Article from the Advance, an African-American newspaper, covering the proposed construction of Routes 75, 78, and 280 through Newark. Highway construction in northern urban areas has historically involved the destruction of predominantly Black communities for the benefit of predominantly white suburban commuters. Route 75 was one of the most heavily-contested commuter highway proposals in Newark.
This map of “Generalized Environments” in Newark depicts the conditions of buildings in the city in the 1960s. Predominantly white, middle-to-upper class neighborhoods such as Vailsburg, Weequahic, and Forest Hill are seen to be “substantially sound,” while predominantly black, poor and working class neighborhoods in the Central Ward are classified as “predominantly blight.”
Headline from an article in the Advance, an African-American newspaper, covering the proposed construction of Routes 75, 78, and 280 through Newark. Highway construction in northern urban areas has historically involved the destruction of predominantly Black communities for the benefit of predominantly white suburban commuters. Route 75 was one of the most heavily-contested commuter highway proposals in Newark.
This map of “Generalized Environments” in Newark depicts the conditions of buildings in the city in the 1960s. Predominantly white, middle-to-upper class neighborhoods such as Vailsburg, Weequahic, and Forest Hill are seen to be “substantially sound,” while predominantly black, poor and working class neighborhoods in the Central Ward are classified as “predominantly blight.” — Credit: Newark Public Library
