Racism Justified Dislocation during Urban Renewal in Boston

What is it about?

This article explores how economic and political leaders in Boston portrayed working class residents, African Americans, and immigrants as having a degrading impact on their environment. This negative perception of working class folks was used to justify dislocation at the start of the urban renewal period during the 1950s in the United States. This article explores how this happened and argues that neighborhoods such as the South End in Boston served as viable and valuable places for people to live and work.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

I am working on expanding the definition of environmental racism. This is important because it was used to justify many things that Americans considered normal in the second half of the twentieth century, such as the creation of ghettos and suburbanization.

Perspectives