May 15, 2026, CounterPunch, GOP Gerrymandering Is Erasing The South’s Black Votes
Black people are twice as likely as whites to face food insecurity and more likely to live in “food deserts.” This reality is inextricably tied to the continuing influence of slavery and Jim Crow.
This includes: “redlining,” whereby mortgages and insurance were denied to people in minority-majority neighborhoods; “racial covenants” that prohibited people of color from renting, buying, or occupying specific property; and segregation, which concentrated poverty and restricted social mobility.
These policies functioned for decades to keep Black communities underserved, underinvested, and underdeveloped. They are the foundation of the racial wealth gap that persists today. According to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, in 2022 the median white household held $284,310 — more than six times the $44,100 held by the median Black household.
