▁fire ▁protection , ▁there ▁are ▁institutions ▁such ▁as ▁churches ▁and ▁museum s ▁and ▁political ▁organizations ▁that ▁help ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁physical ▁and ▁social ▁capital ▁of ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s . ▁In ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s ▁the ▁churches ▁may ▁be ▁important ▁sources ▁of ▁social ▁coh es ion . ▁For ▁some ▁African ▁Americans , ▁the ▁kind ▁spiritual ity ▁learned ▁through ▁these ▁churches ▁works ▁as ▁a ▁protect ive ▁factor ▁against ▁the ▁cor ros ive ▁forces ▁of ▁rac ism . ▁Museum s ▁devoted ▁to ▁African - American ▁history ▁are ▁also ▁found ▁in ▁many ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s . ▁ ▁Many ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁inner ▁cities , ▁and ▁these ▁are ▁the ▁mostly ▁resident ial ▁neighborhood s ▁located ▁closest ▁to ▁the ▁central ▁business ▁district . ▁The ▁built ▁environment ▁is ▁often ▁row ▁houses ▁or ▁brown st ones , ▁mixed ▁with ▁older ▁single - family ▁homes ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁converted ▁to ▁multi - family ▁homes . ▁In ▁some ▁areas ▁there ▁are ▁larger ▁a partment ▁buildings . ▁Sh ot gun ▁houses ▁are ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁built ▁environment ▁of ▁some ▁southern ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s . ▁The ▁houses ▁consist ▁of ▁three ▁to ▁five ▁rooms ▁in ▁a ▁row ▁with ▁no ▁hall ways . ▁This ▁African - American ▁house ▁design ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁both ▁rural ▁and ▁urban ▁southern ▁areas , ▁mainly ▁in ▁African - American ▁communities ▁and ▁neighborhood s .< ref >" Black ▁architecture ▁still ▁standing , ▁the ▁Sh ot gun ▁House " ▁', ▁The ▁Great ▁Build ings ▁Collection ▁on ▁CD - ROM ▁Kevin