The Organization for World Peace, November 17, Changing Geographies: The Legacy Of Redlining And The Myth Of Prosperity In America’s Suburbs
Redlining has resulted in varying zipcodes within the same county to have very different health outcomes, as shown by a look at infant mortality rates in affluent Nassau County, Long Island, New York.
Under the New Deal, government surveyors graded neighborhoods in 239 American cities. The areas were colour-coded, green (“best”), blue (“still desirable”), yellow (“declining”), and red (“hazardous”). The so-called “redlined” areas were discounted by local lenders as credit risks.
The colour-coding system was a hotbed for racial discrimination, as areas that were demographically comprised of predominantly racial or ethnic minorities were labelled “hazardous” in a process known as “redlining.” Bruce Mitchell, a senior researcher at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, said that “Anyone who was not northern-European white was considered to be a detraction from the value of the area.” Neighborhoods that predominantly housed Black people, immigrants from Asia, as well as from southern Europe, were regarded as undesirable. Those who were Jewish and Catholic were also discriminated against under these policies. Historically, this prevented racial and ethnic minorities from being able to move into suburban neighborhoods. The suburbs became increasingly white and affluent.
