Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences
Addresses, Lectures and Presentations
The UnDesign the Redline exhibit explored questions such as: Why are communities in Dayton often racially segregated? How did our neighborhoods form the way they did? How does this affect employment, education, policing, health care and other aspects of life?
UnDesign the Redline is an important, visually compelling interactive exhibit tracing the tangled roots of government policies to the social issues we face today. UnDesign the Redline ignites discussion about race, wealth, opportunity and power, with the goal of transforming the future.
What is Redlining?
Redlining maps were introduced in the 1930s to show risk areas for federal funding of home ownership programs. These maps showed areas that were prime for investment, and areas where no money would be lent. The neighborhoods where no investment would be made were outlined in red, literally “redlined.”
Race was the primary factor in determining where these zones were drawn. Residents of these areas were often unable to access housing loans, mortgages and other financial services. Left with fewer housing and employment opportunities, shrinking tax bases in these areas also led to insufficient public services and concentrated poverty.
Meanwhile, investment poured into rapidly expanding, whiter suburbs. Owning property enabled families in these communities to accrue wealth over time, while also accessing better-funded schools, jobs and healthcare. Redlining is how structural racism was designed into cities. It's a practice which continued legally into the 1970s and continues to have ramifications today.
Who created the content for the exhibit?
The UnDesign the Redline was created by the New York-based organization Designing the WE. The local content was developed by community partners in Dayton (led by Learn to Earn Dayton, Dayton Metro Library, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Premier Health, local colleges/universities, among many others). At the University of Dayton, advisory team members included former Roesch Endowed Chair Leslie Picca, former Executive Director of the Ethos Center Kelly Bohrer, Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Tiffany Taylor Smith and Fitz Center Executive Director of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community Nancy McHugh. Community stories were gathered by students of David Fine of the Department of English.
For your information
Virtual Tour of UnDesign the Redline Exhibit, Complements of Dayton Metro Library:
Additional Resources
Redlining documentary: The one-hour documentary, Redlining: Mapping Inequality in Dayton and Springfield, is produced by ThinkTV and tells the stories of local Miami Valley residents who were impacted by redlining and the legacy of this federal policy that is still felt today.
Dayton Metro Library website: Additional Resources (including books, TedTalks and Music) on Redlining in Dayton can be found on the Dayton Metro Library website.
Roots of Racism: Exploring the Legacy of Dayton’s Racial Divide:
- Part I: Dayton Before the 1900s (by Kelly Bohrer)
- Part 2: Dayton in the Early 20th Century (by Leslie Picca)
- Part 3: Dayton in the Late 20th Century (by Tiffany Taylor-Smith and Will Smith of Dayton Public Schools)
This three-part series, hosted by Mayor Nan Whaley, shares the historical events that have shaped our community racially, socially and economically. Each segment (about 20 minutes each) highlights key moments in Dayton’s history from the 1700s to the early 2000s and feature elders from our community as they retell their earliest memories of Dayton.
- 1700s to 1900 Presented by Kelly Bohrer, Director of Community Relations; Acting Director, The ETHOS Center in the School of Engineering.
- 1900 to 1950 Presented by Leslie Picca, Professor of Sociology; Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.
- 1950 to Present Presented by Tiffany Taylor Smith, Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, and Will Smith, Dayton Public Schools.
This series was sponsored by the University of Dayton, Premier Health, Dayton Metro Libraries, Dayton Daily News and other local sponsors.
Developed as a resource for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, this eight-part video series shares the perspective of scholars and faith leaders who examine Catholicism, religion and race/racism. The purpose of the video series is to increase awareness of systemic racism and white privilege, particularly within the context of the Catholic Church, and to foster dialogue among parish members.
Part 1: Racism & Privilege: An Introduction
The possibilities of healing our past through reconciliation and re-membering the Body of Christ.
Part 2: What Can We Learn from the Genesis of the Idea of Race?
The idea of race has a particular genesis. This presentation revises a few of its more important stages and offers some considerations to curb its influence in our lives.
Part 3: Seeing the Past Clearly
Racism and white privilege have been central features of American history thanks to slavery and Jim Crow segregation.
Part 4: Systemic Racism in Dayton Today
The legacy of slavery and Jim Crow legal segregation are prominent in intergenerational wealth and wealth creating resources which impacts every part of our society. We need to shift conversations about race away from sin and hate, and examine power and policies.
Part 5: What is Implicit Bias?
Implicit biases are the unconscious or subconscious attitudes, thoughts and stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions. The unconscious biases that we carry are influenced by our life experiences and the messages we are given, either intentionally or unintentionally, about others and ourselves.
Part 6:Reflections on the Experience of a Black Catholic
Sr. Nicole Trahan shares her experience of being a Black woman and now vowed religious in the Catholic Church. She also shares how these experiences differ depending on the location.
Part 7: Inches and Seconds: Thinking About White Privilege
This talk considers structural racism and white privilege by exploring the history of a working class white family and a working class black family. When life for so many comes down to “inches and seconds” the inequalities caused by structural racism add up to profound injustices over time and across generations.
Part 8: Conclusion: A Bigger Faith
In a conclusion to the series, this talk reflects on the grace God is extending to many of us individually and collectively to see racism, name it and disrupt it so that we can enter more fully into our joy.