Final answer:
Redlining led to structural racism in housing, influencing investment in minority neighborhoods. The 1968 Fair Housing Act aimed to abolish such practices, but its full impact was slow to manifest with evidence that discrimination persists.
Step-by-step explanation:
The practice of redlining and the policies of the Federal Housing Administration contributed to structural racism in many American cities, including Washington, D.C. Redlining was a discriminatory practice where minority neighborhoods were marked as high-risk for mortgage lenders, leading to a lack of investment and development in these areas. Although the 1968 Fair Housing Act was intended to outlaw redlining and housing discrimination, its aftermath was still prevalent by the 1970s, as many inner-city neighborhoods struggled to recover. Despite it now being illegal to discriminate based on non-economic factors, evidence suggests that discriminatory practices against minorities continue in the housing market.