Abstract

Measuring the Impact of Atlanta’s 1906 Race Riot: Using Mapping to Trace Increased Segregation

A common impact of Atlanta’s 1906 Race Riot mentioned by authors is the increased segregation of Black and white businesses that followed. This segregation was not driven so much by legal means as a form of self-protection by Black businesses who wanted the security of numbers. But what was the extent of this segregation, and can it be documented? The authors compiled lists of all Black businesses listed in the Atlanta City Directories from 1904, 1906, 1908 and 1910. Through a combination of visual and quantitative means, the businesses were mapped throughout the city of Atlanta providing evidence of the movement of Black businesses during this crucial time period and the change in location patterns. This project will also give the authors the ability to measure the clustering of the various types of businesses across the city. Overall the goal is to not only measure the segregation but to attempt a new way of visualizing history where the movement across years can be animated.