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Sociology Colloquium, 9/7/2022

Racially Organized Housing Entities: A New Segregation Within Integrated Spaces

James Baldwin, Texas A&M University

James Baldwin ColloquiumIn 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois discussed the black stranger in Baker County, Georgia, “liable to be stopped anywhere on the public highway and made to state his business to the satisfaction of any white interrogant. If he fail[ed] to give a suitable answer, or seem[ed] to be independent or sassy he may be arrested or summarily driven away.” Almost 120 years later, despite the passage of Civil Rights legislation and other forms of “racial progress,” my Fraternity brothers and I were interrogated and made to state our business to the satisfaction of “white interrogant.” My story ended with being summarily driven away from the place. But, others end differently (e.g. Trayvon Martin or Ahmaud Arbery). My research and presentation centers on how the methods of segregation and racial stratification change over time, while maintaining the underlying social relations. In addition, I take a deeper dive into the connection between residential segregation, the inequitable dissemination of resources, and the link between residential segregation and racial inequality. As such, building off Victor Ray’s racialized organizations, I propose “Racially Organized Housing Entities (ROHEs)” as a framework/concept,  for examining contemporary segregation and its effects.

September 7, 2022
Wednesday, 12:00pm
Location: Liberal Arts Social Sciences Building (LASB) 317