anti-apartheid activists led to the end of the apartheid system.

While legal segregation has been formally abolished in many countries, the impacts of historical segregation still persist in social, economic, and educational disparities. Addressing these lingering effects and promoting equality for all remains an ongoing challenge in many societies.

Further reading

Mitchell J.; Chihaya G.K. (2022) "Tract level associations between historical residential redlining and contemporary fatal encounters with police", Social Science and Medicine, 302(), pp. -. Elsevier Ltd. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114989

Logan T.D.; Parman J.M. (2018) "Segregation and mortality over time and space", Social Science and Medicine, 199(), pp. 77-86. Elsevier Ltd. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.07.006

Salter P.S.; Kelley N.J.; Molina L.E.; Thai L.T. (2017) "Out of sight, out of mind: racial retrieval cues increase the accessibility of social justice concepts", Memory, 25(8), pp. 1139-1147. Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2016.1274037

Houck E.J.; Dracobly J.D. (2022) "Trauma Informed Care for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: From Disparity to Policies for Effective Action", Perspectives on Behavior Science, -. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00359-6

Bantjes J.; Kessler M.; Lochner C.; Breet E.; Bawa A.; Roos J.; Davids C.; Muturiki M.; Kessler R.C.; Stein D.J. (2023) "The mental health of university students in South Africa: Results of the national student survey", Journal of Affective Disorders, 321(), pp. 217-226. Elsevier B.V.. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.10.044

Falmagne R.J. (2016) "Toward the Desegregation of Thought and Affect in Psychological Theorizing", Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(1), pp. 3-10. Wiley-Blackwell. DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12230

Becchi A. (1997) "The changing space of Italian cities", American Behavioral Scientist, 360-373. SAGE Publications Inc.. DOI: 10.1177/0002764297041003007

Kato-Huerta J.; Geneletti D. (2023) "A distributive environmental justice index to support green space planning in cities", Landscape and Urban Planning, 229(), pp. -. Elsevier B.V.. DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104592

Li M.; Yuan F. (2022) "Historical Redlining and Resident Exposure to COVID 19: A Study of New York City", Race and Social Problems, 14(2), pp. 85-100. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s12552-021-09338-z

Notter I.R.; Logan J.R. (2022) "Residential Segregation under Jim Crow: Whites, Blacks, and Mulattoes in Southern Cities, 1880 1920", City and Community, 21(1), pp. 42-61. SAGE Publications Inc.. DOI: 10.1177/15356841211052534

Siebert A. (2022) "Food Sovereignty and Urban Agriculture: Concepts, Politics, and Practice in South Africa", Food Sovereignty and Urban Agriculture: Concepts, Politics, and Practice in South Africa, 1-163. Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781003182634

Scheba A.; Turok I.; Visagie J. (2021) "Inequality and Urban Density: Socio economic Drivers of Uneven Densification in Cape Town", Environment and Urbanization ASIA, 12(1_suppl), pp. S107-S126. Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd. DOI: 10.1177/0975425321998026

Fitch E.F.; Hulgin K.M.; Coomer M.N. (2021) "How “special needs” vouchers deceive the public and silence the right to inclusive education", International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, -. Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/09518398.2021.1957174

Cokley R.K.; Crumb L. (2020) "#BLACKGIRLMAGIC: THE (MIS) EDUCATION OF GIFTED BLACK GIRLS FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, RURAL COMMUNITIES", Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education, 7(), pp. 67-83. Emerald Publishing. DOI: 10.1108/S2051-231720200000007005

Opie C.A.; Gibson-Thorpe B.; Lees C.; Haines H.M. (2019) "'Believe in me and i will believe in myself', a rural Australian health service learns how to mangan dunguludja ngatan (build strong employment) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A qualitative study", Human Resources for Health, 17(1), pp. -. BioMed Central Ltd.. DOI: 10.1186/s12960-019-0384-2

Krysan M.; Crowder K. (2017) "Cycle of segregation: Social processes and residential stratification", Cycle of Segregation: Social Processes and Residential Stratification, 1-321. Russell Sage Foundation. DOI: [1]

Cocks M.; Alexander J.; Mogano L.; Vetter S. (2016) "Ways of Belonging: Meanings of "nature" among Xhosa Speaking Township Residents in South Africa", Journal of Ethnobiology, 36(4), pp. 820-841. Society of Ethnobiology. DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-36.4.820

Ben-Moshe L.; Stewart J. (2016) "Disablement, prison and historical segregation: 15 years later", Disability Politics in a Global Economy: Essays in Honour of Marta Russell, 87-104. Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781315714011

Rousseau M. (2015) "'Many Rivers to Cross': Suburban Densification and the Social Status Quo in Greater Lyon", International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 39(3), pp. 622-632. . DOI: 10.1111/1468-2427.12197

Prakash S. (2013) "Racial dimensions of property value protection under the Fair Housing Act", California Law Review, 101(5), pp. 1437-1498. . DOI: [2]

Russell M.; Stewart J. (2001) "Disablement Prison, and Historical Segregation", Monthly Review, 53(3), pp. 61-75. Monthly Review Press. DOI: 10.14452/mr-053-03-2001-07_6