The Trump administration is openly targeting civil rights protections under the banner of “DEI,” prompting policy changes in universities, organizations, and companies to safeguard themselves. This focus on DEI is poised to affect communities, particularly infrastructure.
The passed in 2021, represented a historic investment in infrastructure, aiming to improve the nation’s infrastructure while addressing the it caused.
President Trump halted funding for the law early in his term, citing a “radical social and environmental agenda,” as stated by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Trump has also advocated for increased highway construction, raising concerns about repeating past destructive patterns without adequate protections.
The mentioned “agenda” acknowledged the dual nature of infrastructure: connecting people to opportunities while also creating divisions. This historical context remains relevant, carrying the risk of repetition.
The situation in South Carolina highlights this issue. In 2019, Amira Johnson, a nine-year-old, appealed to the state’s transportation department to protect her great-grandmother’s home in Sandridge, a historic Black community founded by formerly enslaved people.
The state’s plan to construct a four-lane road through Sandridge threatened to displace homes, businesses, churches, and historical sites. Johnson emphasized the impact on her 79-year-old great-grandmother and urged fairness.
Despite these appeals, the roadway project is proceeding, potentially devastating Sandridge, making it the most recent Black community endangered by transportation projects.
Similar situations exist in nearly every state.
Transportation has often been viewed as separate from politics and justice, but roads and transit routes influence both opportunity and exclusion. They reflect societal values and have often communicated a painful message to Black communities: You are disposable.
This issue traces back to the interstate system. The 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act, enacted after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, facilitated the reshaping of American cities. Rather than fostering racial inclusion, highways became tools to resist civil rights, used to demolish Black neighborhoods and reinforce segregation under the guise of progress. In the mid-1950s, the executive director of the American Association of State Highway Officials expressed the view that urban Interstates could eliminate local Black neighborhoods.
In Birmingham, Ala., city officials used zoning laws originally enacted by Jim Crow to enforce segregation. When these laws were overturned, local leaders, led by segregationist “Bull” Connor, used infrastructure to maintain segregation.
In Indianapolis, the construction of the I-65/I-70 Inner Loop displaced communities. City officials justified the destruction by citing the economic decline resulting from years of redlining. They first deprived Black neighborhoods of investment and then demolished them under the banner of “revitalization.”
The problem extends beyond highways. Public transportation has also marginalized Black communities. Systems historically segregated by law still face barriers, justified using coded language like “public safety.” Bus routes were altered or eliminated, and investments prioritized trains for white suburbs over buses used by Black and low-income riders. This created transportation deserts in Black neighborhoods, isolating residents from jobs, healthcare, and education.
Even today, some predominantly white communities oppose public transportation extensions, not because they don’t need it, but because they don’t want certain people entering their neighborhoods. These decisions exacerbate racial inequality, leaving individuals like Johnson’s great-grandmother facing displacement despite having contributed to her community.
The impacts of inadequate transportation policy are visible in , , , and .
America’s aging infrastructure is in need of repair. The need for rebuilding is evident everywhere, from decaying highways to pothole-filled roads. The Key Bridge collapse in Maryland underscores this urgency. However, funding for repair legislation is on hold, along with requirements for state transportation agencies to consider racial equity in their planning.
As infrastructure is rebuilt, new approaches are needed. Continuing to sacrifice communities of color for efficiency is one option. The alternative is to seize this opportunity for positive change. This means halting destructive projects affecting communities like Sandridge and reinvesting in affordable housing, public transit, walkable streets, and access to jobs and services.
This requires acknowledging that racial justice and transportation planning are connected.
Amira Johnson, even at a young age, grasped this connection and sought solutions. The Trump Administration also understands this dynamic but appears uninterested in finding solutions, seemingly unconcerned about the impact of highway construction on Black neighborhoods. It is up to others to prevent this.
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