Redlining is the illegal practice of denying or increasing the cost of goods and services based on a buyer's race or socioeconomic status.
Background
The term "redlining" was coined by Chicago-based community activists in the late 1960s to describe the practice of marking a map with a red line to denote the neighborhoods banks shouldn't invest in. Today, the term generically refers to any bank, insurance company, health care entity or business that refuses service to those in economically disenfranchised neighborhoods.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Fair Housing Act of 1968 made redlining illegal
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Fact:
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 required banks to apply same lending criteria to all borrowers
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Fact:
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Fact:
Credit card redlining consists of providing different amounts of credit based on the demographic make-up of a geographic area
