Our Mission and Purpose

Looking at maps, we can see that the most disadvantaged and disinvested neighborhoods in Sacramento house a majority of people of color. This is a result of systemic racism, in the form of redlining, that took place years ago, and unfortunately, these impacts are still felt today. The purpose of this organization is to bring awareness to these inequitable impacts on marginalized communities, and highlight the need for systemic change in a sustainable and equitable way. Awareness is the first step to bringing change in our society, in order to make a more just and inclusive civilization.

What is Redlining?

Redlining is the discriminatory practice of withholding a service, financial and otherwise, from potential customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as 'hazardous' to investment. These neighborhoods “have significant numbers of racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income residents” (1).

Typically, redlining took place in the form of banks giving out bad loans, investors not investing in certain neighborhoods based on race, and real estate companies selling houses at certain prices to racial and ethic minorities in specific areas. The term “redlining” itself comes from how investors, banks, and real estate companies would “literally draw a red line on a map around the neighborhoods where they would not invest based on demographics alone” (2). These specific discriminations were even written into the deeds of the houses themselves (3).

In addition, this was actually sponsored by the government, who created housing programs under the New Deal and the Federal Housing Administration (4).

Today, although redlining is illegal and no longer takes place, the effects are still clearly seen and felt. The fact that government agencies actually endorsed this form of racism, prejudice, discrimination, and injustice makes it even worse. We as citizens must help to hold these institutions accountable, and spread awareness of the truth so we can move forward to a just and equitable society with sustainable solutions.

Sources

1. Wikipedia contributors. “Redlining.” Wikipedia, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Oct. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining.

2. Hayes, Adam. “What Is Redlining? Definition, Legality, and Effects.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 3 Oct. 2022, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/redlining.asp.

3. Rodd, Scott. “'Restricted to Persons of the Caucasian Race Forever': Racist Language in California Property Records Could Finally Be Erased.” CapRadio, Capital Public Radio, 5 Aug. 2020, https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/08/05/restricted-to-persons-of-the-caucasian-race-forever-racist-language-in-california-property-records-could-finally-be-erased/.

4. Gross, Terry. “A 'Forgotten History' of How the U.S. Government Segregated America.” NPR, NPR, 3 May 2017, https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america.