City of Memphis v. Greene
United States Supreme Court
451 U.S. 100 (1981)
Relevant factsFree
Memphis (defendant) closed one end of a street running through a white residential community, cutting off the most direct route black residents (plaintiffs) had used to travel through the area, forcing them onto a longer alternate path. Black residents sued, claiming the closure violated their property rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1982, the post-Civil-War statute guaranteeing equal property rights; the court of appeals ruled in their favor.
IssueFree
Whether a city violates 42 U.S.C. § 1982 when it closes one end of a street, thus forcing black residents to use a longer route around a white neighborhood.