Real Estate, Racial Change, and Bloomfield Schools from 1960 to the Present Aleesha Young ‘07...

Real Estate, Racial Change,

and Bloomfield Schools from 1960 to the Present

Aleesha Young ‘07Aleesha Young ‘07Kelli Perkins ‘05Kelli Perkins ‘05

Cities, Suburbs, Schools research Cities, Suburbs, Schools research project project

Trinity CollegeTrinity Collegewww.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/csswww.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/css

July 11, 2005July 11, 2005

Educ 308: Cities, Suburbs, and

Schools seminar in Spring

2005

Educ 308: Cities, Suburbs, and

Schools seminar in Spring

2005 Upper-level undergraduate courseUpper-level undergraduate course Students develop research questionStudents develop research question Examined demographic changes in Examined demographic changes in

Bloomfield during the 1960’s and Bloomfield during the 1960’s and 70’s and the impact that real estate 70’s and the impact that real estate markets had on racial shifts of the markets had on racial shifts of the town town

Metro Hartford Black Population Metro Hartford Black Population 1960 to 20001960 to 2000


1960


1970


1980


1990


2000

Bloomfield Black Population 1960 Bloomfield Black Population 1960 to 2000to 2000


1960


1970


1980


1990


2000

Research Questions How have real estate markets How have real estate markets

affected racial transformation in affected racial transformation in Bloomfield since the 1960’s?Bloomfield since the 1960’s?

Research Questions How have real estate markets How have real estate markets

affected racial transformation in affected racial transformation in Bloomfield since the 1960’s?Bloomfield since the 1960’s?

What relationship do these changes What relationship do these changes have to its public schools?have to its public schools?

Block-busting and Racial Steering


Realtors persuade white residents to sell homes by instilling fear of the increasing black population in their neighborhood


Realtors persuade white residents to sell homes by instilling fear of the increasing black population in their neighborhood

Realtors persuade white homebuyers to buy homes away from mixed neighborhoods, instead encourage to move into predominantly white areas

Discusses history of Bloomfield, but only brief description of racial change

Discusses history of Bloomfield, but only brief description of racial change

Describes racial change in Bloomfield, but only briefly mentions block-busting and little on schools

Story of racial change, but not schools

Story of racial change, but not schools

Story of racial change in neighborhoods and schools, but focuses on city, not suburb

Sources and Methods

Part 1: Archival DocumentsPart 1: Archival Documents

Part 2: Oral History InterviewingPart 2: Oral History Interviewing

Part 3: Street-level Data AnalysisPart 3: Street-level Data Analysis

Part 1: Archival Documents


Real Estate controversies in the newsReal Estate controversies in the news

Residents of Alexander Road charge that realtors have caused racial turnover from 1969 to 1974


Real Estate controversies in the newsReal Estate controversies in the news

Bloomfield Human Relations Commission files complaint against realtors to cease block-busting


Real Estate controversies in Town Council Real Estate controversies in Town Council minutesminutes



Typical excerpt from 1973 Typical excerpt from 1973 public hearingpublic hearing

Mr. Robert Shumsky, 13 Old Village Mr. Robert Shumsky, 13 Old Village Road in BloomfieldRoad in Bloomfield“…“…the majority of the people that the majority of the people that were brought to our house were were brought to our house were black. We didn’t mind selling at all black. We didn’t mind selling at all to white, black, gray, or whatever. to white, black, gray, or whatever. We did sell to a white family; and I We did sell to a white family; and I think our neighbors were relieved, think our neighbors were relieved, they were all set to say to us they were all set to say to us ‘please don’t sell to blacks’ We ‘please don’t sell to blacks’ We didn’t care; whoever can afford to didn’t care; whoever can afford to live in this neighborhood, they’re live in this neighborhood, they’re entitled to live here...”entitled to live here...”



Typical excerpt from 1973 Typical excerpt from 1973 public hearingpublic hearing

Mr. Robert Shumsky, 13 Old Village Mr. Robert Shumsky, 13 Old Village Road in BloomfieldRoad in Bloomfield“…“…the majority of the people that the majority of the people that were brought to our house were were brought to our house were black. We didn’t mind selling at all black. We didn’t mind selling at all to white, black, gray, or whatever. to white, black, gray, or whatever. We did sell to a white family; and I We did sell to a white family; and I think our neighbors were relieved, think our neighbors were relieved, they were all set to say to us they were all set to say to us ‘please don’t sell to blacks’ We ‘please don’t sell to blacks’ We didn’t care; whoever can afford to didn’t care; whoever can afford to live in this neighborhood, they’re live in this neighborhood, they’re entitled to live here...”entitled to live here...”

Dozens of accounts like this help to reconstruct racial change as it occurred in various neighborhoods in Bloomfield


Racial Change concerns in Board of Racial Change concerns in Board of Education MinutesEducation Minutes

Typical excerpt from 1969 meetingIt was mentioned that the Blue Hills School is presently 51% non-white. The board requested the Citizens Committee to intensify the program to get more children to bus out of the Blue Hills School. Dr. Chester was asked to get a report on classroom space available in the other elementary schools and to compare census figures for the system with the previous racial census.


Racial Change concerns in Board of Racial Change concerns in Board of Education MinutesEducation Minutes Although the

white and non-white population of Blue Hills School was nearly equal, school officials recognized this as a racial imbalance and saw voluntary busing as a solution to this “problem”

Typical excerpt from 1969 meetingIt was mentioned that the Blue Hills School is presently 51% non-white. The board requested the Citizens Committee to intensify the program to get more children to bus out of the Blue Hills School. Dr. Chester was asked to get a report on classroom space available in the other elementary schools and to compare census figures for the system with the previous racial census.

Part 2: Oral History Interviewing


Interview CandidatesInterview Candidates Key Historical ActorsKey Historical Actors


Interview CandidatesInterview Candidates Key Historical ActorsKey Historical Actors Bloomfield EducatorsBloomfield Educators


Interview CandidatesInterview Candidates Key Historical ActorsKey Historical Actors Bloomfield EducatorsBloomfield Educators Real Estate AgentsReal Estate Agents


Interview CandidatesInterview Candidates Key Historical ActorsKey Historical Actors Bloomfield EducatorsBloomfield Educators Real Estate AgentsReal Estate Agents Residents on selected streetsResidents on selected streets


Key Historical ActorKey Historical Actor Adelle Wright Adelle Wright

Chair of Human Relations Chair of Human Relations

CommissionCommission


Key Historical ActorKey Historical Actor Adelle Wright Adelle Wright

Chair of Human Relations CommissionChair of Human Relations Commission

Q: We’ve read reports about racial steering and Q: We’ve read reports about racial steering and block-busting in Bloomfield. Did you block-busting in Bloomfield. Did you experience or witness any of these? experience or witness any of these?

A: We were suspicious because certain streets A: We were suspicious because certain streets would turn over, as we said, so fast…And in would turn over, as we said, so fast…And in order to try to figure out what was happening order to try to figure out what was happening as far as steering was concerned, we set up as far as steering was concerned, we set up teams of a black couple and a white couple… teams of a black couple and a white couple… Whether or not they were shown something of Whether or not they were shown something of similar price in some place besides Bloomfield similar price in some place besides Bloomfield -- that was critical. -- that was critical.


Residents on selected streetsResidents on selected streets


Residents on selected streets – search Residents on selected streets – search City DirectoryCity Directory


Residents on selected streetsResidents on selected streets Irene Llewellyn, 7 Alexander Rd Irene Llewellyn, 7 Alexander Rd

Q: Were you ever encouraged to move?

A: No one was pressured. When we bought our house if that happened I wasn’t aware of it happening, it could have. My end of the street, of probably the ten houses at the end, three of us were minorities and the rest were not. But as the types changed, people began to move because there was what they call steering and real estate agencies steered minorities to particular areas in Bloomfield and not to other parts of Bloomfield.


Next StepsNext Steps

Interviews scheduled with 1960s-70s Interviews scheduled with 1960s-70s Board of Education members (Frank Board of Education members (Frank Thaller & Norma LeFebvre) about real Thaller & Norma LeFebvre) about real estate, racial change, and public schoolsestate, racial change, and public schools

Part 3: Street-level Analysis


Bloomfield Assessor’s Office, Property Cards (1960-80)



Calculate Residential Turnover



Calculate Market Value

Calculate Assessed Value


Comparison of 13 Bloomfield streets in Southeastern section

Green = identified as racially transitional in 1973 public hearing


Analysis of Residential Turnover Rate from 1970-80

Darker blue = higher rate of turnover


Analysis of Residential Turnover Rate from 1970-80

Darker blue = higher rate of turnover

No significant differences between identified vs non-identified streets


Analysis of Percentage Change in Assessed Property Values, 1960-69

Darker green = greater positive growth


Analysis of Percentage Change in Assessed Property Values, 1960-69

Darker green = greater positive growth

No significant differences between identified vs non-identified streets


Next Steps

Acknowledgements

Real Estate, Racial Change, and Bloomfield Schools from 1960 to the Present Aleesha Young ‘07...

Documents

Transcript of Real Estate, Racial Change, and Bloomfield Schools from 1960 to the Present Aleesha Young ‘07...