Cities and towns across the United States were shaped by a system many people have never heard of. That system is called redlining — a discriminatory practice by which banks and other financial organizations refused to serve specific neighborhoods, usually based on race.
Redlining was introduced after the Great Depression, but the patterns predate that time. Some of those discriminatory practices endure despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. The Polk County Housing Trust has been working with the national groupDesigning the WE to create and localize an interactive exhibit that explores the history and legacy of redlining in Des Moines.
On this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks about how the legacy of redlining in Iowa and around the country impacts people today.
This episode was originally produced in January 2020.
Guests:
- Branden Crooks, co-founder of Designing the WE
- Kendyl Larson, director of Research and Planning at the Polk County Housing Trust
- Bobbretta Brewton, member of community advisory board for "Undesign the Redline" exhibit in Des Moines
- Ramona Bates, member of community advisory board for "Undesign the Redline" exhibit in Des Moines
