The Color of Law Flashcards

Color of Law Summary

• Objective of Color of Law emphasizes that segregation was not merely a social construct (de facto) but rather legally enforced (de jure) through public policies.
• FHA and VA were federal administrations that systematically denied mortgages to African Americans in predominantly white neighborhoods and to white sellers to Black buyers.
• Racial segregation was imposed by the federal government even in regions without historical racial issues; for example, California segregated housing for defense workers.
• The primary purpose of public housing was to create civilian housing near military bases and for defense workers.
• The PWA aimed to alleviate a national housing shortage while simultaneously creating construction jobs.
• Post-WW2 housing shortage prompted a debate between enacting a segregated housing program or integrating housing; Truman administration made legislative attempts to curb segregation.
• The Housing Act of 1949 allowed continued segregation in public housing projects, enabling racial divisions.
• The Housing Act consequences relegated African Americans to high-rise ghettos devoid of job access and social services.
• The Woodrow Wilson administration set the national precedent for accepting segregation policies in government offices since 1913.
• Local policies created all-white neighborhoods through racial segregation ordinances, exemplified by Baltimore's zoning in 1910.
• Buchanan v. Warley (1917) challenged racial zoning, asserting property owners' rights to sell regardless of race, although alternate zoning methods emerged to segregate communities.
• Economic zoning techniques kept middle-class neighborhoods exclusive, financially inaccessible to lower-income families of any race.
• Changing zoning codes to industrial categories led to the deterioration of Black neighborhoods into slums.
• FHA insured mortgages were withheld from African Americans based on risky assessments associated with nearby mixed-use developments.
• Richard Rothstein described zoning's dual purpose: exclusion of Black residents from white neighborhoods and protection of white neighborhoods against perceived decline.
• Redlining involved color-coded maps depicting neighborhoods’ safety, with red zones marked as high-risk, often influenced by the presence of even a single Black household.
• The Homeowners Loan Corporation (HOLC) facilitated property retention through purchasing mortgages on the verge of foreclosure, providing favorable repayment conditions.
• FHA’s stringent appraisal standards, tainted by redlining, rendered African Americans ineligible for insured mortgages.
• The FHA greatly enhanced segregation by financing racially exclusive subdivision developments, such as Levittown.
• Racially segregated housing developments were justified by claims of maintaining property values.
• Housing developers circumvented the Buchanan ruling by including restrictive resale clauses in property deeds that forbade sales to non-whites.
• Covenants were private contracts within neighborhoods enabling neighbors to sue if an African American family attempted to purchase property.
• Courts upheld restrictive covenants in 1926, claiming they were private agreements, asserting they were not government-sanctioned actions.
• Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) ruled that the enforcement of racially restrictive covenants violated the Equal Protection Clause.
• JFK's executive order in 1962 prohibited the use of federal funds to support housing discrimination.
• Blockbusting involved real estate agents inducing white homeowners to sell cheaply based on fear of Black migration, then selling homes to Black families at inflated prices.
• Deterioration of properties under contract sales was common due to inflated costs preventing equity accumulation for African American homeowners.
• African Americans faced a cycle of retaliatory economic hardships due to excessive tax liabilities and property seizures by speculators.
• Numerous institutions, including the IRS and banks, reinforced segregation through policies and practices that were detrimental to African American communities.
• "Reverse redlining" characterized the targeting of African American neighborhoods for predatory lending practices.
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968 sought to eliminate racial discrimination in housing transactions.
• The G.I. Bill of 1944 systematically excluded African Americans from benefits, including housing subsidies and vocational training for skilled jobs.
• Rothstein articulated that the historical context of de jure policies reinforced long-lasting economic disparities affecting African Americans.
• Proposals from Rothstein to remedy segregation included zoning reforms, tax code amendments, and more equitable distribution of housing resources across neighborhoods.
• Overcrowding in neighborhoods and schools often resulted from failing housing policies restricting African Americans' mobility and homeownership opportunities.
• Legal challenges against banks revealed discriminatory lending practices, emphasizing the racial bias in mortgage terms and targeting.
• Various tax programs inadvertently entrenched segregation by promoting development in impoverished neighborhoods over integrated ones.

Study key concepts from 'The Color of Law' with these flashcards. The quiz covers important terms and historical actions related to racial segregation policies in the United States. Test your understanding of the federal administrations involved and the differences between de facto and de jure segregation.