Wealthy White Louisiana Residents Split From Black Neighborhoods to Form New City – msn
Echoes of Reconstruction? Check out the history where you live:

“In 1875 when the village became a town, African American cobbler and general store owner Frederick F. Foote, Jr. was elected Town Constable. In 1880, he was elected the first African American Town Councilman. Foote’s electoral success was largely due to the fact that everyone knew him since his store was the largest in the area. People bought their goods from him at the store located in the center of town, next to The Falls Church. But another reason for his electoral success was the large male African American population in Falls Church that was able to vote. The majority of African Americans voted Republican, the party of Abraham Lincoln.
“Gerrymander and retrocession
“Foote’s election was problematic in a small southern town where most Whites voted the Democratic ticket. His tenure as a Town Councilman was filled with contention and bitterness. The majority of the Town Council members were Democrats, and the 1890s were an era of retribution by Southerners who had been displaced by African Americans during Reconstruction because of their stance during the Civil War. This was a dangerous time for African Americans who had made great strides during the 10-15 years following the end of war.
“Fred Foote found himself in a hostile environment of constant marginalization at every turn during his time on the Council. In 1887, the final step was taken when the majority of the Town Council voted to gerrymander out of the town the section where most of the African American population lived. One third of Falls Church was retroceded back to Fairfax County, which effectively meant that African Americans had no say in town matters. Additionally, their once strong block of votes was marginalized because African Americans were now a small portion of the much larger jurisdiction of Fairfax County. Foote didn’t live long enough to see the end of this process, passing one year before it was finalized by the state legislature in Richmond.”