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white flight
noun
: the departure of whites from places (such as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities
Examples of white flight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 1960s, a combination of urban renewal, white flight and the political movements of the time caused rapid demographic shifts in the Altadena region, according to Altadena Heritage.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025
In the 1960s, freeway extensions and lawsuits over Pasadena Unified School District’s desegregation led to white flight.
—Mel Buer, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
She was eventually hired by Compton Unified in 1967 and began an 17-year career as a social studies teacher in a school system that, at the time, had become nearly all-Black as a result of white flight.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Specifically, suburban school districts lining Detroit — including Southfield, Oak Park, and Harper Woods — have been shaped by decades of white flight as the number of Black families in those areas increased.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 24 July 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1956, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“White flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20flight. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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