Urban Renewal & Racial Discrimination: A Look At Issues That Have Arisen Surrounding The Community Of The African-American Population In Georgia

This poster presentation summarizes a particular issue on urban renewal and racial discrimination that inflicted the African American community in Georgia. Urban renewal is the local governments' authorization to reconstruct an area for economic gain while rebuilding new and high-class houses, roadways, hospitals, parks, industrial sites, and much more. This caused the Black community to be placed in inadequate living conditions, leaving them to the exposure of hazardous substances in their water, soil, air, and food. President Harry Truman signed the Housing Act of 1949, which was intended to provide every American with a suitable living environment and a decent home. This poster presentation illustrates how that legislation was created for those with privilege, but with the exemption of African Americans. The local government's laws and city planning for redeveloping these poor neighborhoods led to the displacement of lower-income families. In this case, public housing was made difficult to obtain due to the intentional discriminatory housing policies placed. I consider this environmental injustice/racism since African Americans were left out in the rebranding of communities and the Housing Act of 1949 proves just that.  Black families are still disproportionately affected by home shortages and the gentrification of these communities in urban areas. Where these Black communities reside are typically in areas surrounded by landfills and industrial plants. Studies have found that as the earth's temperature continues to rise, those inner-city residents, such as minorities, will experience death and illness at a higher rate then their white-counterparts due to the effects of climate change. I used the Georgia State University Digital Archives Collection to gather all the information and archival documents presented in this poster. The publications of these archival documents contained newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and oral interviews. During my research, I was opportune to listen to several oral interviews that highlighted personal endeavors while living through urban renewal. This granted me an insight into the racial discrimination faced in their neighborhoods through housing policies and city planning. During my research, I was able to incorporate the socio-environmental theory, which explains how the disparities faced by the African American community put their health at risk. I was also able to expand on two public health core competencies during this research. Understanding the socio-economic impacts and the environmental factors on human health and health disparities allowed my poster to exemplify such harsh realities. Due to this systematic racism dislocating thousands statewide and millions globally, minority groups will always be disproportionately affected in health and overall well-being than their white counterparts. For change to occur, the United States government must recognize that racism is still present today, even in public housing arrangements. When driving past these poor neighborhoods, we must not forget the Housing Act of 1949 and how it displaced entire communities. The new term now used for urban renewal is gentrification and can see be seen all over the city of Atlanta. This poster presentation will allow my audience to see how discrimination plays a significant role in one’s environmental health.