Glossary
A Raisin in the Sun
A groundbreaking 1959 play by Lorraine Hansberry that explores the challenges faced by a working-class African American family in Chicago dealing with racial discrimination and housing aspirations.
Example:
A Raisin in the Sun vividly portrays the personal impact of systemic housing barriers and the struggle for the American Dream within a segregated society.
Biased Lending
The practice of offering loans with unfair terms, such as higher interest rates or stricter conditions, to individuals based on their race or other protected characteristics.
Example:
Even when African Americans managed to secure loans, they often faced biased lending practices, resulting in higher interest rates than their white counterparts.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Manual (1938)
A government document that institutionalized housing segregation by labeling Black neighborhoods as 'hazardous' and encouraging discriminatory practices like restrictive covenants.
Example:
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Manual (1938) played a critical role in solidifying racial segregation across American cities by guiding lending decisions.
Food Deserts
Areas, often in low-income or minority communities, that lack easy access to affordable, healthy food options, leading to reliance on less nutritious alternatives.
Example:
Due to historical housing discrimination and disinvestment, many Black neighborhoods became food deserts, making it difficult for residents to access fresh produce.
Ghettos/Slums
Terms used to describe overcrowded, under-resourced urban areas where marginalized groups, particularly African Americans, were forced to live due to discriminatory housing policies.
Example:
As a direct consequence of segregation, many African American communities were relegated to what became known as ghettos/slums, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Home Owners' Loan Corporation 'Residential Security' Map
A historical map created by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) that visually depicted redlining by assigning risk ratings to neighborhoods, directly influencing lending decisions.
Example:
The Home Owners' Loan Corporation 'Residential Security' Map of Philadelphia and Camden serves as a stark visual representation of how government policies institutionalized redlining.
Housing Discrimination
The systematic denial of equal housing opportunities to individuals or groups based on characteristics like race, religion, or origin.
Example:
During the 20th century, many African American families faced significant housing discrimination when trying to purchase homes in certain neighborhoods.
Limited Homeownership
A consequence of discriminatory practices where certain groups, particularly African Americans, faced significant barriers to buying and owning homes.
Example:
Due to redlining and other policies, African Americans experienced limited homeownership, which severely impacted their ability to build generational wealth.
NAACP's Role
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) played a crucial role in fighting against housing discrimination through legal challenges and advocacy.
Example:
The NAACP's role was vital in challenging discriminatory housing practices, pushing for legal reforms like the Fair Housing Act.
Redlining
A discriminatory practice where banks and other financial institutions refused or limited loans, insurance, and other services within specific geographic areas, typically low-income or minority neighborhoods, by drawing 'red lines' on maps.
Example:
The practice of redlining made it nearly impossible for Black families to secure mortgages in their own neighborhoods, leading to disinvestment and decay.
Resource Disparities
Unequal distribution of essential services and amenities, often seen in segregated communities where marginalized groups lack access to quality resources.
Example:
Neighborhoods affected by redlining often suffered from severe resource disparities, lacking access to good schools, healthcare, and fresh food.
Restrictive Covenants
Legally enforceable agreements attached to property deeds that prohibited the sale, lease, or occupancy of a property by certain groups, most commonly African Americans.
Example:
Even if a Black family could afford a home, restrictive covenants often legally prevented them from purchasing it in white neighborhoods.
Segregation
The enforced separation of different racial groups, particularly in housing, leading to distinct and often unequal communities.
Example:
Housing policies actively promoted segregation, pushing Black families into specific, often under-resourced, urban areas.
Transportation Inequality
Disparities in access to efficient and affordable public transportation, often disadvantaging segregated communities and limiting access to jobs, education, and services.
Example:
Segregated communities often suffered from transportation inequality, with limited bus routes making it harder for residents to commute to work or school.
Violence Against Integration
Acts of aggression, threats, vandalism, and physical attacks perpetrated by white residents against Black families attempting to move into previously all-white neighborhoods.
Example:
When the Younger family in 'A Raisin in the Sun' considered moving to Clybourne Park, they faced the threat of violence against integration from the white community.