4 ms·

> In fact, Mays and his wife, Marghuerite, were rejected when trying to buy a house in St. Francis Wood, a prestigious San Francisco neighborhood, because they

by Lammy 2y ago

> In fact, Mays and his wife, Marghuerite, were rejected when trying to buy a house in St. Francis Wood, a prestigious San Francisco neighborhood, because they were Black. Was curious enough to look into this, and here's the front page Chronicle article from when this happened and a EBT article with more detail: https://www.sfchronicle.com/chronicle_vault/article/Chronicle-Covers-When-Willie-Mays-was-denied-10518685.php https://www.sfchronicle.com/chronicle_vault/article/Chronicl... https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/11/15/discrimination-s-f-style-hit-mays/ https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/11/15/discrimination-s-f-s... SF (and the whole Bay Area, frankly) is unfortunately very segregated even today: http://radicalcartography.net/bayarea_race.jpg http://radicalcartography.net/bayarea_race.jpg St. Francis Wood is the area around this point: https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=37.7348&mlon=-122.468&zoom=15#map=15/37.7348/-122.4680 https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=37.7348&mlon=-122.468&zo...

dyauspitr 2y ago
On the flip side, San Diego is surprisingly a very well integrated city.
- TheBlight 2y ago
  More active military personnel in the area likely explains it.
  - inferiorhuman 2y ago
    The Bay Area (including San Francisco) had quite a large modern day military presence up until recently. Treasure Island, BVHP, Presidio, Ft. Point, Ft. Mason, Ft. Funston, Ft. Cronkhite, Alameda, Moffett, Mare Island, Hamilton, Port Chicago, Oakland, Pt Molate, LLNL, Mt. Tam, etc., etc. Integration never really stuck.
    - TheBlight 2y ago
      Most of those places haven't been staffed with enlisted men at any sort of real capacity for decades (if ever.)
      - inferiorhuman 2y ago
        All of those saw active use during WW2, many up through the cold war. Letterman was used in every 20th century US foreign conflict. Sure, most of them were decommissioned during the Clinton era. But if it only took three decades to bring back segregation perhaps the military didn't bring lasting integration in the first place. And if you look beyond the military towards support folks, the Bay Area saw a huge influx of immigrants during WW2 (e.g. for ship building). One look at Marin City and you'll notice the white immigrants got out ASAP. Quite frankly I'd be careful calling San Diego "integrated". Perhaps the city proper is, but in my experience the burbs aren't necessarily (especially the more posh ones). Once you hit north county it turns in to duelling banjo country right quick. They don't call it Klantee without reason.
        dyauspitr 2y ago
        To be fair, even a heavily segregated city like Chicago seems to be devoid of other races in black neighborhoods, but everywhere else the neighborhoods are pretty well integrated, including black people in those neighborhoods.
        inferiorhuman 2y ago
        While I've family in both Chicago and San Diego it's been a much longer time since I've visited Chicago. So it's much easier for me to point out that SoCal (e.g. Surf City and Santee) has struggled with neo-nazis for a long time than it is for me to comment on the midwest with much authority. Although to be fair, it's a Chicago relative that got written up by the Tribune for being obscenely racist and violent. I don't think it's particularly reasonable to paint black neighborhoods as uniquely or even inherently segregated. One of the things I loved about Oakland was how diverse it is across pretty much any criteria (economic, cultural, gender, racial, etc.). Even in the hills. And that's something sorely missing from San Francisco (and most parts of the Bay Area). Someone (upper manhattan born and raised) once commented to me that they felt New York City was quite segregated. From their POV whatever integration you see is a result of folks commuting for (typically service industry) work. At the end of the day they'd just return home to their segregated communities.
halfmatthalfcat 2y ago
I see you one SF and raise you a Chicago: http://radicalcartography.net/chicagodots_race_big.jpg http://radicalcartography.net/chicagodots_race_big.jpg
- dyauspitr 2y ago
  These maps are pretty interesting. It seems like no one besides black people live in black neighborhoods but otherwise the other neighborhoods are relatively mixed if you zoom in.
aprilthird2021 2y ago
Hope the guy who refused him rots in hell
divbzero 2y ago
I knew that Mays was a legend but never saw him play or interviewed. Only today did I learn today that he was black and joined MLB just three years after Jackie Robinson.

by Lammy 2y ago

dyauspitr 2y ago

On the flip side, San Diego is surprisingly a very well integrated city.

TheBlight 2y ago
More active military personnel in the area likely explains it.
- inferiorhuman 2y ago
  The Bay Area (including San Francisco) had quite a large modern day military presence up until recently. Treasure Island, BVHP, Presidio, Ft. Point, Ft. Mason, Ft. Funston, Ft. Cronkhite, Alameda, Moffett, Mare Island, Hamilton, Port Chicago, Oakland, Pt Molate, LLNL, Mt. Tam, etc., etc. Integration never really stuck.
  - TheBlight 2y ago
    Most of those places haven't been staffed with enlisted men at any sort of real capacity for decades (if ever.)
    - inferiorhuman 2y ago
      All of those saw active use during WW2, many up through the cold war. Letterman was used in every 20th century US foreign conflict. Sure, most of them were decommissioned during the Clinton era. But if it only took three decades to bring back segregation perhaps the military didn't bring lasting integration in the first place. And if you look beyond the military towards support folks, the Bay Area saw a huge influx of immigrants during WW2 (e.g. for ship building). One look at Marin City and you'll notice the white immigrants got out ASAP. Quite frankly I'd be careful calling San Diego "integrated". Perhaps the city proper is, but in my experience the burbs aren't necessarily (especially the more posh ones). Once you hit north county it turns in to duelling banjo country right quick. They don't call it Klantee without reason.
      - dyauspitr 2y ago
        To be fair, even a heavily segregated city like Chicago seems to be devoid of other races in black neighborhoods, but everywhere else the neighborhoods are pretty well integrated, including black people in those neighborhoods.
        inferiorhuman 2y ago
        While I've family in both Chicago and San Diego it's been a much longer time since I've visited Chicago. So it's much easier for me to point out that SoCal (e.g. Surf City and Santee) has struggled with neo-nazis for a long time than it is for me to comment on the midwest with much authority. Although to be fair, it's a Chicago relative that got written up by the Tribune for being obscenely racist and violent. I don't think it's particularly reasonable to paint black neighborhoods as uniquely or even inherently segregated. One of the things I loved about Oakland was how diverse it is across pretty much any criteria (economic, cultural, gender, racial, etc.). Even in the hills. And that's something sorely missing from San Francisco (and most parts of the Bay Area). Someone (upper manhattan born and raised) once commented to me that they felt New York City was quite segregated. From their POV whatever integration you see is a result of folks commuting for (typically service industry) work. At the end of the day they'd just return home to their segregated communities.

halfmatthalfcat 2y ago

I see you one SF and raise you a Chicago: http://radicalcartography.net/chicagodots_race_big.jpg http://radicalcartography.net/chicagodots_race_big.jpg

dyauspitr 2y ago
These maps are pretty interesting. It seems like no one besides black people live in black neighborhoods but otherwise the other neighborhoods are relatively mixed if you zoom in.

aprilthird2021 2y ago

Hope the guy who refused him rots in hell

divbzero 2y ago

I knew that Mays was a legend but never saw him play or interviewed. Only today did I learn today that he was black and joined MLB just three years after Jackie Robinson.