Resources on Spacial Racism

“Today, we live with the legacies of a deliberately segregated past.  Where you live usually determines the school your children attend, your degree of neighborhood safety, your access to public transportation or highways, the availability and quality of finance and credit, your employment opportunities, and your social network.”

This deliberate segregation is called spatial racism.  It affects mainly African Americans, Hispanics, and some newly arrived immigrants, isolating them in deteriorating areas of the cities and older suburbs.

We invite you to select one or two of the resources below to discuss with a group of your choosing:

Discussion Questions for Race: The Power of an Illusion “The House We Live In” and “Where Race Lives”

  1. How have unfair housing practices caused and perpetuated the development and growth of the ghetto?
  2. “Wealth isn’t just luxury or profit: it’s the starting point for the next generation.”
  3. Comment on this statement in the light of spatial racism.
  4. Why is it so hard to talk about race?  What can we do to address this problem?

Discussion Questions for Cardinal George’s Letter “Dwell In My Love”

  1. How has the sin of racism touched your life?
  2. How have you as a white person benefitted from living in a society which favors your race?  How have you as a person of color struggled because your race is not part of the dominant culture?
  3. What can you do personally to “dismantle personal and systemic racism” where you live and work?