White Space, Black Hood

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The iconic Black hood, akin to slavery and Jim Crow, embodies a unique American institution driven by white supremacy. Myths surrounding the "ghetto" have been propagated by politicians and individuals of all backgrounds to justify the concentration of poverty and the creation of high-opportunity white spaces. In this work, law professor and historian Sheryll Cashin explores the history of anti-Black residential caste, revealing how the government-engineered "ghetto" serves as a political construct that perpetuates segregation and opportunity hoarding in the modern era. Drawing from nearly two decades of research in cities like Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Cleveland, she combines compelling narratives from descendants with rigorous research on housing, policing, education, and transportation. Cashin argues that affluent white spaces and rising inequality cannot exist without the presence of concentrated poverty and the stereotypes associated with those living in the hood. She advocates for the abolition of state-sanctioned systems that segregate and undermine Black lives, urging a shift in perception from viewing residents of poor Black neighborhoods as threats to recognizing them as citizens. Her vision includes investing in infrastructure that fosters opportunity in these neighborhoods, such as well-resourced schools, public transit, and inclusive housing initiatives. This work is a crucial call to understand