The traffic in Atlanta is not a coincidence, but rather a result of a long history of discrimination that is difficult to erase. After the abolition of slavery, white people no longer saw a use for black people and wanted them out of sight. Through tactics such as redlining and strategic highway designs, black people were pushed out of white neighborhoods and their communities were marked as risky investments. This led to their isolation and displacement. As white people moved to the suburbs, the size of these communities grew, causing traffic on poorly placed highways to worsen. Unfortunately, these decisions cannot be reversed as it is nearly impossible to reroute these highways today.
The lasting effects of these actions have made it common to overlook the deeper socio-political commentary behind urban imagery. Traffic jams are often dismissed without considering the implications of slavery. Urban planners have made it easy to overlook this connection by deliberately designing highways to keep the poor and rich apart in a way that would not be questioned. Kevin Kruse’s article sheds light on this issue, bringing attention to the connection between traffic jams and America’s racist and classist systems.
This idea is also evident in Atlanta’s public transportation system, MARTA. After white people moved to the suburbs, MARTA’s routes were designed to primarily operate within the city, making it difficult for black people to access these communities. These systems and designs continue to exist in Atlanta and other urban cities, despite the abolition of slavery over 100 years ago. Traffic jams serve as a modern-day form of segregation, and it is time for them to be dismantled. To do so, we must educate ourselves and others about these oppressive systems. Productive change begins with education, and it is our responsibility to bring about change.
We can address these issues by voting for politicians who are dedicated to protecting and serving all members of the community. While it may be challenging to build new highways, we can advocate for the addition of MARTA routes that travel to the suburbs. It is time for us to take action and work towards dismantling these oppressive systems that have persisted for far too long.
akina, the picture first caught my eye along with your intro. your first paragraph gets straight to the topic and is written clearly and concisely I like that you bring up the impact of urban planners and marta. it is also nice that you included information on what individuals can do to address and change these things.
Akina I think the title of the picture you picked for your reply is extremely amazing; it truly captures the reader’s interest. My only recommendation is that instead of just restating the text, I wish you had focused more on your analysis and interpretation of it.
Akina,
What an awesome way to take an almost ridiculous correlation and expose the sense and truth of this concept. I was drawn to your writing when you included the local Atlanta transportation system, MARTA. I feel as though that was an easy way to bridge the gap and connect the similarities of Atlanta to Philadelphia. I really enjoyed your last paragraph where you presented a solution to this problem. A lot of the time we are very aware of the issues we face but we do not face them with a solution on how we can fix it. Wonderful writing!
Hey Akina! I just wanted to start by saying how amazing the artwork is and how it has drawn me to your short piece, secondly, I will say that your article analysis of the historical roots of traffic congestion in Atlanta is incredibly insightful. You’ve effectively highlighted the long-standing socio-political issues behind urban planning decisions, shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of transportation infrastructure. Your call to action for educating ourselves and advocating for change demonstrates a proactive approach to addressing systemic inequalities. Overall, your article is top-notched!
Akina I really love the title of the image you used for your comment, it is a great way to get the reader’s attention. The only suggestion is that I wish you had made this to be more of your analysis and interpretation of the text, rather than a reiteration of information. I do love how you pulled from the text, to support the claims you made. Along with this, it’s amazing how you provided some ways we can address the current issues, I have seen very few people do that. What would you recommend would be the best way to get this information out?
Akina, your writing was very enlightening to me. What drew me to your writing was the title, “The oppressive truth about traffic”, this headline definitely left me wanting to know more. Educating myself on the hidden history of traffic is very interesting to me, so i find it really cool how you referred back to the MARTA organization and the fact that black people weren’t given as many opportunities as white people just because of their race and social standing, its downright appalling so I believe that by you spoeaking out on it I commend you for it!
“We can address these issues by voting for politicians who are dedicated to protecting and serving all members of the community.” I love that you highlighted the importance of voting when advocating for change.