More than 18,000 residents in the suburbs south of Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana, have signed a petition calling for the creation of a new city called St George.
The community is currently part of East Baton Rouge Parish, which also includes the city of Baton Rouge itself.
The campaigners claim they simply want to improve the quality of local schools and to ensure that taxpayers - who currently contribute roughly two thirds of funds to the parish - have more control over the money they contribute to fund services.
Opponents insist that the proposal is also motivated by race and class. They point out that the new city of St George would be 70% white - and that the mainly poor and black community in the rest of Baton Rouge would face crippling cuts to education if it lost the taxpayers who provide most of its revenue....................................
BBC News - Rich white suburbs wants to split from Baton Rouge
White flight........from individual home owners in the 1960s to entire cities in 2014.
The community is currently part of East Baton Rouge Parish, which also includes the city of Baton Rouge itself.
The campaigners claim they simply want to improve the quality of local schools and to ensure that taxpayers - who currently contribute roughly two thirds of funds to the parish - have more control over the money they contribute to fund services.
Opponents insist that the proposal is also motivated by race and class. They point out that the new city of St George would be 70% white - and that the mainly poor and black community in the rest of Baton Rouge would face crippling cuts to education if it lost the taxpayers who provide most of its revenue....................................
BBC News - Rich white suburbs wants to split from Baton Rouge
White flight........from individual home owners in the 1960s to entire cities in 2014.