LEARN ABOUT THE OLD FOURTH WARD

Between 1902 and 1958, the expansion of the Naval Academy and St. John’s College and the construction of State and County buildings and new roads displaced many African American families. As a result, these families, originally known as Negro Freedmen, relocated to the Old Fourth Ward in the center of Annapolis.

The Fourth Ward, often referred to as the ‘Black Belt’ and the ‘Harlem of Annapolis,’ was a testament to the self-determination of its approximately 3,000 residents. These thriving African American families, originally known as Negro Freedmen, had their own elected officials, owned homes and businesses, and managed their own social, political, and religious organizations.

The nickname “Black Belt” for the Fourth Ward in Annapolis reflects its historical significance as a predominantly African American community; it was often used to describe areas with a high concentration of African American residents, particularly during the early to mid-20th century. In the Fourth Ward, this nickname highlights several key aspects:

• Cultural Hub: The Fourth Ward was a vibrant center of African American culture, similar to how Harlem was known in New York City. It was a place where African American traditions, arts, and social life flourished.
• Economic Independence: Residents of the Fourth Ward owned homes and businesses, demonstrating economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship. This economic independence was a source of pride and a foundation for community resilience.
• Political and Social Organization: The community had its own elected officials and ran various social, political, and religious organizations. This level of self-governance and organization was a testament to the residents’ determination to create a thriving, self-sustaining community.
• Historical Significance: The term also underscores the historical struggles and achievements of African Americans in the area, highlighting their resilience in the face of systemic challenges and discrimination.

In 1960, Maryland voters approved a referendum giving urban renewal powers to cities and counties and the Annapolis Urban Renewal Agency (AURA) was established. 

The purpose of AURA was to “remove the blighted and deteriorating structures, and the environmental influences which have caused blight and decay, to provide for improved community facilities to strengthen this residential area, and to improve those structures to remain by restoring them to a long-term sound condition.” In the next few years, the Town Center Urban Renewal Project was developed. A stated intention in the plan also included the goal to “eliminate a concentration of nonwhite families from the project area.”

Over 237 families and 33 businesses were impacted by urban renewal in the Fourth Ward. The city landscape was forever changed from a cultural and thriving community to more government buildings and parking lots. 

AURA assured residents and business owners that they could return to the newly built community, but this promise was broken. The families of the Old Fourth Ward were scattered and displaced once again with over 50% were moved into public housing on the outskirts of town, far from their jobs and grocery stores. This separation from their community and support networks had devastating effects. Within a few years, these families faced blight and poverty. Their businesses had been shut down, and owners lost their livelihoods, further straining family stability and well-being.

Overall, these Urban Renewal actions harmed all the Fourth Ward residents and resulted in: 

• Lost housing, property, and businesses
• Lost generational wealth
• Loss of political influence
• Family separation, broken communities, and
• Psychological trauma and health issues

Today, the enduring impacts of these deplorable actions by the City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, the State of Maryland, and the U.S. Federal government is still evident in Annapolis through substandard housing; unsafe communities; and persistent inequalities faced by the descendants of the Negro Freedmen, now known as African Americans, in housing, education, employment, wealth, and health.

Reparative action is long overdue for the families affected by this Urban Renewal, which the Federal government has determined to be a violation of their human rights.

Direct repair is a critical part of the solution because it will lead to healing for all. This must be enacted through rehabilitation, restitution, compensation, satisfaction, and guarantee of non-repeat.

The Washington Post. HUD Finds Bias