Bound by Redlining: South Bend’s history of segregation and resilience

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- For decades Black families in South Bend faced systemic barriers that reshaped their neighborhoods.

Redlining was a practice that denied home loans and investment to communities of color separating them from the rest.

Redlining dates to the early 1900s where banks refused to lend to Black homeowners and business owners, neglecting historically Black neighborhoods in South Bend like West Michigan Street and what they called “The Block.”

Gladys Muhammad spent decades as associate director for the South Bend Heritage Foundation fighting to undo the damage caused by redlining and disinvestment. She says the impact of these policies still lingers today with the lack of opportunity in Black communities

“Once upon a time, in South Bend, Indiana, the Black people lived on the lake. They lived on the west side. You could not buy housing in other parts of this city,” said Muhammad.

A once thriving district became a place of crumbling homes and struggling businesses resulting from disinvestment. Muhammad strived to rebuild it.

Through the South Bend Heritage Foundation, she pushed for reinvestment, negotiating with banks to return resources to these forgotten communities.

In the 1930s, families didn’t realize how deeply discrimination laws were shaping their lives. They were filled with joy and resilient despite the barriers in place.

The west side used to be a neighborhood of influential people with big houses and businesses but overtime it declined. Redlining kept Black families from buying homes which segregated residents.

With research, coalition, and advocating, Notre Dame professors helped prove the truth behind redlining and the banks that denied loans to Black residents, making it impossible to build wealth.

With the target on their backs, Muhammad formed the United Community Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse Coalition to march and clean up the communities themselves. She was eager to fight back and get people involved to make them feel valued and included.

“Things do change, but what does not change is we Black, and we are still Black, and whatever discrimination and challenges that we face as African Americans, we will always have to face the challenges that come our way, and work through them and I think over a period of time, Black people understand that at least we know what the deal is,” said Muhammad.

Gladys says change has happened, but the scars of redlining still exist. Discrimination may be illegal, but it exists in many ways.

“I know of a young man, a couple years ago he was going to buy him a house, and when he said that, he and his wife went to look at a house in another part of the town, and he said, and the neighbors came out and looked at him, and he said that he decided right there. And he told his wife, 'We were living. Here we go. We need to feel good, and we are going to feel free. We don't need to subject our kids to this.' So, there's still that racism going on in certain areas, but usually, now today, you can live. That was progress. You can live where you want to live. You get enough money, and then you deal with whatever comes your way. You accept the challenges. So that was a big step," said Muhammad.

The community advocate can recall the legacy of racist covenants. They still show up on deeds today even though they are no longer in effect. She can even recall derogatory language being recited in county records.

You can now visit the Charles Martin Youth Center to learn more about how redlining affected westside neighborhoods.