Race on the Move - by Gwendolyn Purifoye

Book Synopsis

Whether on the bus, subway or train, public transit continues to be a separate and unequal experience for many Black Americans

In Race on the Move, Gwendolyn Purifoye argues that, whether on the subway, bus, or commuter rail, Black passengers have unequal experiences in terms of time, quality, speed of service, bodily movement, and leisurely enjoyment. As she shows, the capacity to move around a city is of major economic and social import: who has the ability to get to jobs, healthcare, grocery shopping, good schools, and quality and affordable housing are among the features of urban life that are structured by public transportation systems. The woefully inadequate and underperforming public transportation systems in many Black communities has led to unyielding disruptions of families, communities, and futures.

Drawing on interviews and nine years of ethnographic field research and media analysis in Chicago, Purifoye details how covert and overt racial hostilities are shaped through racial residential segregation. Purifoye contends that race and racism have been historically spatialized, materialized, and mobilized through public transportation systems. By showing how minority passengers and transit personnel are not equally protected by the transit agencies, how they experience raced social aggression, and the lack of dignity afforded riders on a daily basis, Purifoye documents the intensity of everyday racism as lived out on public transportation. Race on the Move also offers community organizers and policy makers more equitable and sustainable design options that could improve the lives of Black city dwellers.

Review Quotes

"The relationship between transportation and social and racial inequality has always been one of the hidden dimensions of urban segregation. It is not just an infrastructure that determines who can move about the city and to where, but a driver of gentrification and real estate speculation. Race on the Move offers us a deep dive in to one city where we can see these processes at play, revealing the underlying decision-making and financial decisions that continue to inscribe racism on the streets of Chicago."-- "Setha Low, author of Why Public Space Matters"