For those who attended the presentation on Redlining, you might enjoy a movie on Apple TV- The Banker. Other might enjoy it too-interesting story and great acting.
Sara ------ Sara Mattes > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Joan Kimball <[email protected]> > Subject: Racial Justice Newsletter-- Report on Undesigning the Redline, > Presentation by Braden Crooks on February 3, 2022 > Date: February 4, 2022 at 4:05:20 PM EST > To: undisclosed-recipients:; > > > > > First Parish Lincoln > > Racial Justice Journey Newsletter > > Our Racial Justice Journey Continues > > > IssuesModule > > February 4, 2022 > > > > Notes on Undesigning the Redline > > > > > Presentation by Braden Crooks: Undesigning the Redline. > > > One Person’s Notes by Joan Kimball (with edits from Pam Hurd and > Barbara Slayter) > > > > Redlining: Redlining refers to the practice of denying a business or home > mortgage loan in a neighborhood considered risky – based on race. According > to Braden, it is apartheid based on zip code. > > > > Online, if you missed the talk on February 3 sponsored by the First Parish > Lincoln, Lincoln Public Library and WIDE > > https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/ > <https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/> > > https://dsigningthewe.com/undesigntheredline > <https://dsigningthewe.com/undesigntheredline> > > > And Pam Hurd recommends this article: > > Redlining in Boston: How the Architects of the Past Have Shaped Boston's > Future. > > Undesigning the Redline: <http://www.designingthewe.com/undesign-the-redline> > Presented by Braden Crooks, Founding Partner of Designing the We. This > interactive exhibit explores the history of structural racism and inequality, > how these policies, practices and designs compounded each other from 1938 > Redlining maps until today, and how WE can come together to undesign these > systems with intentionality. > > This exhibit, which has been shown in cities throughout the US, resulted in > many community coalitions and enterprises organizing to make change. The > exhibit offers lessons of history to understand how the racial discrimination > endemic in our society perpetuates the racial injustices and inequities we > live with today. The exhibit has been used as an organizing tool to pursue > change in shaping the communities we aspire to become. > > What is Redlining? > > Redlining describes a process that transformed racism into structural & > systemic racism. > > During the depression of the 1930's, the New Deal provided federally backed > home mortgages for white families to refinance vs. Face foreclosure; black > families were not eligible. To assist banks in lending and assessing risk, > “residential security maps” were created using colors to indicate level of > neighborhood risk. The presence of people of color determined the level of > risk with red indicating a diverse population including POC. Redlined > neighborhoods were deemed unworthy of investment. But these neighborhoods > were not blighted; they had diverse populations, good schools, public transit > and local businesses. Credit worthiness was based on race as follows: > > Green = preferred neighborhoods, all white > Blue = good > Yellow = Declining > Red = deemed not worth investment, black population > > The Redline designation segregated and catalyzed disinvestment in Redlined > neighborhoods. They were described as having detrimental influences (ie. > “Negro infiltration”) This was the era of Eugenics – race science. The > government looked at immigrants as “infiltrating”, whether they be Jewish, > Italian, Latino and Eastern European. Green shaded neighborhoods with white > populations were protected by covenants or deeds to prevent a “hazardous > infiltration” of unwanted racial groups. (The first exclusionary covenant in > the country was in Brookline, MA 1848 – specifying “no Negro or person of > Irish descent could purchase land). > > Before Redlining, integrated neighborhoods had the highest property values; > after redlining, the neighborhoods declined. The dye was cast. The basis of > the Wealth Gap we see today was born. > > In the 40’s, The GI Bill used the very same mapping system for structuring > new home mortgages for returning Vets; college education was subsidized; and > the country's middle class was born. The legacy of redlining persisted > through government policies & structures, banking practices, and real estate > equity that would pass from generation to the next; benefits and > opportunities that were explicitly denied to black families. > > In the 1950’s, Urban renewal destroyed neighborhoods (notably the West End in > Boston – a thriving Jewish community – to make way for housing projects). > Covenants again were used to exclude people of color. So where could families > of color purchase a home? In only three neighborhoods: Roxbury, Dorchester, > and Mattapan. > > Although Redlining was made illegal through the Fair Housing Act of 1968, it > persisted. (According to Heather McGee) “it would take another 24 years for > the Federal Reserve”, the oversight body of banking, “to monitor and enforce > the law”. Today, we are still living in the results of redlining: in terms of > wealth, schools, hospitals, housing. > > What were the results of redlining and this move into structural racism? > Segregation got worse The Federal Underwriting Manual told banks who should > receive mortgages and thus restricted “invasions of racial groups.” The > practices of the private sector were codified. > > Branden showed a statement from a 1910 real estate handbook that promoted > keeping “race distinctions.” This argument was the property value argument > that continues to this day, that property should be kept for the highest and > best use. > > What is the timeline? > > Era 1: Separate and unequal (1800-1930) > Era 2: Redlining: More separate more unequal (1930-60) > Era 3: Still separate, Still unequal (1960-90) > Era 4: Separate and unequal (1990 to today) Have we learned nothing? > > Reconstruction was a time that we could have charted a different course. > After Reconstruction, Black wealth was accumulating, black banks were > established, Blacks were elected to public office, and to the US Senate and > Congress. But, with the end of reconstruction, Jim Crow was established, > Black Codes allowed Blacks to be imprisoned for tiny offences such as > “loitering,” and incarceration put Blacks back on chain gangs and onto > plantations and thus the “convict leasing system” was born. (Branden said > that 10s of 1000s of people fighting the wildfires of the west were > incarcerated people.) And there was the burning of prosperous Black > communities such as Tulsa Oklahoma in 1929. > > After Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, some overt racism—such as “Whites > Only” signs came down, but what happened in Boston? > > Other effects of Redlining? > > Block Busting: Certain realtors would go into white or integrated > neighborhoods and warn the owners that their property values would go down > when Blacks moved in. The white owners would sell, and the realtors would > sell to Blacks at three times the price. Blacks could not get bank loans so > they contracted loans from private sources including these realtors. > Predatory loans targeted people of color offering untenable terms for loans. > If a family made a late payment; the house could be foreclosed with no > accumulated equity to the home owner. Black equity was endangered or > prohibited. > > In the 70’s In Boston, we had busing to desegregate schools, and riots > ensued. Today Boston remains almost as segregated. Urban Renewal played a big > part in continued segregation practices. The city bulldozed neighborhoods > that they considered a “cancer on the city.” They replaced neighborhoods with > public housing for whites, highways, and stadiums. For example, Boston’s West > end. And in certain neighborhoods, whites fled. > > Cities, with decreased revenue, identified “dying neighborhoods” and cut > services—fire departments, trash pickup, schools and parks-- to those > neighborhoods. And cities burned. > > And today, gentrification threatens these neighborhoods. > > What next? We have learned > 1) Disenfranchisement happens over and over > 2) The next era crisis comes from the previous bad solutions > 3) What are we not doing > a. We are not discussing how we got here > b. Not seeing unintentional results—collateral damage > c. People who live in neighborhoods and are involved are not part of > the solution > d. For example, in Baltimore, the city spends 1:9 for social programs > and for jails and detentions. > > Nella Young said when this Exhibit was shown in Boston, people had a visceral > response to the exhibit. They all saw themselves in it, whoever they were. > It was both eye opening and hard to see. Key community groups are making a > difference today: > Dudley Street <https://www.dsni.org/what-is-a-clt> Neighborhood Initiative > City Life/Vita Urbana <https://www.clvu.org/> > And others such as Highlander, and many Civil Rights Groups. The difference > comes from the bottom up, from the community activists. People are afraid of > the word “reparations because they are afraid of losing something, money, > privilege, power. > > Next Steps: Suggestions from the attendees > > Educate/ Learn—Books > Color of the Law by Richard Rothstein. Recommended by Ray Shepard > > The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. Recommended by Pam Hurd > And thanks to Pam for recommending and moderating this exhibit! > > Immediate Actions > Go to https://www.clvu.org/ <https://www.clvu.org/> to get information on how > to keep people in their homes, calls to action, etc. Recommended by Nancy > Strong > > Next steps: > Grants as Reparations. Not just ending bad practices, but healing and repair > > (More to be discussed as we enter the Action Module) > > > > > > > >
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