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Cook: The dream deferred in Chattanooga

Dr. Elenora Woods, president of the Chattanooga Hamilton County branch of the NAACP, talks Saturday at the NAACP 8th Annual Criminal Justice Seminar at the Choo Choo.
Dr. Elenora Woods, president of the Chattanooga Hamilton County branch of the NAACP, talks Saturday at the NAACP 8th Annual Criminal Justice Seminar at the Choo Choo. Dr. Elenora Woods, president of the Chattanooga Hamilton County branch of the NAACP, talks Saturday at the NAACP 8th Annual Criminal Justice Seminar at the Choo Choo.

By David Cook 4 min read

photo David Cook

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Report about black Chattanoogans offers bleak picture, calls for unified action

In 1939, authorities with the federal agency known as the Homeowners Loan Corp. unrolled a map of downtown Chattanooga, then, using a scale of five different colors, graded each neighborhood as to whether it was worthy for real-estate investment or if it wasn’t.

Some places – parts of North Chattanooga, the downtown side of Lookout Mountain, Brainerd – were considered low risk. Promising the best financial return, they were colored green and blue.

Other parts of the city were considered high risk, and marked in red and yellow.

Westside. Alton Park. Hill City. Clifton Hills. Much of east Chattanooga.