Race and Place: How Does Policy Help Determine Where We Live?

Publication Date

2026

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Adam Smiley

Metadata/Fulltext

Metadata ONLY

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

It is no secret that the United States has a history of questionable racial policy when it comes to where people are allowed to live, which has in turn affected migration patterns across the United States. Practices like slavery, redlining, Jim Crow laws, and Black Codes have all played a significant role in the migratory patterns of Black Americans throughout history, which has led to a distrust in the government as well as a rise in crime rates in specific areas of the country (Cross, 2023). Generations have been traumatized by this discriminatory treatment, and feelings of mistrust have been passed down throughout history as a protection mechanism against harsh practices (Smith, 2018). It has also led to an increase in criminal activity in these communities as they struggle to overcome the situations in which they live (Cross, 2023). These circumstances lead to the question of how slavery and its immediate consequences affected the Black American population then, and how its legacy lasts on the migratory and settling patterns of this group today. This question will be analyzed using U.S. Census and population data, as well as federal crime statistics. Prior research indicates that, due to the lasting systemic barriers faced by the Black community, that there is not immense variation in where Black people live today when compared to where they lived prior to 1860. The data is undergoing further analysis and results will be presented at SPARK.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS