The FHA literally drew up the redlining map and then basically distributed - I'm sorry, the Home Owners' Loan Corporation actually did it, and then distributed to banks who used that as policy to determine how they would lend and who they would lend to. The racism in the system was pervasive and total.

In this quote, Ta-Nehisi Coates, an influential writer and journalist, discusses the practice of redlining, a discriminatory policy that played a significant role in systemic racism and the unequal distribution of wealth in the United States. Coates points out that the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), which was created during the New Deal, developed redlining maps that were used to determine areas where banks would lend money. The map essentially marked minority neighborhoods, particularly those with significant Black populations, as high-risk, leading to the denial of home loans and the exclusion of many people from opportunities to build wealth through homeownership.

The quote highlights the deeply ingrained racism in the financial system, where banks and lenders used the HOLC's maps as official guidelines for deciding who could and could not receive a loan. This practice reinforced segregation and limited the ability of Black families and other minority groups to invest in property and accumulate wealth. Coates emphasizes how this pervasive and total racism was not an incidental aspect of the system, but a fundamental part of how the system was designed and enforced.

By describing the system as "pervasive and total," Coates underscores the extent to which redlining and its consequences affected almost every facet of life for minorities in the U.S. The housing market, which is traditionally one of the most effective ways for families to accumulate wealth, was deliberately skewed to favor white Americans, leaving marginalized communities without access to the same opportunities. This not only had an economic impact but also reinforced social and racial inequalities across generations.

The origin of this quote comes from Coates' broader work, particularly his exploration of systemic racism and its long-lasting effects on Black Americans. In his acclaimed book Between the World and Me, Coates delves into the historical and ongoing impacts of racism, including practices like redlining, on the lives of Black people. This quote highlights the role of government policies and institutions in creating and perpetuating racial disparities, pointing out how these policies continue to shape the economic and social landscape today.