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Hey y’all. Wanted to bring to your attention an article that has been important in shaping my research trajectory during my doctoral program. It’s called “The enduring impact of historical and structural racism on urban violence in Philadelphia”. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28579093/ #ph260710
The article is by Dr. Sara Jacoby @SaraFredricka, at @PennNursing and brought an historical framing to study the relationship between racism, place & violence. It explored how historic forms of structural racism impacts where violence occurs in modern day Philadelphia. #ph260710
The authors used redlining maps from 1930s as a marker of historical place-based discrimination against Black Americans. These maps were created by federal government officials and classified neighborhoods into four different zones. (Green, Blue, Yellow and Red) #ph260710
Black neighborhoods were systemically classified as red-zones (hence the term redlining). Redlined neighborhoods were deemed by the federal government as not desirable for home loans and investment. This ultimately led to a disinvestment of black communities. #ph260710
To investigate the relationship between historical structural racism and violence, the researchers conducted a spatial analysis. They tested for potential relationships between the zones in redlining maps and two markers of violence: firearm assaults and violent crimes #ph260710
They found an 8-fold increased likelihood of firearm assaults in historical red-zone areas compared to historical green-zone areas (which were the most desirable zones in the redlining map). #ph260710
The other zones (yellow and blue) also had higher firearm assaults rates compared to green zones. The yellow and blue zones had a 7-fold and 4-fold greater incidence in firearm assaults compared to green zones respectively. #ph260710
So overall, the study found that areas deemed as ‘undesirable’ or 'less desirable' in the 1930’s redlining maps are the same areas that are disproportionately dealing with firearm assaults to this day. #ph260710
It is important to note, this phenomena of high violence levels in certain areas is neither a natural nor an inevitable one. It is shaped by historical, structural and spatial stigma as well as entrenched racial and economic segregation. #ph260710
Some of my fellow Baltimoreans might be asking themselves, What does this research in Philly have to do with the violence problem in Bmore? Well, Baltimore is not immune to structural racism. In fact, it was the originator of some forms of race-based housing exclusions #ph260710
For my dissertation, I am exploring structural drivers of community violence in Baltimore City. My research delves into the interrelationship between racism, place and violence from a historical perspective. This includes redlining and racialized economic segregation. #ph260710
