Residential Segregation and Tuberculosis Mortality in Atlanta, Georgia, 1920-1927

Aja Antoine Jones, University of California, Berkeley

There is a complex history linking segregation to excess mortality during the early twentieth century, but the mechanisms behind this relationship are often unclear. In this article, I provide evidence that clarifies these mechanisms using historical data from death certificates in Atlanta, Georgia, and show how racial residential segregation shaped differences in health outcomes. By analyzing the spatial clustering of tuberculosis mortality at the address level from 1920 to 1927, I find risks among Black residents increased but remained spatially uniform, and the average difference between case residences showed little change, consistent with documented constrained housing options. In contrast, tuberculosis mortality declined substantially among residents classified as White alongside early forms of racialized suburban expansion. This is consistent with movement into lower mortality areas away from central districts. This study provides a framework for understanding health trajectories alongside race-based zoning and offers insights into the long-standing association between social and economic exclusion and black-white health disparities in urban environments.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 61. Spatial Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases