Jacksonville’s Redlining Legacy
American society has long battled against minority discrimination, but it has taken a new form – redlining. What I mean by redlining is a government's practice of rating communities from "A" through "D" as a measure of investment risk. As a result, African Americans were unable to get a mortgage approved in "A"– green areas, having a choice only between blue and yellow–mixed neighborhoods or in red-minority only. This system created poor urban areas occupied primarily by a minority group all around the country. In addition, new interstate highway systems, toxic waste, trash incinerators, and polluting industries tended to be located in Black communities, affecting their public health.
The legacy of redlining still has an impact. On October 16, 2024, I was lucky to participate in the Brentwood community meeting in Jacksonville, FL. The issue we had at hand was a morgue being constructed just next to the residential houses. The project was pushed quietly, without notifying residents about the City Council meeting regarding the funding. Two weeks later, it was approved anonymously.
A place where the morgue is being constructed.
Why is this concerning? This morgue is built only 3 feet from residential areas and 32 feet from KIPP VOICE Academy Elementary School. Although morgues can be safe when they follow strict protocols, building them in such proximity to homes raises serious safety concerns. It increases the traffic in an area, making it dangerous for kids going to school. At the same time, it has emotional and psychological impacts—especially for younger generations—that cannot be underestimated. Furthermore, there have been no planning hearings since 2016, meaning the newly opened school was not even considered in decision-making by the planning committee.
This situation is more than just a local issue. It's a neglect faced by most minority communities that were once redlined. The neighborhoods marked as "high risk" decades ago are experiencing the consequences of discriminatory practices today. During the meeting, I talked to Lydia Bell, the movement's president. She asked me, "Why should old people like me still be fighting for our communities instead of enjoying the rest of our lives?" Her words show the exhaustion felt by the community, which faces a long time of struggle against systemic neglect.
That is not the first time the Metro Garden Neighborhood Association has had to fight for their community. In 2023, they successfully stopped the opening of a drive-thru liquor store that again was built near the same school. The city response? It paid $1.8 million in reparations to the store's owner!
Overlay of Jacksonville’s 1937 redlining map onto a modern Google Maps view, with a red indicator marking the location of a new morgue within a historically 'hazardous' zone, now intersected by major highways and infrastructure.
While doing the research about redlining in Jacksonville, I noticed one more terrifying thing. When I compared the modern map taken from Google Maps and the redline map of 1937, I noticed that major highways and exits were built almost exclusively in the red zones. These infrastructure changes destroyed the city's historically African-American neighborhoods, turning the homes that generations before built in proximity to shops, libraries, and parks to become solely car-dependent, further isolating them from essential services.
As we can see, even after cultural shifts during the 1960s, redlining continues to harm our cities. The Jacksonville government attempts to save a small portion of the money, bringing significant changes to the lives of the minority. Addressing issues like the construction of the Brentwood morgue isn't just about one building—it's about holding local governments accountable. Only by giving attention to local politics can we help break the cycle of discrimination that takes a new form again and again.
