Highways and African American Displacement

This is a huge story across the U.S. — historians often call it the “Highway Removal” of Black America because interstate construction and “urban renewal” programs disproportionately destroyed African American neighborhoods between the 1950s–1970s.

Here’s a list of major highways that displaced Black communities:

Highways and African American Displacement

Midwest & Detroit Region

I-375 (Detroit, MI) – destroyed Black Bottom / Paradise Valley, the cultural and business hub of Black Detroit.

I-75 (Detroit, MI) – cut through Hastings Street, another Black community with jazz clubs and thriving commerce.

I-65 & I-70 (Indianapolis, IN) – bulldozed the Indiana Avenue district and Near Westside, a hub of Black culture.

I-94 (St. Paul, MN) – displaced the Rondo neighborhood, destroying 700+ homes.

I-90/94 (Chicago, IL) – cut through the South Side Black Belt, forcing relocations in Bronzeville.

South

I-10 Claiborne Expressway (New Orleans, LA) – ran through Tremé, tearing down oak trees and a thriving Black business corridor.

I-95 (Miami, FL) – cut through Overtown, a historically Black neighborhood; displaced 20,000+ people.

I-40 (Nashville, TN) – destroyed parts of Jefferson Street, the heart of Black Nashville’s music and college district.

I-20/59 (Birmingham, AL) – ran through Black neighborhoods, deepening segregation.

I-20 (Atlanta, GA) – split historically Black neighborhoods from downtown, isolating Sweet Auburn and Auburn Avenue.

Northeast

I-81 (Syracuse, NY) – demolished the 15th Ward, a Black community near downtown.

I-95 (Wilmington, DE) – displaced 20,000 residents, mostly Black, cutting the city in half.

Cross Bronx Expressway (Bronx, NY) – leveled diverse working-class neighborhoods, heavily impacting Black and Puerto Rican residents.

West

I-5 (Portland, OR) – cut through the Albina neighborhood, Portland’s largest Black community.

I-15 (Salt Lake City, UT) – ran through the city’s west side, displacing Black and Latino families.

Santa Monica Freeway (I-10, Los Angeles, CA) – destroyed Sugar Hill and parts of West Adams, historically Black neighborhoods.

Key Patterns

Highways almost never ran through wealthy white areas.

Black neighborhoods were labeled as “blighted” or “slums,” giving cover for clearance.

Tens of thousands of Black-owned homes and businesses were lost, and wealth-building opportunities (property ownership, business stability) were destroyed.

Today, many cities are considering removing or reconfiguring these highways — Detroit (I-375), Syracuse (I-81), New Orleans (I-10), Portland (I-5).



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