Race and Real Estate - Conflict and Cooperation in Harlem, 1890-1920

Erscheinungsjahr 2015
ISBN: 978-0-231-16914-1
Verlag: Columbia University Press

Buch, Englisch, 296 Seiten, Format (B × H): 159 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 540 g

Through the lens of real estate transactions from 1890 to 1920, Kevin McGruder offers an innovative perspective on Harlem's history and reveals the complex interactions between whites and African Americans at a critical time of migration and development. During these decades Harlem saw a dramatic increase in its African American population, and although most histories speak only of the white residents who met these newcomers with hostility, this book uncovers a range of reactions.

Although some white Harlem residents used racially restrictive real estate practices to inhibit the influx of African Americans into the neighborhood, others believed African Americans had a right to settle in a place they could afford and helped facilitate sales. These years saw Harlem change not into a "ghetto," as many histories portray, but into a community that became a symbol of the possibilities and challenges black populations faced across the nation.

This book also introduces alternative reasons behind African Americans' migration to Harlem, showing that they came not to escape poverty but to establish a lasting community. Owning real estate was an essential part of this plan, along with building churches, erecting youth-serving facilities, and gaining power in public office. In providing a fuller, more nuanced history of Harlem, McGruder adds greater depth in understanding its development and identity as both an African American and a biracial community.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mcgruder, Kevin

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Amerikanische Geschichte Regionalgeschichte der USA: Einzelne Staaten, Städte
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Soziale Ungleichheit, Armut, Rassismus
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde Minderheiten, Interkulturelle & Multikulturelle Fragen
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Soziologie von Migranten und Minderheiten
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Historische Migrationsforschung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Black and White New Yorkers2. The End of the African American Welcome in Harlem3. From Eviction to Containment4. The Battle for Church Properties5. African American Youth in Harlem6. Real Estate and Politics7. The Growth in Property Ownership by African Americans in HarlemConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

Über Autor(innen)

Kevin McGruder, assistant professor of history at Antioch College, studies African American institutions, urban history, and gay and lesbian history. He earned an M.B.A. in real estate finance from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in U.S. history from City University of New York.