It’s 2020 but banks’ redlining practices still stifle southern Dallas

By Keri Mitchell, Founder + executive director
Dallas, Texas | local government, education, civic issues, investigative and enterprise reporting

November 22, 2020

South Dallas

Tonight, WFAA airs a story that reporter David Schechter spent months investigating — whether and how banks are still redlining southern Dallas neighborhoods.

The story, “Banking below 30,” features Skyline Ranch owner Robert Pitre and Southern Dallas Progress president James McGee. The two tell Schechter that racist loan practices, sanctioned by the government in the 1940s, continue today, keeping Dallas’ Black and Latinx residents from obtaining mortgage loans to buy a house or small business loans to launch an enterprise.

Their stories are underscored by Schechter and his team’s reporting, showing that several Dallas banks actually draw maps that carve out certain Dallas neighborhoods, especially those below I-30.

Watch WFAA’s investigative report then join Schechter, Dallas Free Press and our South Dallas media partner the Dallas Weekly in a #bankingbelow30 Twitter conversation after the story airs tonight, Nov. 22, at 10 p.m.

A new investigation by @wfaa finds 20% of banks in Dallas County don't serve the largely minority neighborhoods below Interstate 30 – with the approval of federal bank regulators. #BankingBelow30 WATCH: https://t.co/RajbcvmYqB (1/6) pic.twitter.com/9Cu1nGGfwz — David Schechter (@DavidSchechter) November 23, 2020

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