Delmar Divide

The history of segregation in St. Louis is deeply rooted in systemic practices and policies that reinforced racial divisions. In 1916, during the Jim Crow Era, St. Louis passed a residential segregation ordinance designed to maintain racial homogeneity in neighborhoods. Urban renewal initiatives worsened racial and socioeconomic divides. In 1954, the city of St. Louis passed an ordinance to redevelop the Mill Creek Valley, a predominantly Black community located south of Delmar Boulevard. The redevelopment, which started in 1959, displaced over 20,000 residents and destroyed the community to make room for projects like Saint Louis University expansions, Highway 40, LaClede Town, and Grand Towers. Most displaced residents were forced to relocate to The Ville or areas north of Delmar, which made overcrowding and resource scarcity worse. To address the housing needs of displaced populations, the St. Louis Housing Authority expanded public housing developments north of Delmar Boulevard throughout the mid-20th century. However, these projects such as Pruitt-Igoe, were underfunded, had poor maintenance, and social stigma. By the 2000s, public housing in these areas had reinforced the image of Delmar Boulevard as a dividing line between wealth and poverty, further solidifying its role as a racial and socioeconomic boundary. ==Statistics and studies==

As estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014 the populations separated by Delmar Blvd. were as follows. The Delmar Divide illustrates segregation issues in St. Louis more broadly. Segregation in St. Louis, Missouri has been the subject of many studies. A Manhattan Institute study entitled “The End of the Segregated Century: Racial Separation in America's Neighborhoods, 1890-2010” studied segregation in U.S. cities with the largest population of black residents. The study ranked each city by a dissimilarity index and an isolation index. The dissimilarity index measures the extent to which different racial groups are found to live in equal proportion in each neighborhood in a city. The higher the number, the higher a percentage of a racial group would need to move to a different neighborhood to achieve equality. The isolation index measures neighborhoods that have extremely different racial makeups. In 2010, St. Louis ranked 14th in African American population, with a dissimilarity index of 71.0 (the fifth-highest score in major cities in the US) and an isolation index of 53.8 (the 6th highest score in major cities in the US). This study, titled "Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide", also notes that Saint Louis "ranks 42nd out of 50 large metro areas" when assessing a child's probability to climb up the social and income hierarchy (that is, economic ascension from lowest 1/5th of population to highest 1/5th by the time of adulthood). ==Gentrification along the Delmar Divide==

Starting in the early 1900s, St. Louis was one of few cities that actively pushed for legalizing local zoning. In Mapping Decline, author Colin Gordon notes that the fear of a "negro invasion", orchestrated by local realtors, led to the formation of a “new organization...that called for racial zoning, provoked practices of school segregation, and overall advocated for 'mutual restriction' between the two primary races". This lay the foundation that has impacted St. Louis ever since. In the following years, Boatmen's received consecutive awards for its service to minorities in St. Louis. Trivers goes on to say that neighborhoods north of Delmar are still recovering from the brunt past; physical violence increased and "vacant buildings" and "empty lots are common sights" on the north side of Delmar. ==Income-level disparity Along the Divide==

A 2014 joint report issued by Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University, titled “Segregation in St. Louis,” investigates the wealth gap between black and white families along the Delmar Divide. In “What Do We Mean When We Say, ‘Structural Racism,’” author Walter Johnson writes that “federal housing assistance” in the city are often placed under a “segregated housing market,” ultimately causing many blacks to be illegally excluded. As J. Rosie Tighe states in “The Divergent City: Unequal and Uneven Development in St. Louis,” the region's clear divide along the Delmar into the north and south means that “lower income households and people of color … are disproportionately concentrated … and suffer disproportionality from the resulting misdistribution”. ==Education inequalities==

Education inequities along the Delmar Divide are a significant driver of the socioeconomic disparities between the neighborhoods north and south off Delmar Boulevard. Schools in neighborhoods north of Delmar face chronic underfunding due to reliance on property taxes to fund education. As property values north of Delmar are significantly lower than those to the south, schools in these areas struggle to secure adequate resources to support students. According to Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide, the lack of funding has an influential effect on the quality of education, leading to fewer advanced placement courses, limited extracurricular activities, and an overall disconnection from the broader economy. These inequalities are not just a matter of financial disparity but also have long-term consequences for students' futures. Data from the report highlight that educational achievement in neighborhoods north of Delmar is significantly lower than in the south, with only 10% of residents holding a bachelor's degree compared to 70% in the south as seen in the table above. This disparity perpetuates cycles of poverty and prevents upward mobility, as students from underfunded schools face more significant challenges accessing higher education and landing well-paying jobs. Addressing these inequities requires systemic reforms, including restructured funding models and targeted investments in schools north of Delmar to make sure that all students have access to quality education. == Health inequities ==

St. Louis's historical health disparities continue to influence the health outcomes of its residents, particularly Black communities. Central to this issue is St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH), which has a history of segregated medical care. SLCH, located on the south side of Delmar Boulevard, initially operated as a whites-only institution when it opened in 1879. By 1915, as it grew in prominence, it reverted to a segregated model due to discomfort from white patients being treated alongside Black patients. The effects are especially evident in maternal and infant health outcomes: Black babies in St. Louis die at nearly “three times the rate of their white counterparts (13.5 vs. 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births)”. == Intersection of policy and race ==

Federal housing policies from the mid-20th century contributed to racial segregation in the Delmar Boulevard area. In 1935, the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) developed redlining maps to assess the risk associated with mortgage lending in various urban areas, often determined by racial and socioeconomic factors. Areas north of Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis were classified as "hazardous" and outlined in red due to their predominantly Black population, even if Black families were middle class and above. This discriminatory practice not only denied Black families access to homeownership but also deepened the effects of redlining by depriving neighborhoods north of Delmar Boulevard of the resources needed for property maintenance and generational wealth transfer. By the time the Fair Housing Act of 1968 sought to end these explicit forms of housing discrimination, many homes in these areas had fallen into severe disrepair. Decades of neglect forced numerous residents to abandon their properties and move elsewhere, often to suburban neighborhoods. These policies played a central role in creating and perpetuating the clear divide in wealth and opportunity that characterizes Delmar Boulevard today. == Grassroots movements and community resilience ==

Efforts by local organizations have played a significant role in addressing the socio-economic disparities along the Delmar Divide. These initiatives have focused on empowering communities and promoting equitable development. Community Development Administration (CDA) Initiatives The Community Development Administration (CDA) of St. Louis, launched in 2024, has been instrumental in funding projects aimed at neighborhood revitalization through their Neighborhood Transformation Grants. These grants have supported initiatives such as affordable housing, small business development, and public safety improvements, contributing to the overall betterment of communities north of Delmar Boulevard. By converting abandoned spaces into community assets, the SLVC promotes urban gardening, creates affordable housing, and organizes community clean-up events, thereby enhancing community involvement and revitalization efforts. Starting in the late 1970s, SLACO served specific metropolitan communities and expanded in 2014 to other regions, promoting community involvement and advocating for racial equality. SLACO's projects include advocating for fair housing policies, organizing neighborhood watch programs, and providing resources for youth development, which collectively aim to foster greater community engagement and address systemic inequities. ==References==