Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter examines the persistence and consequences of racial segregation in America through segregation’s physical, legal, cultural, visual, and theological dimensions. It begins by showing how Black neighborhoods such as Harlem and numerous “sundown towns” emerge from deliberate policies of exclusion, violence, and white flight, creating enduring racial boundaries. The chapter explores how white communities preserve segregation through religious justification, political discourse, and myths of “natural” difference, reinforced by laws, housing practices, and cultural imagery. It traces segregation within major institutions, including the military and education, demonstrating how Black Americans’ achievements and sacrifices are continually undermined by systemic barriers and discriminatory beliefs. Finally, the chapter concludes that segregation—rooted in racist myths and maintained by white fear—harms not only its direct victims but also the broader society by perpetuating ignorance, inequality, and moral blindness.</jats:p>