These
city maps use census data to visually depict our
racial isolation. Red dot is 'White', Blue is 'Black', Green is 'Asian', Orange is 'Hispanic', Gray is 'Other', and each dot represents 25 people.
The
division is clear: don't cross that
line. Because
prejudice is inherited, and when you
live in isolation, there's no reason to think
your parents got it wrong. Because after all of the
protests, the
violence, and the
busing, the map still looks the
same. And who cares if it's equal as long as we're
separate...
Pictures paint the
islands of blue or orange in the center of the
cities, surrounded by a sea of
suburban red. Because just one street over is the
wrong side of town. And they are in
that school district, and we don't know them, and they don't think like we do, and they just don't belong with us. And that's
how it is.
And if you live on the "blue" side of
Parson Ave., the city doesn't care if your streets aren't plowed, or if the
empty houses are crumbling, or if you fall neck-deep in a
pothole. But they'll care darn fast if some blue kid gets too 'rowdy' and doesn't '
respect the law.'
Because if you're separate, you're
divided. And you swear you love your neighbor, but you don't even share the same
neighborhood. So you've got no clue how to share each others'
burdens. And nothing's gonna change unless you
live together,
grow together, more than just drive the highways together--try crying together.
Your
isolation perpetuates your
ignorance--and your isolation is easy to see.
UPDATE: Some initial
statistics have been released from the 2010 census
ps. Not trying to be that crying white girl. Just saying...
ReplyDeletere-reading this, It could be even more powerful if the cities were labeled. Clicking them doesn't take you to the flickr page that explains the project... just a suggestion.
ReplyDeleteAh! Thanks! How's that? Should I also add a key for the colors?
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: Some initial statistics have been released from the 2010 census
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/29/most_segregated_cities/slideshow.html
Ah! Thanks! How's that? Should I also add a key for the colors?
ReplyDelete