Final answer:
De facto segregation continues to exist, evidenced by segregation indices like the high Black-White segregation index in New York. This leads to unequal access to resources and perpetuation of inequalities. Social and political opposition to integration and equal rights for marginalized groups also contribute to modern 'walls' that segregate society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Even though legal segregation is no longer mandated by law in many countries, de facto segregation still persists, affecting various aspects of people's lives. This type of segregation often occurs due to economic status, social norms, and systemic inequalities. Sociologists measure this using segregation indices. For example, the Black-White segregation index in the New York metropolitan area was alarmingly high at seventy-nine in the mid-2000s, indicating a significant separation of Black and White communities.
These segregations have profound effects, especially when it comes to access to resources such as quality education and economic opportunities, which are often concentrated in more affluent, typically predominantly White, areas. The practice of redlining and housing covenants has contributed to this, influencing where people can live and thus the resources available to them. Such separation can perpetuate income disparities and limit social mobility, continuing the cycle of inequality.
Barriers also exist in the form of social and political walls. From the controversies surrounding U.S. immigration policies to public opposition to policies aimed at equality, such as school integration and the right to marry, societal and political forces have erected 'walls' that limit the exercise and expansion of rights for marginalized groups.