History major junior Karilyn Nieves (right) and history major senior Ryland Frost (left) participate in a research project through the history department. Their research examines the role of the government in segregating black and white Americans (Elizabeth Gellman/asst. knights’ life editor).
History major junior Karilyn Nieves and history major senior Ryland Frost are part of a directed study with professor of history Emilye Crosby. The directed study focuses on the history of housing segregation and explores how the government segregated America through de jure segregation instead of the commonly held view that housing separation is a result of de facto segregation.
De jure is Latin for “by law” and de jure segregation is “segregation by law and public policy.” De facto segregation is segregation that results from voluntary associations and private practices.
Nieves and Frost, along with a group of eight other students, are looking to use research to debunk the myth that the housing separation is a result of de facto segregation and show how government actions have slowed integration in the United States.
Both Nieves and Frost are passionate about history and aim to uncover truth in their reading and participation through the direct study. The study will prepare them for their career ambitions, as Nieves hopes to go into public policy, while Frost wants to be a high school history teacher.
Frost discussed the whitewashing of textbooks which glaze over history and ignore periods of government implementation of de jure segregation.
“My biggest goal is to teach history the right way,” Frost said. “[I want to] change the racial stereotypes that have become ingrained in our culture.”
De jure segregation in housing continued even after World War II as black people were unable to benefit from government programs like the G.I. Bill. They faced barriers such as literacy tests and banks who would not give loans to black people.
As a result, white people were able to move to suburbs and prosper while black people were often forced into public housing. Today, non-white Americans still rely on public housing at higher rates than white people because of government implemented systems from decades before.
“What blew my mind the most about what we have read so far was that what I learned in high school and middle school is completely different from what I learned in college,” Frost said. “I realized I had unconsciously subscribed to racial stereotypes, and to get past those I must learn history.”
Both students are passionate about the directed study which they have been working on since they were contacted about participating in it by Dr. Crosby over the summer.
“Where I’m from [the Bronx, N.Y.] is a product of segregation,” Nieves said. “Schools by my house don’t get a lot of funding.”
Nieves acknowledged how economic disadvantage has become concentrated in black neighborhoods, making it difficult for them to build intergenerational wealth and leading to the creation of racially exclusionary policies.
The students emphasize that despite these issues, people can still fight for change and more integration and equality across America.
“The government must acknowledge this history and its role in perpetuating racial segregation and take action to invest in lower income communities,” Nieves said.