“Just the Way Things Are Around Here”: Racial Segregation, Critical Junctures, and Path Dependence in Saint Louis

Abstract

Saint Louis is hyper-segregated, meaning that at least 60 percent of the black-white population would have to relocate to end segregation. This article will use a derived critical juncture framework to analyze the history of segregation in Saint Louis. The complicated geography of Saint Louis is explained. Critical juncture theory and path dependence are explained. Using critical juncture theory, three periods in the history of Saint Louis segregation are analyzed: post-American Civil War, the zoning of Saint Louis City and County, and the suburbanization of whites and dislocation and reconcentration of blacks. These historical moments kept the Saint Louis Region on a path of residential segregation and racial animosity. A discussion is offered that takes into account the normalizing effect that dependent paths can have on attitudes, and a frank consideration of the possibility of desegregation is given.