Mapping Injustice: The Story of Redlining

Redlining is a term that started in the 1930s and describes an unfair practice where people living in certain neighborhoods were denied loans and insurance, often because of their race or ethnicity. Basically, some areas were marked as "high risk" on maps, which made banks and lenders not want to invest there. This discrimination hurt Black and minority communities, leading to run-down houses, bad roads, and limited access to good schools and healthcare.

Because of redlining, these neighborhoods faced many challenges that still affect them today. People in these areas struggle with things like owning homes and having access to important resources. Understanding redlining helps us see how important it is to work for fairness and equal opportunities in our communities.

Your Task:
In this activity, you’ll create a “redlined” map of your school, but instead of neighborhoods, you’ll draw boundaries around different areas based on subjects, grade levels, etc. (you choose!). Here’s how to get started:

Draw Your Map: Sketch a rough outline of your school. Identify different zones, like where math, science, and history classes are located, as well as places for sports, arts, and clubs.

Set Your Boundaries: Choose which areas should get the most funding or support. Decide what makes certain zones “high risk” or “high reward” for success. For example, you might say that sports need more investment for better equipment, or academics need more support for advanced classes.

Explain Your Choices: After drawing your redlining map and dividing up resources, write a short paragraph explaining your decisions. How did you decide which areas to prioritize? What will happen in the future if one area gets a lot of funding and another doesn’t?

Think About the Consequences: How might the students and activities in each zone be affected? What are the long-term impacts of investing more in one area compared to another? Could this lead to an imbalance, like the one that happened in real-life redlined neighborhoods?