redlining

Definition

The discriminatory practice of denying services (especially loans) to residents of certain areas based on racial or ethnic composition. The shameful legacy that shaped American cities and whose effects persist decades after being outlawed.

Example Usage

Historical redlining maps show how banks systematically denied mortgages in minority neighborhoods, creating wealth disparities lasting generations.

Origin

Named for literal red lines drawn on maps by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation in the 1930s

Fun Fact

Redlining was legal and government-sanctioned until the Fair Housing Act of 1968, with effects so persistent that redlined areas from the 1930s still show lower property values today.

Source: Fair Housing Act and Civil Rights Act documentation

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