Take a Drive Around the County Judge Mays: The County Commission Lawsuit Versus The Suburban Schools Districts

I haven't written much on the school system and the lawsuit by the County Commission versus the Suburban Schools Districts because there are more capable people who can do that. What I can do is make maps. In the Memphis Daily News a few weeks ago there was an article by Bill Dries titled Mays Ponders What Remains in Suburban Schools Federal Suit . I took interest in one of the last paragraphs. "Mays, in the Wednesday, Aug. 14, order, also wants all sides to weigh in on the claim by the County Commission that the establishment of the suburban school districts violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Attorneys for the commission argued in their 2012 counterclaim that the suburban school districts would racially resegregate public education in Shelby County. Attorneys for the suburban leaders have vigorously denied that would be the case." I do a lot of maps on a lot of various subjects, particularly race and inequality, in Memphis and Shelby County. To show that the suburban school districts would racially resegregate public education is down right easy with the correct type of data. All it takes is time. For the past month, I've been building a database showing the 2013 appraisal of all single family houses in Shelby County under LUC 062. It is almost 250,000 houses. Here is what it looks like when color coding the appraised value of the houses.

If you have seen maps on this blog before, you recognize the classic "C" pattern. It defines everything by race & class. Doesn't matter if it is fires, educational attainment, infant mortality, income, violent crime, failing schools, stray dogs, the type of work people do, voting patterns, property values, literally EVERYTHING. The next few maps show by census block group where minority populations live. Block groups are the smaller parts that make up a census tract and is particular useful when overlayed specific data such as appraised value of houses.

Here's a chart of the data broken down from the maps above.

I included foreclosures because the foreclosure crisis has been a disaster for the black community. A lost generation of wealth creation and political gains that's consequences will be felt for decades, i.e the school system fight. Additionally, foreclosures were included because banks like Wells Fargo paid "fines" and pledged lending to settle lawsuits claiming banks targeted minorities for predatory lending. The predatory lending and wealth destruction play a large factor into the resegregating schools via the Suburban School Districts. It wasn't easy for most black families to buy or even rent a house in what would be the Suburban School Districts prior to the Foreclosure Crisis. Today, it is even more difficult. Wealth and equity were strip mined from the black community. Just look at the property value map with all the foreclosures from 2007 through 2012 overlayed.

By forming Suburban School Districts, the invisible walls of increased property value will be made even higher keeping minorities out. Further migration of black families east, aside from Cordova and Southeast Memphis will be blocked because these families can not afford to buy or pay rent for housing in the Suburban School Districts. It is why so many working and middle class black families are moving to Desoto County. Desoto County will be majority Black in 15 years. There is already talk of the Desoto School System redrawing school boundaries in preparation for that demographic development. Don't just take my word, look at this map. Allowing Suburban School Districts keeps Shelby County fractured along race & class lines.

I hope Judge Mays takes a weekend to just drive around Memphis and Shelby County. Look at the maps then look at the people living in these areas. See for yourself if you think schools will be resegregated.