Winston-Salem exhibit explores redlining at the local and national level

A Winston-Salem exhibit that highlights the history and impact of discriminatory lending practices has been extended through January. 

The exhibit is called “Undesign the Redline” and it's housed at the Forsyth County Central Library. Redlining is the term used to describe a series of maps the federal government created in the 1930s. They were racially motivated in how they were drawn and guided banks on where to loan their money. That led to disinvestment in communities of color. 

The exhibit was initially created by designing the WE, a design studio based in New York. Locally, the project is a partnership between over 20 organizations led by the Winston-Salem Foundation. Charlie Gardner is a program officer there and says the exhibit speaks to many.

“We thought that this really resonated a lot with the work that we were doing and an opportunity to kind of help everyone understand how many of the disparate inequities that we were trying to address, and many community partners were addressing, weren't separate but actually had a common root,” he says.

The exhibit looks at redlining from both the local and national levels, includes historical timelines, incorporates stories from Winston-Salem residents, and invites engagement from participants. "Undesign the Redline" will be on display through January 15 with guided tours available.