Existing comment:
Separate and Unequal: Segregated Schools... and Society:
Segregation divides black and white Hoosiers. The two communities live, work, and play apart. Some separation is enforced by law -- in particular, by rules that bar African-American children from many schools, or that limit access to housing and jobs. Mostly, however, segregation rests on custom and tradition.
Prejudice often is unspoken, but nonetheless powerful. It dictates where African-American citizens dine, which theaters they visit, and where they worship. Nevertheless, African Americans develop many fine schools, in Evansville, Vincennes, Indianapolis, and the Calumet area.
In part, segregation reflects Indiana's Southern roots -- a legacy of the culture from which Hoosiers trace their lineage. The state's relatively small African-American population is a factor that helps to maintain segregation through social pressure, rather than legal action. |