PBS, October 10, 2023, In This 5k, Runners Experience The History And Resilience Of North St. Louis
North St. Louis has endured decades of disinvestment and systemic racism. On maps from the 1930s, federal agencies designated much of the area “hazardous” or “definitely declining.” The practice of redlining, or systemically denying a person mortgages, insurance loans or other financial services based on their race or ethnicity, would go on to affect more than 8 million people nationwide — creating barriers to housing but also a range of negative health effects, research has shown.
According to data from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which looks at the unequal distribution of wealth, the average life expectancy dips by 3.6 years in redlined communities when juxtaposed with neighborhoods that the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation assigned a higher grade.
