Resegregation and “White Flight”
Despite many efforts from the government, segregation still continues within the United States. For example, from 1960 to 1980 Englewood, a neighborhood of Chicago, the white population decreased from 51,583 to 818. Resegregation began in the 1950s with the creation of suburbs. Many families, many of them white, left urban areas and moved to suburban areas. Poorer and marginalized populations remained in urban areas. This phenomenon, now called “white flight” is the primary cause of resegregation, as white Americans migrate to areas with less racial minorities and poor people. This resegregation creates problems for several institutions within the country, such as healthcare and education.
The primary stakeholder involved in this case are the minorities and the poor neighborhoods in question. Because minorities are more likely to be impoverished and white people are more likely to live above the poverty line, “white flight” impacts several important factors of their lives. School systems rely on property taxes, which fluctuate depending on how desirable potential homebuyers perceive an area to be. When individuals actively avoid living in a region, public schools suffer as a consequence. The sole influence these minorities have is their voting power, as reelecting their representatives is the easiest way to grab the attention of the government and affiliated political parties.
Additionally, white Americans and affluent neighborhoods are also stakeholders. The government obviously cannot mandate that a group of people move or not move to a specific place. Therefore, if the status quo is maintained, white and rich Americans are the primary benefactors, as they may live in any area of their choosing. This group of people have complete influence on the causes and the symptoms, as their socioeconomic position has allowed them freedom to (or not to) move wherever they see fit. They can also choose to elect politicians who will promise they will maintain the status quo as best as possible.
Another obvious stakeholder are state, local, and federal politicians. Politicians will feel the effects of unsatisfied constituents at the polls. Their actions, or lack therefore, directly impact the lives of their residents.
White flight could easily be researched because of the great deal of data that exists on where people live. If I were to research this topic, I would likely focus on the effects of white flight on school systems and the quality of education being provided to minorities. There is a wide variety of information on the effects of white flight, but by focusing on education, I could pick a specific school system and elaborate on the educational effects.
The Office of Civil Rights collects data every year on school systems and their demographics. The OCR would be an easily accessible resource to gather information. Additionally, the NAACP and other interest groups have sued school systems for failing to provide adequate educations to minorities. This case law is also accessible.