We hear our public officials very often refer to the black urban inner-city neighborhoods as havens for crimes. You will listen to this quite often from the Trump Administration, and especially from Trump.
He points to these cities and neighborhoods as the reason behind lawlessness, rioting, and looting.
Trump has even designed his campaign ads to create fear to divide further and point to inner-city neighborhoods or black neighborhoods as the cause and the reason for suburban neighborhoods' fear.
What is not discussed is how all of these inner-city black communities were created in the first place, which contributed to America being so divided.
The big ugly words are Zoning, and early on in history, referred to as "Race Zoning."
No one would admit that these Zoning Ordinances were purposely created to keep black folks out of White folks' neighborhoods, but it was the original intent.
These race zoning ordinances and laws divided cities into white districts and black districts.
Well, I know what some folks might be thinking — that doesn't explain all the run down and lawlessness that goes on in these back neighborhoods — black folks brought that on themselves.
No, that's not the case at all — these neighborhoods were set up to fail.
You see, in addition to dividing white neighborhoods and black neighborhoods, public officials ensured black communities would further face degradation.
Black neighborhoods were zoned to easily permit industries such as taverns, liquor stores, nightclubs, and prostitution houses, whereas the same industries were not allowed to build in white neighborhoods.
Even I can remember taverns, liquor stores, etc., being everywhere! Things have changed a little now, but the damage has already been done!
Even dangerous landfills were prevented from being built in white neighborhoods, but when it came to black communities, they were approved for some reason.
Present-day, our public leaders, point to these black neighborhoods and single them out and blame them for all kinds of problems, completely omitting that the black communities were created based on racist ideas. All of this was intentionally crafted by federal, state, and local public officials!
It is too easy to forget about how much effort went into oppressing Black America. It is even easier to blame black folks for the problems that so quickly overwhelmed them.
