Color and Money

Gregory D. Squires is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at George Washington University and the author of several books, including Capital and Communities in Black and White: The Intersections of Race, Class, and Uneven Development, also published by SUNY Press. Sally O'Connor is Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"The authors' thorough investigation presents a persuasive argument...highly recommended." — Library Journal"Color and Money provides an important reminder to policymakers of the Community Reinvestment Act's key role in promoting fairness, as well as the need to strengthen the Act to meet the challenges of the twenty-first-century economy." — Congressman Thomas M. Barrett, 5th District of Wisconsin"Squires's and O'Connor's work provides undeniable confirmation that race does matter in lending. Color and Money clarifies the historical and structural underpinnings of wealth building between the races and lays bare the sad truth about racial discrimination in lending." — John E. Taylor, President and CEO of National Community Reinvestment Coalition"This book is unique. It is the first to focus on the role of lenders and the struggle over credit as a major contributor to racial segregation and the persistence of urban poverty." — Peter Dreier, coauthor of Regions That Work: How Cities and Suburbs Can Grow Together"This book is a model for understanding contemporary policy issues. I found it fascinating, gripping, and accessible." — Anne Shlay, Temple University"The authors offer keen insights into the struggle to make credit available from traditional lending institutions in our cities' poorest neighborhoods." — Tim Elverman, former Director of Government Affairs, Bank One, Wisconsin

• Tables and IllustrationsPreface 1. Opening Doors: The Community Reinvestment Movement 2. Race, Ethnicity, and Income: The Persistent Lending Gaps 3. Community Reinvestment in Milwaukee: An Ambiguous Comparative Legacy 4. Mortgage Lending and Segregation in Milwaukee's Suburbs 5. Milwaukee's Best (and Worst?) Mortgage Lenders 6. Small Business Lending Gaps 7. Does Anybody Look Like Me? Minority Employment and Minority Lending 8. Fringe Banking in Milwaukee: The Rise of Check-Cashing Businesses and the Emergence of a Two-Tiered Banking System 9. Organizing Access to Capital: The Fair Lending Coalition and Community Advocacy 10. The Uncertain Future of Community Reinvestment NotesBibliographyIndex