in class | Pitter Patter Ponder

The red leaves on a tree in the main plaza by the library.

Our color walk was quickly catalyzed by dark red-brown steps going down from Professor Arrington’s classroom. The exit signs illuminated above head directed us past the administrative offices and to the “Read Signal” letters box that sent us veering to the right only to lead us to another reddish brown path way broken up by the slope of stairs. Off to the left the bright red of two Coca-Cola machines lead us out to the quad where a myriad of red shades stop us, causing us to turn our heads in every direction to take it all in. Red shoes, the red leaves of several of the trees, when finally a boysitting at the fountain with bright- almost luminescent in the sunlight- red adidas pants pulls us to the square separating Langdale Hall, Kell Hall and Classroom South. In this square red hair, red socks tucked under the bright blue jeans of a student speed walking, a faded red shirt of someone sitting in the quad renders us motionless, again, as we work to take in and dutifully observe the many spectral shades of red around us. By the time our color walk was over at around 1:50 P.M., I noticed I had only observed a minuscule fraction of the colors all around us. While red was the first thing to catch my eye, my overall attention span was broadened to include the spectrum of all colors perceivable to my eye. This exercise is potentially useful to a researcher of any kind to use if done properly, for it awakens the sensitivity to acute detail in the mind. This can be translated into other forms of research by exercising the brain to be more attentive to all acute details- not just in color.

The bright red of the coke machines that lead me to the plaza.

Claim #1: Overall, Atlanta’s exterior built environment encourages and sustains racism in the city.

1.1

http://sites.gsu.edu/koglesby6/2016/02/24/annotated-bibliography-4-displacement-and-the-racial-state-in-olympic-atlanta-1990-1996-by-seth-gustafson/

http://sites.gsu.edu/sberry11/2016/02/18/annotated-bib-6-sweet-auburn-market/

http://sites.gsu.edu/hhenry2/2016/03/05/decatur-marta-station-artifact-2/

1.2

SCHINDLER, SARAH. “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination And Segregation Through Physical Design Of The Built Environment.” Yale Law Journal 124.6 (2015): 1934-2024. Academic Search Complete. Web.

Hankins, Katherine B., Robert Cochran, and Kate Driscoll Derickson. “Making Space, Making Race: Reconstituting White Privilege In Buckhead, Atlanta.” Social & Cultural Geography 13.4 (2012): 379-397. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649365.2012.688851#.VuOnUJwrLIU

Even noting the titles of the articles you will see the clear racial elements that must be discussed in each of them. With keywords such as “discrimination”, “segregation”, and “white privilege” a connotation of race relations is present due to the society we live in- The United States of America where race relations and themes of binary racial tensions specifically between Blacks and Whites is a fundamental part of our social makeup now and in history. Architectural Exclusion by Sarah Schindler illuminates the ways built environments and certain spaces promote racial inequities, while Making Space, Making Race: Reconstituting White Privilege In Buckhead, Atlanta highlights the after effects of this institutionalized racial divide.

1.3

<http://www.governing.com/gov-data/gentrification-in-cities-governing-report.html>.

This popular source article explains and provides a good amount of statistical data on Gentrification. Gentrification is the relocation of inhabitants and rebuilding of an area, in such a way that property value is increased. Because of the fact that caucasians on average make up the greatest percent of those in the economical upper and middle class tiers, gentrification subsequently is a form of racism and segregation. The statistical information in the article provides good ethos.

1.4

Bibliography

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/gentrification-in-cities-governing-report.html

http://sites.gsu.edu/hhenry2/2016/03/05/decatur-marta-station-artifact-2/

http://sites.gsu.edu/koglesby6/2016/02/24/annotated-bibliography-4-displacement-and-the-racial-state-in-olympic-atlanta-1990-1996-by-seth-gustafson/

http://sites.gsu.edu/sberry11/2016/02/18/annotated-bib-6-sweet-auburn-market/

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649365.2012.688851#.VuOnUJwrLIU

1.5

http://sites.gsu.edu/koglesby6/2016/03/04/apex-museum-pictures/

Apex Museum

Claim #2: Atlanta’s interior environments reflect an unspoken, ongoing segregation.

2.1

https://sites.gsu.edu/marmstrong16/2016/03/09/actually-an-annotation-segregation-via-contemporary-architecture/

http://sites.gsu.edu/mwatley1/2016/01/26/architectural-exclusion-discrimination-and-segregation-through-physical-design-of-the-built-environment-summary/

2.2

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?sid=f4ca6044-799c-4f13-8b8a-7f9c667eaa65%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4202&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d

This article highlights White Privilege in places of residency with higher socio economic status. White Privilege is a direct result of institutionalized racism in America, this ties into the issue of institunalized classism (building ethos) as Caucasians make up the majority of those ranked higher in the American classist system, thus subsequently causing segregation based on race in Atlanta.

http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=8OGE.BF4809B1.E8223421&site=eds-live

This article highlights segregation in a socio economic sense. Occupy Atlanta protesters gathered at Woodruff Park refuse to leave, demanding answers due to the huge fiscal stratification within the American classist system keeping the elitist, high earning 1% segregated from the remaining 99% living as middle class to below the poverty line. Illuminates another form of institutionalized systematic segregation typical to the United States apart from race.

2.3

http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/can-development-reduce-poverty-3943

http://sites.gsu.edu/wfoster6/2016/03/22/reading-summary-3/

2.4

Bibliography

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?sid=f4ca6044-799c-4f13-8b8a-7f9c667eaa65%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4202&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d

http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=8OGE.BF4809B1.E8223421&site=eds-live

http://sites.gsu.edu/dgrant15/2016/02/15/schindler-sarah-architectural-exclusion-discrimination-and-segregation-through-physical-design-of-the-built-environment-yale-law-journal-124-6-2015-1934-2024-academic-search/
https://sites.gsu.edu/marmstrong16/2016/03/09/actually-an-annotation-segregation-via-contemporary-architecture/
http://sites.gsu.edu/mwatley1/2016/01/26/architectural-exclusion-discrimination-and-segregation-through-physical-design-of-the-built-environment-summary/
http://sites.gsu.edu/wfoster6/2016/03/22/reading-summary-3/
http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/can-development-reduce-poverty-3943

2.5

http://sites.gsu.edu/nramirez5/2016/03/07/battle-of-atlanta/