It was a discriminatory practice that was upheld by city ordinances. 

Racial zoning was common in a lot of American cities that used legislation to purposely designated where Black and white residents could live, not only by neighborhood but even by block.

Atlanta was one of the cities.

A recent episode of RE(Defining History: Racial Zoning: Divided By Design, traces racial zoning origins in Atlanta and explores the many ways it has evolved in the city’s landscape. After the screening, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spoke with Closer Look host Rose Scott about Atlanta's history of racial zoning and what needs to ensure more modern types of familiar practices do not take place.