From prior knowledge, I knew that Baton Rouge was a racially divided city. But it wasn’t until I mapped it that I realized how racially divided it truly was. I found the map on the Advocate, and saw that white people and black people were for the most part divided along Florida Boulevard. I was shocked to see such a clear separation of race. How was such a stark division created? What were the results of this divide? 

     Unsettlingly, maps of household income and high school graduation correlated perfectly with the racial dot map. High school graduation percentages and household incomes came to a sharp drop north of Florida Boulevard. It was disheartening to see that racial disparities remain a significant problem to this day. I also made a distinct connection between education and wealth. Truly the only way to break the poverty cycle is through quality education. When graduation rates were low, so were incomes. These maps show clear segregation in Baton Rouge. Although I am disappointed, I can’t say I am surprised. Reintegrating our community would be a long process, one that would be very worth it in my opinion. I think that the demographics of the city would be altered drastic, positive ways if action was taken to integrate.

     Based on my research through this project, I am interested to explore these areas: north of Florida Boulevard, on the shores of the Mississippi River, and along Florida Boulevard itself. Although I have lived in Baton Rouge my entire life, I have now discovered areas that I have rarely visited or not set foot on at all. I want to discover the versions of Baton Rouge that I was unaware of. I want to explore how living by a major body of water effects one’s lifestyle, and how a single road can become a divider of people.