Aja Antoine-Jones (University of California, Berkeley)

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

There is a long history linking segregation to excess mortality during the early twentieth century, but the mechanisms behind this relationship are often unclear. In this paper, I clarify 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 infectious mortality at the address level from 1920 to 1927, I find that tuberculosis clustering was more pronounced among black residents in segregated areas but showed little variation among white residents. Using logistic regression, I find that both labor force participation and marriage are associated with a decreased risk of tuberculosis mortality among black residents. This study provides a framework for understanding the epidemiological consequences of race-based zoning and offers insights into the long-standing association between social and economic exclusion and black-white health disparities in urban environments.