The Legacy of Race

Vestiges of the Past Carry Ingrained Racism Into the Modern Age

Convicts, many imprisoned on mild charges, used to be leased by the government to private businesses to perform hard labor for pennies.

Vestiges of segregation still thread through the systems and processes with which we engage throughout our lives, influencing Black Alabamians in large and small ways, including economic opportunities and lifetime wealth, relationship with law enforcement, health care and even projected lifespan. BirminghamWatch has an ongoing effort to analyze how these sometimes unrecognized vestiges of segregation are playing out in people’s lives today. Read stories in The Legacy of Race series.