There is not one chance in a megazillion that the City of Minneapolis will be placed in "federal receivership"!!! I don't know what time frame is referred when the claim that "for many years" the city of Minneapolis "played an active role in systematically driving blacks out of the better jobs, the better neighborhoods, and the better neighborhood schools, and keeping them out" but certainly that has not been true since Hubert Humphrey was mayor which takes us back more than 50 years. Even the most "conservative" mayor in the past 50+ years, Charlie Stenvig, did no such thing. There is not one shred of evidence that the city Minneapolis has fostered a "pattern of race-based discrimination that continues to concentrate black people and poverty in certain neighborhoods."
There are parts of the Near North Side and in Central that were historically black neighborhoods and there was, up until the close of WWII, a loosely enforced "code" by lenders, developers and realtors that kept all but the most prosperous black families confined to those neighborhoods. Elected officials in the city for the most part but with noteworthy exceptions, accepted that code and did not shake the tree. If however, a black family chose to live in another part of the city, they could do so and unlike the truly segregated cities of the South, the city of Minneapolis did not enforce segregation. I will contend that there is no overt or covert "race based discrimination" in Minneapolis housing patterns over the past 40 years. There are clearly income driven patterns since the cost of housing closely parallels income levels (people with the most income strongly tend to live in the most expensive housing, people with low income strongly tend to live in the least expensive housing) but that is true even when you factor out race. A high income black family will tend to live in more expensive housing, a low income white family will tend to live in least expensive housing. I am reluctant to bring this up but it needs to be said: there is also a tendency for people to cluster in housing patterns where the neighbors look like them, speak the same language, or share some other social characteristics. There are neighborhoods or communities across the U.S. where well-off black families will tend to move because those areas have significant concentrations of other well-off black families even though they could afford to live anywhere they want. This was true for several generations with Italian, Jewish, Asian and other groups as well. While people with lower incomes do not have the array of housing choices, there does seem to be historic similar patterns in low or middle income housing as well. Ironically, the shortage of housing for people with low or moderate incomes has promoted more integration than ever before. Because of the relative scarcity, families will grab this affordable housing and not reject it because it is in a predominantly "black" or "white" or neighborhood. While there are instances of sellers or landlords engaging in racial discrimination even now, The city of Minneapolis, as well as Hennepin County, state and federal authorities do act aggressively to stop that discrimination. Perhaps there are examples of slow action or non-action, but there is certainly no official or unofficial tolerance of racial discrimination in housing in Minneapolis. Jim Bernstein Fulton inal Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of JKurtis Ballantine Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 11:09 AM To: Dave Piehl Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Minneapolis Continues Pattern of Discrimination Against Poor Communities I agree and if the pattern continues and there is a change in the electorate the City may be subject to federal receivership. Kurt Ballantine South Minneapolis --- Dave Piehl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > For many years the City of Minneapolis played an > active role in systematically driving blacks out of > the better jobs, the better neighborhoods, and the > better neighborhood schools, and keeping them out. > But > the City has done next to nothing to combat the > pattern of race-based discrimination that continues > to > > concentrate black people and poverty in certain > neighborhoods. > > David Piehl writes: > > It is clear to the observer that some sort of > unspoken > "containment" policy exists at the city and county > level whereby certain areas of the city are > considered > containment areas for problems. Just look at the > level of law enforcement - not just police, but > actual > enforcement by the judicial branch,etc. when issues > arise is certain parts of the city. City agencies > are > used to harass people seeking to stabilize and > improve > certain areas, and other agencies do a defacto > ghetto-ization. > > While it's clear that the policy exists, it's really > hard to get anyone at city hall or Hennepin County > to > admit it. I did find one civic employee who stated > the policy, and said this was actually part of his > orientation when he took his job! > > From what I've observed, I think Sharon > Sayles-Belton > was trying to phase out the containment policies, > but > these policies have been reinvigorated by some in > the > current city and county administrations. > > So much for equal treatment under the law. > > David Piehl > Central > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site > design software > http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the > list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing > it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
