American segregation

Date and country of first publication

2012
United States

Definition

American segregation refers to the system of racial separation and discrimination that was prevalent in the United States from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century. It was based on the belief in the inferiority of African Americans and aimed to enforce racial boundaries and maintain white dominance in society.

Segregation laws, known as Jim Crow laws, were enacted in the Southern states and mandated separate facilities and services for African Americans and whites. This included separate schools, restaurants, drinking fountains, restrooms, public transportation, and even park benches. African Americans were also denied the right to vote through voting restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests.

The Civil Rights Movement, which gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, sought to end segregation and secure equal rights for African Americans. The movement included nonviolent protests, such as sit-ins and marches, led by notable figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X. The landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were significant federal legislations that outlawed segregation and prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. These laws helped dismantle the legal basis for segregation and segregationist practices gradually lost their legal standing.

While segregation is no longer legally enforced, its legacy continues to affect American society. Racial disparities persist in areas such as housing, education, employment, and criminal justice. Efforts to promote racial equality and address the lingering effects of segregation are ongoing.

Related segregation forms

American segregation is frequently discussed in the literature with the following segregation forms:

residential segregation, racial segregation, role segregation

This visualization is based on the study The Multidisciplinary Landscape of Segregation Research.

For the complete network of interrelated segregation forms, please refer to:

• First year of publication

• Louvain clusters

• Betweenness centrality

• Disciplines in which segregation forms first emerged (Scopus database).

Notes

At its current state, this definition has been generated by a Large Language Model (LLM) so far without review by an independent researcher or a member of the curating team of segregation experts that keep the Segregation Wiki online. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its reliability, completeness and timeliness. Please use this content with caution and verify information as needed. Also, feel free to improve on the definition as you see fit, including the use of references and other informational resources. We value your input in enhancing the quality and accuracy of the definitions of segregation forms collectively offered in the Segregation Wiki ©.

American segregation appears in the following literature

Matre M., Mindiola T., Jr. (1981). Residential segregation in Southwestern metropolitan areas: 1970. Sociological Focus, 14(1), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.1981.10570379

Peach C. (1996). Good segregation, bad segregation. Planning Perspectives, 11(4), 379-398. https://doi.org/10.1080/026654396364817

Zhang Q. (1998). Residential segregation of Asian Americans in the Atlanta metropolitan area, 1990. Southeastern Geographer, 38(2), 125-141. University of Georgia.https://doi.org/10.1353/sgo.1998.0016

Cashin S.D. (2001). Middle class black suburbs and the state of integration: A post integrationist vision for metropolitan America. Cornell Law Review, 86(4), 729-730. https://doi.org/

Wilkes R. (2003). The residential segregation of native americans in U.S. Metropolitan areas. Sociological Focus, 36(2), 127-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.2003.10570720

Iceland J. (2004). Beyond Black and White Metropolitan residential segregation in multi ethnic America. Social Science Research, 33(2), 248-271. Academic Press Inc..https://doi.org/10.1016/S0049-089X(03)00056-5

Dunbar E.E. (2012). Black regions of the imagination: African American writers between the nation and the world. Black Regions of the Imagination: African American Writers Between the Nation and the World, 1-213. Temple University Press.https://doi.org/

Powers J.M. (2014). On separate paths: The Mexican American and African American legal campaigns against school segregation. American Journal of Education, 121(1), 29-55. University of Chicago Press.https://doi.org/10.1086/678124

Martinez M.L. (2016). Neighborhood context and the development of African American Children. Neighborhood Context and the Development of African American Children, 1-153. Taylor and Francis Inc..https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315790893

Easley J. (2018). Spatial mismatch beyond black and white: Levels and determinants of job access among Asian and Hispanic subpopulations. Urban Studies, 55(8), 1800-1820. SAGE Publications Ltd.https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017696254

Anderson K.F. (202). Residential Segregation, Neighborhood Health Care Organizations, and Children's Health Care Utilization in the Phoenix Urbanized Area. City and Community, 19(3), 771-801. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12475

Zecker R.M. (2021). “Nothing Less than Full Freedom” Radical Immigrant Newspapers Champion Black Civil Rights. American Communist History, 20(3-4), 165-188. Routledge.https://doi.org/10.1080/14743892.2021.2009316

Garrido M. (2021). Reconceptualizing Segregation from the Global South. City and Community, 20(1), 24-37. SAGE Publications Inc..https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12504

Dyreson M., Sikes M.M. (2022). ‘I See the Struggle against Race Supremacy and Racial Inequality as World Wide’: Anti Apartheid Campaigns, Civil Rights Struggles, and the 1961 Track and Field Tours of South Africa. International Journal of the History of Sport, 39(8-9), 908-937. Routledge.https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2022.2093347