White-Only Suburbs: The History You Didn't Learn

It wasn't just the suburbs. My son's kindergarten teacher bought a home in a previously restricted neighborhood in Oakland in 1978. She and her husband were both in the medical field at the time. She became a teacher because the school in their neighborhood had no one of color working on campus. 20 years later, she and a Japanese teacher were still the only teachers of color.

These places were well known even if we didn't learn about them in school!

In the 60’s my parents moved to a Levittown development and though we are white, because my parents were immigrants we lived in a section that was very diversified. Only later did we learn we were redlined. I was kind of glad we were, my friends were from so many different walks of life and as a child who knew the difference.

Damn. We could have avoided a lot of our racial problems had the government and banks not redlined. A Black and White middle class could have developed together.

I am not surprised at all. It is quite obvious that some people have yet to learn a simple lesson and that is hatred is foolish and love is wise.

As a licensed real estate agent, the prejudice story is not being accurately taught. After WWII, black soldiers were most often denied loans for housing and education. The FHA, primary housing lender at the time, had many rules discriminating against non-Caucasian’s and non Christians. With inability to buy homes, and lesser education, the blacks were inherently denied the ability to build the wealth the discriminators had.

I really hope Vivek Ramaswamy will see this video since he's the one who keeps talking down to Black people that we have accepted 'Victimhood'. 💯

Hidden racism is more relevant today

As a GenX-er I had often wondered why Blacks and other minority's only lived it in certain areas. I naively thought why don't they just move to a nicer area. I now know better.

I’m not white and honestly I wouldn’t want to live in a place where I’m not welcome and barely tolerated.

History can be both important and uncomfortable. We, too, live in a neighborhood that had an unsettling past. Our family home for over 60 years is located in a neighborhood that was restricted through the 1920s divisive covenant agreements. Jim Crow Laws were not just a Southern thing. There are two kinds of segregation in America: de facto and de jure. In Latin, 'de facto' means 'in fact' or 'in reality'; 'de jure' means 'in law'. De jure segregation refers to the lawful separation of people, while de facto segregation refers to the separation of groups 'naturally' as a result of racism such as in schools and neighborhoods.

As a young black male professional with a great household income it’s sad that there aren’t any good and safe black neighborhoods with other progressive black families who are professionals at the same level. Most all Black neighborhoods in S Florida are dumps, trashy, dangerous and many are renters. Most of the folks I usually see problems with are section 8 renters or public housing tenants. It’s very rare down here to find a great and safe black neighborhoods when the majority of the residents are usually single parent households with “other folks” living with them who cause problems in the neighborhood. As a kid we always lived in all or mostly white neighborhoods and never had issues. Maybe a little racism here and there.

When I uncovered that my parent’s first home in Levittown Pa had a convent to block blacks I was in shock. I am 70 years old and just assumed my parents wouldn’t support this. I was wrong.😑

This was happening to us as a Jewish and Middle Eastern family as well… well into 2000.

There are too many people who refuse to accept the reality of our past. Nobody is proud or happy about it but it happened.

This real American history.

This happened in cities also - New York City's "Stuyvesant Town" - a large, middle-class apartment complex in Manhattan that was specifically built to house returning WW2 Veterans. They would not rent to black veterans, or any blacks. It was however not a government project - it was funded by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

If jealousy wouldn’t have destroyed all of the Black thriving towns we could’ve stayed segregated and everyone could live their own lives. Leave folks alone!

A prime example of systemic racism. Not only civilians, but banks and government involvement as well as enforcement.

I guess Time forgot we got this lesson with the play "raisen in the sun", 50 years ago