School Rivalry as a Black Placemaking Practice

• In Event: 21020 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 16: Racial Inequities and School Choice: Exploring the Dynamics of Segregation, Perception, and Community

Abstract

Schools are an integral part of the urban landscape which impose a distinctive boundary on the gathering practices of residences and attendees. In this paper I explore the rival relationship between two Black high schools in Chattanooga, TN to better understand the ways Black high schools aid in urban communities’ Black placemaking. I use the Black placemaking framework to explore how community members of two Black high schools located in the southern United States engage in placemaking strategies to (1) redefine and name the boundaries of their community, (2) establish traditions, and (3) affirm cultural practices through their rivalry with one another. Using a comparative historical case study, I demonstrate how demographic shifts, influenced by desegregation and urban renewal movements, shape the significance of Black high schools as both places and symbols to the Black community. Additionally, I highlight how these two Black communities exercise agency through their affiliation with Black high schools to claim ownership of urban space.

Author

• Kierra Nicole Toney, University of Cincinnati