Freeman segregation

2012
united states

Freeman segregation refers to the practice of segregated housing in the United States, particularly in the years following the Civil War and Reconstruction. The term "freeman" refers to freed slaves or individuals who were formerly enslaved.

After the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War, many freed slaves sought to establish new lives and communities. However, due to widespread racism and discrimination, they often faced significant obstacles in securing fair and equal housing.

White landowners and local governments implemented various measures to enforce segregation and maintain racial hierarchy. These included laws known as "Jim Crow" laws, which mandated racial segregation in public facilities, including schools, transportation, and housing.

In response, African Americans established their own communities and neighborhoods, often out of necessity. These communities became centers of Black culture, economic activity, and political organizing. However, they were often marginalized and underfunded compared to predominantly white neighborhoods.

Freeman segregation contributed to the perpetuation of racial inequality and discrimination. It limited economic opportunities, educational access, and social mobility for African Americans. Redlining, a discriminatory practice by which banks and insurance companies denied loans and services to certain areas based on racial composition, exacerbated the negative effects of freeman segregation.

The struggle against Freeman segregation was a significant part of the broader Civil Rights Movement, which sought to dismantle racial segregation and discrimination. The legal landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954) played a crucial role in challenging the segregation of public schools and paved the way for further desegregation efforts.

While the explicit legal segregation of the past has been officially abolished, its legacy continues to affect housing patterns and racial disparities in the United States today. Efforts to address these disparities and promote fair housing remain ongoing.

Further reading

Faris R.; Ennett S. (2012) "Adolescent aggression: The role of peer group status motives, peer aggression, and group characteristics", Social Networks, 34(4), pp. 371-378. . DOI: 10.1016/j.socnet.2010.06.003

Goel R.; Sharma R.; Aasa A. (2021) "Studying segregation in Estonia using call data records", Social Network Analysis and Mining, 11(1), pp. -. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s13278-021-00817-0

Novotný V.; Satoh K.; Nagel M. (2021) "Refining the Multiple Streams Framework’s Integration Concept: Renewable Energy Policy and Ecological Modernization in Germany and Japan in Comparative Perspective", Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 23(3), pp. 291-309. Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2020.1770089