Black people Quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates
““The FHA had adopted a system of maps that rated neighborhoods according to their perceived stability. On the maps, green areas, rated “A,” indicated “in demand” neighborhoods that, as one appraiser put it, lacked “a single foreigner or Negro.” These neighborhoods were considered excellent prospects for insurance. Neighborhoods where black people lived were rated “D” and were usually considered ineligible for FHA backing. They were colored in red. Neither the percentage of black people living there nor their social class mattered. Black people were viewed as a contagion. Redlining went beyond FHA-backed loans and spread to the entire mortgage industry, which was already rife with racism, excluding black people from most legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Color of Money” in The Atlantic, 2015
The passage explains redlining: FHA maps marked neighborhoods by race, labeling black‑occupied areas as undesirable, perpetuating systemic racism in housing.
In simple terms: Redlining used race to deny mortgages.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for fair housing policies.
Themes
housing
racism
policy
history
Mood
somber
informative
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- home buying
- community development
- financial services
- civil rights law
Key Concepts
systemic inequality
urban planning
Questions to Reflect On
- How does historical redlining affect today’s neighborhoods?
- What policies can reverse its effects?
A Different Perspective
The description may not capture all modern forms of discrimination.
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