Baltimore Transit Equity Study Spotlights Racial Disparities Around Neighbors (Article Analysis)

📌Category: Articles, Racism, Social Issues
📌Words: 583
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 03 February 2022

The article is called “Baltimore transit equity study spotlights racial disparities around neighbors” by Conlin Campbell in the Washington Post. Written on October 3rd, 2021, this article talks about the history of segregated neighborhoods in Baltimore and the impact disparities can have on access to transportation. The article thoroughly shapes the idea of geography and race that is currently being taught in class. If the disparities that have been developed over time due to regulations and laws, were put aside, there is a magnitude of evidence that shows how something like increasing transportation can help people in impoverished communities get the resources and jobs needed.

While reading this article, the first thing that caught my eye was the mention of the segregation of the African American population in the eastern and western parts of the city. Lecture 2.2 in week 2 discusses how the geography of a place impacts race. The term “redlining” that the article uses can be found in the concept of color lines. Colorlines are the physical borders, dividing territory to define where people of color may live, work, and socialize with their communities. Baltimore’s transit system according to Campbell is the main form of transportation for African Americans in segregated neighborhoods, as one in three people in these neighborhoods, don’t have access to cars. When looking at old redlining maps of the city and the Baltimore transit system, it is shown that the neighborhoods with the highest amount of African Americans are also the areas that lack the most transportation.

Lecture 3.3 in week 3 goes into depth about racism and privilege that certain groups of people have over the other. White privilege can be something people are aware of it can be something that doesn’t even cross one’s mind. An example of whites unconsciously having more privilege than African Americans is the cancellation of a housing project in Baltimore. The housing projected would have been extremely beneficial in helping the redline neighborhoods thrive but instead, the funds were put towards the construction of a highway in other counties that are predominantly white. Here it is proven to show that the funds weren’t purposely given to whites but when given the perspective of the race aspect, it how much advantage and privilege white communities have over struggling African American communities.

Connecting to the term privilege, another term that could have been described in the article to push the matter of funding for transit in low-income neighborhoods is color blindness and the power of invisibility. The overall solution to the problem is simple yet the problem itself is very complex due to the lack of acknowledgment regarding race. Decisions are being made by a most likely white middle-aged man that does not think about the impacts these decisions can have on other groups. From his perspective, these issues are invisible and therefore they do exist. Going back to the highway example, colorblindness can be a contributing factor as the new highway can be beneficial for transportation for everyone that takes it. When thinking about it, everyone simply means the people that have access to a car or some sort of transportation. It was an effort put into place for everyone equally except that is not the case and people that do not benefit and do not have access to transportation can’t use the highway and the problem still exists. 

The Tatum reading goes into nice detail about how understanding racism and how it impacts others can help diminish the hurtful actions that have been in our country for many years. It is especially important in the city of Baltimore when it comes to seeing the relationship between low-income, racially segregated communities and access to transportation. I think this article overall fits well with what we are currently learning in class as it discusses disparities.

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