Structural Violence in The Baltimore Sun’s Coverage of 1910 McCulloh Street

by Kathryn Vajda

Faculty Intro:

“Kat wrote her examination of the Sun’s coverage of the home on McCulloh Street in PCE 205 as part of the class’s examination of the impact of socio-structural forms of violence on housing in the U.S. Her research on blockbusting and redlining in Baltimore led to the Sun’s coverage of housing and, finally, to the story of a particular home. Kat viewed the story of 1910 McCulloh Street as a lens into Jim Crow housing, skillfully providing a glimpse into the mechanics of segregation in Baltimore City.” – Jen Bess

From the Author:

“Housing in Baltimore has had a long and complicated history of racist, exclusionary policies and practices. From intense racial segregation to redlining and blockbusting, both legal and social pressures have enforced a structurally violent system within the city. After reading historian and former Baltimore Sun writer Antero Pietila’s book “Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City” I decided to focus this paper on a series of Baltimore Sun articles published in 1910. These articles narrate a historically white Baltimore neighborhood’s fierce reaction to an African American man moving in during the Jim Crow period. The racist language and obvious bias present in these articles demonstrates just how deeply the violent housing policies penetrated the lives of those involved. By studying and drawing attention to historically unjust instances like this one, we can both learn from the past and strive for future systems based on equity and respect rather than prejudice and exclusion.”

Read: Structural Violence in The Baltimore Sun’s Coverage of 1910 McCulloh Street

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