We often talk about poverty and inequality as if they are the result of individual choices. Work harder. Save more. Make better decisions. But what if the most significant economic outcomes in this country were shaped long before anyone made their first financial choice?

Housing segregation in the United States was shaped by federal housing policy in the twentieth century. Government agencies created redlining maps that restricted mortgage access in Black neighborhoods. The Federal Housing Administration insured loans primarily in racially homogeneous suburbs. The GI Bill expanded homeownership but was unevenly administered, limiting access for Black veterans. These policies structured long-term disparities in home equity and wealth accumulat