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How City And School District Boundaries Separate St. Louisans

Erica Williams is the founder and executive director of A Red Circle; David Dwight is the lead strategy catalyst at Forward Through Ferguson; and Colin Gordon is the author of "Citizen Brown."
File Photo | EVIE HEMPHILL | St. Louis Public Radio

In 2008, with his book “Mapping Decline,” history professor Colin Gordon brought context to the issues of vacant houses, boarded-up storefronts and abandoned factories in the St. Louis region.

Gordon’s new book, "Citizen Brown: Race, Democracy, and Inequality in the St. Louis Suburbs," digs into how municipal boundaries and school district lines were drawn to exclude and how local policies and services were weaponized to maintain civic separation.

On Monday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske talked with Gordon about his research. Erica Williams, a North County resident and founder of the nonprofit A Red Circle, and David Dwight, of Forward Through Ferguson, joined the conversation.

Related Event
What: A forum with Colin Gordon to discuss his new book, “Citizen Brown: Race, Democracy and Inequality in the St. Louis Suburbs”
When: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019
Where: UMSL at Grand Center (3651 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63108)
Online registration is required, as seating will be limited.

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan, Alexis Moore and Tonina Saputo. The engineer is Aaron Doerr, and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.

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Emily is the senior producer for "St. Louis on the Air" at St. Louis Public Radio.