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Redlining: Mapping Inequality in Dayton & Springfield
Who was Lelia Francis?
Explore the life of Lelia Francis, the first Black real estate agent in Ohio, who went to extraordinary lengths to help Black families secure homes during the Jim Crow era. She fought against the effects of redlining, securing mortgages for Black home buyers and integrating neighborhoods in southwest Ohio. Always an entrepreneur, she also helped found the first Black-owned bank in Dayton, Ohio.