Race, Residence, and Violent Crime: A Structure of Inequality

There is a great deal of variation in levels of violent crime across communities of different colors in urban neighborhoods throughout the United States. This variation is seen in rates of violence that are much higher in predominantly minority neighborhoods, especially those comprised of blacks, compared to predominantly white neighborhoods. This Article addresses the question of how to account for stark differences in criminal violence across communities of varying colors. We draw on arguments set forth by race and ethnic scholars in the social sciences who contend that the social organization of U.S. society is structured to produce and reinforce a racial order where whites are privileged over other groups. This racialized order is evident in