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A thread of the last thriving Black Cities destroyed by freeways, funded by the government
In 1944, the Federal Highway Act only offered to cover 50 percent of construction costs for highways, by 1956, the federal government had upped that share to 90 percent. So basically if you were a city planner, you could build freeways to suburbs for practically nothing
Syracuse, New York: 15th Ward
Highway I-81
located between Syracuse University and the city’s downtown. It was predominantly African American. The city viewed the neighborhood as poor and they were worried about race riots cuz it was a crowed neighborhood.
Highway I-81
located between Syracuse University and the city’s downtown. It was predominantly African American. The city viewed the neighborhood as poor and they were worried about race riots cuz it was a crowed neighborhood.
They decided that the best plan would be to tear down the 15th Ward and replace it with an elevated freeway.
In almost every major city, there is a freeway over an old Black neighborhood
In Miami, Interstate 95 flattened swaths of a Black neighborhood called Overtown, forcing some 10,000 people to leave their homes.
Detroit, Mi: Black Bottom and Paradise Valley
In the early 1960s, the City of Detroit conducted an Urban Renewal program to combat what it called "Urban Blight." The program razed the entire Black Bottom district and replaced it with the Chrysler Freeway and Lafayette Park
In the early 1960s, the City of Detroit conducted an Urban Renewal program to combat what it called "Urban Blight." The program razed the entire Black Bottom district and replaced it with the Chrysler Freeway and Lafayette Park
Although the city's urban planners promised new public housing projects in replacement of Black Bottom, these developments were never affordable or open to Detroit's black residents. The once-thriving business district of Black Bottom was also bulldozed, ceased to exist
In Nashville, Tennessee, 620 houses, 27 apartment buildings and 6 black churches were flattened to build Interstate 40
Los Angelos: Pico
The i10 freeway split the affluent northern parts of the LA basin from some of the economically struggling Black areas of South LA. This affected thriving Black communities, including the Pico neighborhood in Santa Monica and the Sugar Hill area in West Adams
The i10 freeway split the affluent northern parts of the LA basin from some of the economically struggling Black areas of South LA. This affected thriving Black communities, including the Pico neighborhood in Santa Monica and the Sugar Hill area in West Adams
In Charlotte, a neighborhood called Brooklyn was flattened for what would become I-277. 1,500 buildings were torn down, and thousands of black families were displaced; 200 mostly black-owned businesses were also shuttered
