Long Island is one of the most segregated suburbs in the entirety of the United States. As a matter of fact, it has been reported that Long Island is in the top ten of the most racially segregated regions in the country. While others often associate Long Island with great wealth, like celebrity homes in the Hamptons or the luxury setting of The Great Gatsby, there is a continued history of racial and income segregation upheld by racist housing and realty policies. In fact, The Century Foundation wrote in a 2023 article that "A recent ERASE Racism report found that Nassau County has the largest number of school districts with students of color who are intensely segregated of any county in the state."
Learn about Long Island residents' thoughts, feelings, and past experiences with this ongoing problem in the region.
Freeport, Baldwin, Merrick, Wantagh, Massapequa
Credits:
Thank you to Ava, Beth, Cassie, Dillon, Emily, Karina, Magaly, Michelle, and Samantha for sharing your stories and ideas.
Freeport: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Baldwin: Jolujo18, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Merrick: AITFFan1, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wantagh: Sullynyflhi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Massapequa: Glittering Pillars, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Garden City: AITFFan1, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hempstead: DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rockville Centre: DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Roosevelt: AITFFan1, CC BY-SA 4.0