Columbus Alive, June 4, 2020: How we got here: The George Floyd protests in Columbus
For the last week, cities nationwide, including Columbus, have been embroiled in massive protests rooted in inequality and police violence against the black community. But while the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police might have provided the trigger, these tensions have been building locally for years, and in some case decades.
Here’s a look back at some of the events that have led to this historic point in time. (Short excerpts from each story are provided below the links.)
By 1936, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), a federal agency, created “Residential Security” maps of major American cities, including Columbus. The maps shaded neighborhoods in one of four colors to indicate their grade; green was “best,” blue was “still desirable,” yellow was “definitely declining” and red was “hazardous.” Citizens living in red areas, which were almost always populated by African-Americans and immigrant communities, found themselves “redlined” by banks and other lending institutions. Even though Bronzeville was a wealthier area than the Blackberry Patch and Flytown (located just south of Goodale Park), the HOLC redlined all three areas.
In March [2018], the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) released a study that compared the HOLC’s redlined neighborhoods with their current economic and social conditions and found that, despite some heavily gentrified areas, the segregation and economic inequality in those areas persist today. According to the NCRC, 82 percent of Columbus’ “hazardous” neighborhoods are low-to-moderate income today — higher than the national average of 74 percent. And 89 percent of Columbus’ “best” neighborhoods are middle-to-upper income; they’re also 91 percent white.
