It started with the Great Depression. Rampant foreclosures had left lenders fearful and so the federal government devised a solution. It would encourage banks to loan money to would-be home buyers by developing maps that would show where their mortgages were most likely, and least likely to be paid in full. It was called “redlining” and the stated aim was economic development. The result was racial discrimination. Historian James Gregory tells us more about how it happened, when it ended and where its repercussions are still being felt.
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