Blockbusting and Redlining

The raisin in the sun displays the effects of institutional racism on African Americans during the 50's and 60's."Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could"(act 2) In that quote mama describes how hard it was for blacks trying to buy a home and pay for it. Whites created the inner city ghettos we see today, due to the practices they enacted in the past. Two prominent strategies they used were redlining and blockbusting.  redlining is "the practice of denying services, either directly or through selectively raising prices, to residents of certain areas based on the racial or ethnic composition of those areas." While blockbusting is "an illegal practice in which licensees or others encourage homeowners to sell because of an influx or expected influx of minorities into the area."

In many people's opinions these practices created the ghettos of America today. Statistics also show a stark contrast between the living conditions of black neighborhoods in comparison to white neighborhoods.  The scariest fact is that redlining still occurs today. A study done in 2002 showed that "small businesses in black neighborhoods received fewer loans, even after accounting for business density, business size, industrial mix, neighborhood income, and the credit quality of local businesses"(Immergluck) The grocery store video also proves this point even more. Racism still exists and racism still affects the living quality for blacks. Just look at flint, it’s a perfect example of environmental racism. The irony in all of this is that whites created the ghetto but expect blacks to fix it immediately? 

Money and Being Morally Corrupt

In the Diamond as big as the Ritz we could all see that the washingtons were morally corrupt and it was discussed in much detail in class. I couldn't help thinking about a question about the washingtons though. Are the washingtons morally corrupt because of their wealth or are they wealthy because they are morally corrupt? It's a perplexing question, but in this blog post I'm going to compare both views and I want you to decide in the comments.

So let's look at wealthy people today, most of the moderately wealthy people go to school and get a 4 year degree and make good money. That's the traditional route. Other ways of making lots of money is through sports and owning small businesses. These are all honest professions and don't necessarily need corruption to get to the top. On the flip side though there are people who have used corruption to get to the top and make loads of money. Bernie Madoff and Jordan Belfort are two examples of that.

Well what exactly happens when you are at the top and you are making lots of money? Well, according to scientists the answer is corruption. There have been numerous times where the public have seen this unfold. Tiger woods and Warren Buffet are two examples. They both made their money honestly and reached the top but with all this money at their disposal they both became corrupt. Tiger Woods cheating on his wife, while Buffet has partnered with goldman sachs who is another company known for their corrupt and dishonest ways. He has been evading taxes as well.

So in terms of The Diamond As Big As The Ritz I believe the family was corrupt because of money.  They were born into it, but what's your opinion? Do you think more money just exposes the moral corruptness we have anyway? Or does money create the corruption?

My Favorite Gatsby Passage

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (Chapter 1)

         This passage is my favorite in the book. It's quite powerful and probably applies to the majority of us in Troy. It definitely applies to me. At times I complain about something quite trivial and then I sit back and realize that my problems arent really problems at all. I may be irritated with a person and may dislike them but everyone has a background that we don't know about. Someone may cut me off because they are in a hurry to the hospital. Someone may be arrogant to hide the fact that they are extremely insecure about themselves. Someone may be rude because their day is just awful. The point is that everyone is going through something we don't know about. Some bigger than others, but nonetheless, Fitzgerald's aphorism is great. 

        

          Criticizing others is something we all do and this passage really reminded me of thoughts that I always have. I understand that I do have advantages over many people. I go to the best high school in michigan, I live in the safest city in michigan, and I have basic necessities, which is something much of the world does not have. Yet, at times I find myself always castigating others. I wouldn't say I'm mean I'm just very analytical and it can come off as pretty selfish. 

          This book offers a lot of lessons and this is just one of the few that I took away from it. my mom always tells me to be grateful and up until this point I don't feel that I have been grateful enough. However who do I be grateful to? How can I possibly show how much my mom means to me? This is something that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.