Segregation

Half of Long Island’s black population lives in just 11 of the Island’s 291 communities, and 90 percent lives in just 62 of them, according to 2017 census estimates. The concentrated housing pattern ranks the Island near the top nationally in statistical analyses of segregation. Freeport is a predominantly Hispanic and Black community, as it is a town that is 42.9% Hispanic or Latino and 29.6% African American alone. Surrounding communities had a drastically different racial makeup. The adjacent town of Merrick has a White population of 88%, while Freeport has a White population of 24%. How can two towns right next to each other have such a different racial population. In Hempstead and Garden City, there is a drastic change in the types of houses you see. In Hempstead, the median household income is $58,476 per year, and in Garden City, it’s $161,163. Housing discrimination has a huge impact on a person’s life because where a person lives determines the daily necessities they will receive, such as education, transportation and many other aspects.

Two schools, one in Hempstead and one in Garden City that are just one mile apart, are very segregated. From 2017 to 2018, Jackson Main Elementary School in Hempstead had a population of 68% Hispanic, 28% Black and 2% White. Locust Elementary School in Garden City had a population of 8% Hispanic, 1% Black and 81% White. The children in these schools are isolated from various opportunities they may receive from multiple environments and are not given the chance to even have racial diversity within their school.