1619: “Traffic,” by Kevin M. Kruse

“African Americans came to believe, in James Baldwin’s memorable line, that ‘urban renewal’ meant ’Negro removal.’ ”

Hi Book Clubbers! Hope your week of reflection and action went well. I’m happy to announce that I made a $594 donation to The 1619 Freedom School, thanks to your generous contributions. Here’s what I got back from them:

Now let’s get to reading! We’re entering our last module. For your reference, here’s our schedule.

This week, let’s read “Traffic,” by Kevin M. Kruse. The essay is a short one – and explains why traffic in metropolitan areas is so bad. (Hint: It’s not on accident.) Prof. Kruse explains how the interstate highway system, along with local policies of “urban renewal,” caused racial segregation to increase, ultimately leading to suburbanization and therefore more cars and gridlock.

Prof. Kruse writes:

Commuters might assume they’re stuck because some city planner made a mistake, but the heavy congestion actually stems from a great success. In Atlanta, as in dozens of cities in America, daily congestion is a direct consequence of a campaign to segregate the races that unfolded over a century and a half.

This week

1. Read “Traffic,” by Kevin M. Kruse.

2. Try your best to clear your calendar for our last discussion on Sunday, August 14. It would be great to see you all there and for us to finish strong.

Thank you and have a great week!