Public Education Project

Starting this project off I was conflicted on which social policy I wanted to choose, but I

ended up choosing residential segregation because I was interested to learn more about the policy.

Residential segregation is the separation of two or more social groups within an area, and it is a

real thing in our world today. This occurs because of gentrification, neighborhood disinvestment,

preference towards housing location, location of public housing, and exclusionary zoning

practices. At first I wanted to make a collage, I thought that would a cool and creative way to

spread a message. However I failed to make it work and I decided to go with an infographic, as

that seemed like a good way to convey a message and grab someone’s attention. The infographic

can be used as a flyer if wanted, spreading the message to the public or used in a group setting. The

infographic can also be used by those who want to get the gist of what residential segregation is or

want to become more informed on it, sort of like a gateway. I’m glad I chose the infographic

because it gets straight to the facts without a bunch of filler, and I feel like more people would take

the time to read an infographic than they would an article. It can be beneficial for people to be

aware of issues that they either did not know prior or learning more about that issue.

Core concepts I used from class are defining what residential segregation is and what it

does, identify the causes in the United States, and ways we can use to combat residential

segregation. Understanding residential segregation is important because it is a real issue we see in

our lives. People of color are mostly affected by this, having being pushed out of “nicer” living

conditions and put in places we consider “ghetto”. Residential segregation punishes the poor and

removes them from the equation, having them move out of their homes or struggling to make it.

Big corporations drive small businesses out, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Lots of

low-income families become displaced as richer folk take over their old community. Gentrification
is already a controversial topic, and part of that is because it removes history. When a local coffee

shop is replaced by a Starbucks, or a local grocery store is overtaken by a Walmart, we lose what

made the small business different then the rest. Everything becomes “bland” and the culture gets

lost in the greed. Diversity is what makes things unique, having differentiation among businesses

keep the market competitive and every time we lose a small business it can be viewed as the “big

man” gaining more influence. The more power the “big man” gets, the more the “big man” wants

to spread. If the demand for something goes up, the supply will too. We can try to help small

businesses by using their services more instead of going to big brand places that will persevere

regardless of your trip.

Overall I am glad I chose residential segregation, I found it much more enjoyable than I

was expecting it to be and I got to learn more about it as well. I never realized this was an issue,

but I have been watching it for a long time. I never realized the class system that seems to take

place in our communities, or how certain groups of people tend to live with others like them. While

that can be a good thing, you can’t truly benefit from having your ideas being constantly reassured

and not surrounding yourself with other people with different opinions than you. Segregation has

been in the Americas for years, the biggest example to come to mind is around the civil rights

period. During that time there were white only places and black only places; both races were

expected to stay away from the other and stay with their kind. Though those rules are no longer in

place, residential segregation is harmful to those who don’t get to benefit from it. Taking from the

poor and pushing them to a certain area just to gentrify where they once were is no way to “fix” a

community, instead there should be more options for help. Perhaps one day we can offer more help

to those affected by residential segregation, but until then we can educate ourselves on the problem

and recognize it when we see it.