For over 130 years, American communities have employed evolving mechanisms to maintain racially segregated neighborhoods—from violent expulsions and municipal ordinances to racially restrictive covenants, federal redlining policies, and today's homeowners association governance. This investigation traces the direct, intentional line connecting sundown towns like Anna, Illinois and Kenilworth's explicit racial exclusions to modern HOA discrimination cases like Providence Village, Texas, where 600 predominantly Black residents faced displacement in 2022. Through comprehensive analysis of historical records, census data, legal cases, and academic research, the evidence reveals that while the vocabulary has changed—from posted signs warning "Don't let the sun go down" to facially neutral rental restrictions and credit requirements—the function remains identical: protecting white-only spaces and perpetuating a $3 trillion racial wealth gap rooted in government-sponsored housing discrimination.
Tag: housing policy
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Chavez Ravine: A Neighborhood Erased for Dodger Stadium
Chavez Ravine, once a thriving Mexican-American community in Los Angeles, was demolished in the 1950s under the guise of urban renewal to make way for Dodger Stadium. This article explores the history of Chavez Ravine, the political forces behind its destruction, and the broader implications for racial injustice and housing inequality. Through the lens of urban development, it examines how communities of color were targeted, displaced, and erased, with a legacy that continues to shape housing policy and civil rights struggles in Los Angeles and beyond.