Mapping Inequality & Reclaiming Place – Demolition of a Neighborhood

Mapping Inequality & Reclaiming Place – Demolition of a Neighborhood

In 1956, congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act and created a vast interstate highway network across the country. It encompassed a 41,000 system that connected populations of more than 100,000 residents. Completed in the 1990’s and at a cost of a hundred billion dollars, it profoundly changed the landscape of America and how citizens travel and conduct business.

Interstate 10 was one of the largest interstate highways built with a length of 2,500 miles. It spans from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California. Interstate 10 made its way through El Paso in the early 1960’s. Much of the interstate would cut through existing El Paso neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park, Rio Grande, Downtown and Sunset Heights. Large parcels of land were bought out and families left their homes. Much of this demolition happened in El Paso’s then Eastside which included Lincoln Park Neighborhood, the epicenter for El Paso’s African American community. A large amount of homes and businesses were lost despite a nationwide protest to save these communities from erasure and possible health hazards coming from construction and automobiles.

This map from the “Mapping Inequality” project documents redlining in El Paso. Dating back to the 1930s, redlining was a widespread, discriminatory practice that started during the New Deal-era when the United States government began offering government-insured mortgages to prevent mass foreclosures during the Great Depression. As the program grew, the government began adding qualifications to who could qualify for these mortgages based on the value and location of homes. Color-coded maps were used to evaluate the risk associated with the loan and, across the United States, Black and other non-white neighborhoods were consistently deemed high risk and circled with a red line. By labeling these areas high risk, banks and other mortgage agencies were able to deny loans to people of color. Though redlining was ultimately deemed illegal under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, its effects are still felt today. Redlining inhibited families from upward economic mobility during an era of unprecedented economic growth post-WWII and also restricted movement within cities.

As a result, the majority of El Paso’s historic Black homes and businesses are located within these redlined areas. A current list of identified locations is available here on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4DW2ao2WTipU58G27

This object is currently on view in the El Paso Museum of History's newest exhibition Still We Rise: El Paso's Black Experience on view until January 2024.

Área: Central / Downtown

Fuente: Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed September 29, 2023, https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/[YOUR VIEW].

Cargado por: El Paso Museum of History

Comentarios

Hacer un comentario
Gracias por su comentario

Reportar esta entrada

Elige la razón más importante para este reporte

Tu nombre

Tu correo electrónico

Detalle opcional

Gracias por su reporte

Más sobre la misma comunidad-colección

Centro Cívico, El Paso, Texas en 2002

The colorful cylinders in the picture were part of the civic ...

Insights Science Museum en 2008

This picture from 2008 features the Insights Science Museum. ...

Accesorios de iluminación fuera de la Teatro Chávez

This picture from 2008 shows the light fixtures which were ...

Chávez Teatro con una palmera

This photograph shows the Abraham Chavez Theater, taken from ...

Chávez teatro por la noche

This picture shows the Abraham Chavez Theater (El Paso, Texas) ...

City Scape con Ayuntamiento antihuo

This photograph from 2012 shows parts of El Paso's city scape ...

Vista en primer plano de Ayuntamiento antiguo

This picture from the Thanksgiving Day in 2008 shows the old ...

Vista en primer plano Chávez Teatro

This picture was taken in 2008. It shows the uniquely designed ...

Theatro Chavez en 2008 - El Paso, Texas

The image shows the Abraham Chavez Theater in 2008. It is ...

City Scape con Teatro Chavez

This photograph from 2011 was taken from the top of a parking ...

El Paso Museo de la Historia

The picture shows the El Paso Museum of History, which opened on ...

El Paso Museo de la Historia

The picture shows the El Paso Museum of History, which opened on ...

Carruaje

This coach was exhibited in the Museum of History.

Carro

The carriage was exhibited in the Museum of History.

Obras de Tiza Tiza durante Chalk the Block 2010

This picture shows several chalk works made during the Chalk the ...

Ganador en Chalk the Block en 2010

This picture shows the work of Laura Mena, the 1st Place Winner ...

"Rex Awakes" durante Chalk the Block

This chalk painting was called "Rex Awakes" and presented by Bob ...

Artistas durante Chalk the Block 2011

Two artists are working on a picture made from chalk during the ...

Pintores durante Chalk the Block 2009

On this fotograph one can see painters during the Chalk the ...

Grandes Globes durante Chalk the Block 2009

These large balloons have fotographs of different people and ...

Cono de Helado durante Chalk the Block 2009

This ice cream cone is being drawn by Reginald Armstrong during ...

"Warmth, Giant Black Toobs" en Chalk the Block 2009

This balloon design called "Warmth, Giant Black Toobs" was ...

"Pink Tethertwin" en Chalk the Block 2009

This picture shows "Pink Thethertwin", a giant balloon sculpture ...

home.search_collection