Download or read book Race and the Politics of Deception written by Christopher Mele and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unpacks America’s history of dealing with racial problems through the inequitable use of public space. Focuses on Chester, Pennsylvania—a small city comprised of primarily low-income, black residents, roughly twenty miles south of Philadelphia. Like many cities throughout the United States, Chester is experiencing post-industrial decline. A development plan touted as a way to “save” the city, proposes to turn one section into a desirable waterfront destination, while leaving the rest of the struggling residents in fractured communities. Dividing the city into spaces of tourism and consumption versus the everyday spaces of low-income residents. While these development plans are described as socially inclusive and economically revitalizing, Mele asserts that political leaders and real estate developers intentionally exclude certain types of people—most often, low-income people of color.