[jadell]

In no way did I claim the massacre was an unfortunate oversight.

In the case of the Interstate Highway System, it was legitimately the stated idea to go through Black neighborhoods because those were considered less desirable than white ones, and the land could be had for cheaper. It was absolutely malicious. In several documented cases, the routes were originally supposed to go through white neighborhoods until they complained, and the highways were rerouted through Black neighborhoods (who also complained, but were ignored.)

And the federal program became a model for state and local programs that did the same thing. Great example is NC 147, which destroyed the prosperous Hayti neighborhood of Durham, NC, and wiped out the city's own Black Wall Street. And it was absolutely done intentionally.

[DoreenMichele]

Before life got in the way, I wanted to be an urban planner. So I'm familiar with such patterns.

But the very fact that in several documented cases, the initial proposed route went through a white neighborhood disproves your position that it was intentionally done to destroy black wealth as some kind of malice aforethought master plan.

It happened because the white neighborhood was able to defend itself and the black neighborhood was not. There's absolutely an element of racism there, but that racism is not as blunt as "unbridled malice aforethought."

I want real solutions. You don't find them by inflating accusations because you are justifiably angry about the outcome.

I want real solutions and I think I know something about getting real results. Inflating the amount of active and intentional malice aforethought involved is generally counterproductive.

[mturmon]

You seem to be claiming that, in general, the destruction of Black neighborhoods for the interstate did not have racist “malice aforethought”. That it was more of a case of white neighborhoods being able to defend themselves ... but not a maliciously-chosen routing in the first place.

I think your claim here is more false than true.

This is a pretty well-known story in American history, as you point out. Most people who spend time in major American cities know of some very specific examples where one or more Black neighborhoods were torn down or split to put a freeway through. These choices were made deliberately.

For just one review of these deliberate choices, see pages 14 and 15 of: https://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Planning/doc...

From the conclusion:

“The highway construction process was essentially used by some planners both as a step towards enhanced national infrastructure and connectivity, as well as a tool to achieve discriminatory objectives along the lines of race and class.”

Please note the focus on deliberate intent in the last clause.