21-DAY EQUITY CHALLENGE
DAY 14
“Until I was 7 years old, it was perfectly legal to discriminate against somebody of color. You didn't have to sell them your house if you didn't like the color of their skin."
Jeff Horner, Director of Urban Studies,
Wayne State University
DEFINITION AND GENERAL CONCEPTS

REDLINING is the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments, or the private sector either directly or through the selective raising of prices. This often manifested by placing strict criteria on certain goods that often disadvantaged poor and minority communities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining
 
Redlining also led to an appreciable dearth of employment opportunities in these neighborhoods as prospective small-scale employers were disinclined to locate there. Crime often followed in the wake of these declining neighborhoods making future investment less likely. 

These developments created a cycle which seemingly justified the initial redlining practices. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/redlining-1937/
NPR: A Forgotten History of how the U.S Government Segregated America

In 1933, faced with a housing shortage, the federal government began a program explicitly designed to increase — and segregate — America's housing stock. Author Richard Rothstein says the housing programs begun under the New Deal were tantamount to a "state-sponsored system of segregation."
Government Redlining

This is how the U.S Government segregated American neighborhoods...
In Detroit, A Colorful Mural Stands As A Reminder Of The City's 'Segregation Wall'

Near 8 Mile Road, in a neighborhood in northwest Detroit, is the Alfonso Wells playground. On a recent Thursday morning, it's pretty empty; a father and son pass a basketball on the court; two little girls try to run up the playground's plastic slides...
The International District in Albuquerque

The International District was formed due to redlining. Its history is steeped in systemic racism and the housing market. 
QUESTIONS?
For any questions about the challenge please reach out to Denise Nava of the Albuquerque Community Foundation or Hannah Royer of United Way of Central New Mexico.
If after reading this newsletter you felt that there are other co-workers, friends or family members you feel may benefit from the challenge, feel free to send them the link to sign up for the challenge found below!