Racism, segregation, and discrimination on housing are topics that have been studied at length throughout the United States and while published research has made significant strides in uprooting and presenting these topics in the present day, so much of the research has been focused on larger, metropolitan cities such as New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle. My study takes these same topics and puts a magnifying glass over Des Moines, a small city, which, despite limited research, has the same problems as many of the larger cities already explored and examined.
The history of African American’s in Des Moines is plastered with segregation and discrimination on many fronts, but housing is one that has dominated the landscape. Starting in the 1860s, as Iowa was becoming a state, laws set in place excluded African Americans from living within the State. During this time, many Southeastern parts of the State had pro-slavery sentiments in their communities that continued well into the 1900s. The experiences of African Americans in Iowa are reflected in many stories about families and individuals who lived within the State and, more specifically, Des Moines, and who faced regular oppression in their efforts to provide for their families. The impact of racial housing and lending legislation changed the landscape of Des Moines in a way that is still witnessed today. The practice of redlining brought into effect by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation and maintained by the Federal Housing Administration, provided an environment where systemic racism and segregation could endure. Even with civil rights efforts and fair housing laws put into place starting in the 1960s, housing discrimination did not subside.
Looking at African American population concentrations from 1940-2010, it is evident that the legacy of redlining and subsequent racial policies shaped how Des Moines looks today. The built landscape of the areas deemed “bad” and minority in the 1930s are still the areas today where minorities live, and development is lacking. This creates an uneven environment where communities remain divided. Planners and local policy makers must realize the impacts of embedded segregation on their communities, have conversations around the importance of race in planning and policy, and act to fix policy and planning practices to create positive change for the City of Des Moines in the future.