History Archives

Labor Market Discrimination and Income Inequality

What is the relationship between labor market discrimination and income inequality? What was the impact of discrimination in unions on racial income inequality? Labor market discrimination depressed Black wages and ensured they missed out on the high wages available to white employees. Discrimination in labor unions that shut out African Americans deprived Blacks of a powerful voice that could ensure wage parity. Read on to learn more about how labor market discrimination leads to racial income inequality.

The Racial Wealth Gap: A Direct Result of Segregation

How Segregation Facilitated The Racial Wealth Gap

What was the role of residential segregation in enabling the racial wealth gap? Why does the racial wealth gap persist today? Residential segregation contributed to the racial wealth gap because it prevented American Americans from building wealth through the ownership of property in high-value neighborhoods. The Black wealth gap has persisted because historical segregation has created a vicious cycle that ensures Blacks are less upwardly mobile than whites. Read on to learn more about the role of segregation in creating the racial wealth gap.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway’s Friendship

How did F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway know each other? What was their friendship like? F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway met and became good friends in Paris. The friendship was difficult on Hemingway because Fitzgerald was unstable and an alcoholic, but he stuck by his side nonetheless. Here’s what Hemingway wrote about his friendship with Fitzgerald in A Moveable Feast.

Segregated Communities Created by Municipalities

Local Governments and Segregated Communities

How did municipal governments create segregated communities? What was the impact of these discriminatory policies on African Americans? Local areas became segregated communities due to racial exclusion policies like school placement, zoning laws, and state-sanctioned violence against Blacks that lived in predominantly white neighborhoods. These racial exclusion policies subjected Blacks to harassment, violence, and residential segregation. Read more to fully discover the policies and tactics local governments used to create segregated communities.

Ernest Hemingway: Memoir of the Years in Paris

What is the reason Hemingway’s memoir wasn’t published until after his death? What is the backstory of A Moveable Feast? Believe it or not, Hemingway actually forgot about the vignettes he wrote while in Paris until over thirty years after he wrote them. When he re-discovered them in an old trunk, he set out to write his final memoir which became A Moveable Feast. Here is a Ernest Hemingway’s backstory and an introduction to his memoir.

The Ultimate Guide to Reading History Books

Why does reading history books have such an impact on people’s actions? What are the different types of historical works? According to Mortimer Adler in How to Read a Book, reading history books is so impactful because rather than reading about some fantasy world or dystopia, you’re learning from actual events and people who lived. It’s important to learn how people act in different times and places. Here’s how Mortimer Adler says you should read history books and why you should read them.

The Color of Law Review: Segregation by Law

Are you looking for a review of The Color of Law? What’s the main argument of The Color of Law? This review of The Color of Law explores the causes of racial residential segregation as identified in the book. The Color of Law argues that discriminatory government policy is primarily responsible for segregation in America. Read the review of The Color of Law to better understand the role of the government in racial segregation.

Roots of Residential Segregation in the United States

When was the start of residential segregation in the United States? Who played the leading role in creating a segregated America? It started with a landmark, unconstitutional Supreme Court decision in 1883 that refused to equate housing discrimination with slavery. This kickstarted the period between 1883 and 1963 when residential segregation in the United States became prevalent. The government at all levels contributed to this issue. Read more about the history of residential segregation in the United States.

Hunger Was a Good Discipline: Hemingway in Paris

In A Moveable Feast, why does Hemingway say that hunger was a good discipline? Why was Hemingway so poor when he was living in Paris? When Ernest Hemingway was living in Paris, he often went hungry due to his lack of income. He was ashamed of himself and tried to hide his starvation from others. In the memoir, he describes how hunger affected his moods and his work.

Racial Segregation in Housing: Systemic Inequality

Systemic Inequality and Racial Segregation in Housing

How did federal housing policies enable racial segregation in housing? What is the impact of racial discrimination in housing? Federal housing policies mandated that public housing projects must reflect the racial composition of the neighborhoods around them. This created an environment where African Americans and whites lived in distinct enclaves. Racial segregation has had a destructive impact on Blacks, contributing to wealth inequality and poverty. Read on to learn more about how the government facilitated racial segregation in housing.