TImeline
1933-1935
Birth of Redlining
The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) is created as part of the New Deal to stabilize housing markets. HOLC and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) produce "Residential Security Maps" for cities like Atlanta, grading neighborhoods from “A” (Best) to “D” (Hazardous). Predominantly Black neighborhoods are marked “D” in red, systematically denying them mortgage loans and insurance, embedding racial segregation into housing policy.
1968
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act is enacted, banning housing discrimination based on race. While it outlaws redlining, it cannot erase decades of disinvestment. Black neighborhoods continue to suffer from poor infrastructure, housing, and proximity to pollution sources.
1988
Media Spotlight
“The Color of Money” investigative series reveals that Atlanta banks still deny mortgage loans to middle-income Black neighborhoods while approving them in lower-income white areas, highlighting the enduring legacy of redlining and financial exclusion.
2010s
Scientific Evidence Mounts
Studies confirm that redlined neighborhoods have higher rates of asthma, cancer, and poor mental health. Data shows strong spatial correlation between historic redlining maps and present-day health and environmental inequities.
2022-2024
Community Action and Policy Focus
Community groups install air quality monitors in Black neighborhoods like Brookview Heights, gathering real-time data to advocate for cleaner air. The EPA and CDC release reports confirming that residents in formerly redlined areas are exposed to higher levels of NO₂ and PM2.5, and are 50–100% more likely to suffer from asthma than white Atlantans.
1950s-1960s
Urban Renewal and Environmental Harm
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 brings interstate construction through Black neighborhoods in Atlanta, leading to mass displacement and increased exposure to vehicular pollution. Urban renewal projects target “blighted” areas, often relocating Black families to public housing near industrial zones, compounding environmental and health risks.
1975-1977
Transparency and Weak Reform
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (1975) and Community Reinvestment Act (1977) are passed to expose and address discriminatory lending. However, enforcement is weak and does not mandate corrective action, so underinvestment and poor living conditions persist in formerly redlined areas
2000s
Environmental Justice Movement
Research and advocacy highlight that historically redlined Atlanta neighborhoods have less green space, higher pollution, and greater health disparities, especially asthma. Community organizations begin to push for environmental justice and healthier urban planning.
2020
Mapping Inequality Digitized
The Mapping Inequality Project digitizes HOLC maps, making it possible to visualize the overlap between historic redlining and current health disparities in Atlanta. This sparks new public awareness and research into environmental racism.
Present
Persistent Disparities and Calls for Justice
Despite decades of legal and policy interventions, Black communities in Atlanta’s historically redlined neighborhoods still face elevated asthma rates, poor air quality, and limited green space. These outcomes are the direct result of policy-driven segregation and environmental injustice-requiring targeted, community-driven solutions to achieve true health equity.