About the exhibition

Living Apart makes visible the long-term effects of racist housing policies in our region. In the 1930s, the federal government created a program to combat the housing crisis caused by the Great Depression. This program mapped neighborhoods in American cities according to their perceived value, to measure if they were worthy to receive government-sponsored housing assistance. This exhibition presents documents and maps produced as a part of this “redlining” effort in Hampton Roads, and examines the ongoing economic, environmental, and health inequities that continue to impact redlined Black neighborhoods today. Personal accounts of citizens living in these communities help to tell the story.

This exhibition is the result of a multi-year research project directed by Dr. Johnny C. Finn, Associate Professor of Geography and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology at Christopher Newport University. Dr. Finn will deliver a lecture in conjunction with this exhibition on Wednesday, April 12 in the Torggler’s lecture hall.