Title: America’s Legacy of Redlining - Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion – Syracuse University
Headings: America’s Legacy of Redlining: State-Sponsored Segregation and Disenfranchisement of Urban Minority Communities
America’s Legacy of Redlining: State-Sponsored Segregation and Disenfranchisement of Urban Minority Communities
References

Content: This brought economic growth to areas populated with middle- to upper-class white citizens, while commerce in communities of color stagnated and declined. With the dawn of affordable housing and suburban America, individuals who previously resided in the “safe” areas left cities, taking their wealth and businesses with them. The Federal Highway Act of 1956 introduced the construction of highways, which eased the burden of commuting from the suburbs into cities. These “controlled-access” expressways often intentionally ran through redlined neighborhoods but did not include intersections. Residents of the affected communities found themselves unable to utilize these new routes to resources and services located in other parts of the city. The disappearing availability of healthcare, employment, affordable food, and quality housing further segregated redlined neighborhoods from surrounding communities. 2 Crime rates rose, leading to a disproportionate presence of racially-biased policing that endures to this day. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act prohibited racial discrimination and ended legal redlining policies. However, the impact of redlining was already entrenched in society, and the practice continues in industries outside of mortgage lending. 1
Examples of Redlining: