Historical Research Center | CSU Bakersfield
Historical Research Center | CSU Bakersfield
Programs

Red Lining and Housing Discrimination in Kern County

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Bakersfield Kern County California Red Lining Detailed Description / Context: The graphic references “Red Lining,” a term associated with discriminatory housing and lending practices that restricted access to mortgages, insurance, and investment in neighborhoods designated as high-risk, often based on racial or ethnic composition. In California cities, including Bakersfield, redlining practices were shaped by federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps in the 1930s and later reinforced by private banking, real estate boards, racially restrictive covenants, and zoning practices. Kern County, with its agricultural economy, oil industry, and migration-driven growth, experienced demographic change throughout the twentieth century, including the settlement of Mexican, African American, and other minority communities. Redlining contributed to patterns of residential segregation, uneven infrastructure investment, and disparities in property valuation and generational wealth accumulation. As a title image, the graphic situates Bakersfield within the broader national history of racially structured housing markets, land use policy, and financial discrimination.

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America’s Newest Cities includes public events to increase public understanding of “redlining practices” and housing discrimination in California’s Central Valley. These events include public lectures, exhibits, and student outreach. Collectively, these events promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing between community members and institutions serving the community.

 

America's Newest Cities November 3, 2023 program, Title: RedLining Date: Wednesday, March 20 (year not visible) Creator / Publisher: Historical Research Center and Archives; Bakersfield College; Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU Bakersfield; supported by California Humanities Document Type: Event flyer / program announcement Location: Learning Resource Center building, 2nd floor — Bakersfield College, Delano Campus (Kern County, California) Brief Description: This flyer announces a public program titled “RedLining” focused on the history of redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, from 9:30am to 11am at the Delano Campus of Bakersfield College and is moderated by Dr. Oliver A. Rosales. The program features historians and archivists and highlights discussion of historical sources, including racially restrictive covenants. Full Extracted Text: RedLining FREE Join us Wednesday, March 20, 9:30am to 11am Learning Resource Center building, 2nd floor- Bakersfield College, Delano Campus A program about the history of red lining and housing discrimination in Kern County Moderated by Dr. Oliver A. Rosales Christopher Livingston M.A., M.L.I.S. Director, Historical Research Center Donato Cruz M.A. Archivist, Historical Research Center Oliver A. Rosales PhD Professor of History Bakersfield College Discussion of sources and history A City Designed for People DELANO CALIFORNIA (6) No part of any of said lots or building sites shall ever at any time be sold, conveyed, leased or rented to any person not of the white or Caucasian race. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES A STATE OF OPEN MIND BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE WALTER W. STIERN LIBRARY CSU BAKERSFIELD Historical Research Center and Archives Detailed Description / Context: This event flyer documents a public humanities program addressing the history of redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County, California. Redlining refers to discriminatory lending and housing practices that restricted access to mortgages, property ownership, and investment in neighborhoods based on racial and ethnic composition. The inclusion of an excerpt from a racially restrictive covenant—prohibiting sale or rental to “any person not of the white or Caucasian race”—illustrates the legal mechanisms that structured residential segregation in the early to mid-twentieth century. Such covenants, often recorded in subdivision documents, operated alongside federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps, private banking policies, and local zoning regulations to produce racially stratified housing markets. By hosting the event at Bakersfield College’s Delano Campus and involving the Historical Research Center and Archives, the program situates local archival research within broader conversations about structural inequality, property law, and community history. The support from California Humanities underscores the public history and educational aims of the initiative.
 Event Recording
America's Newest Cities November 3, 2023 program, Title: Minority Housing Districts in Bakersfield in the 19th and 20th Centuries: From China Towns to Mayflower Date: Friday, November 3, 2023 Creator / Publisher: California State University, Bakersfield — Public History Institute; Co-hosted by the Historical Research Center (HRC) Document Type: Event flyer / lecture announcement Location: Humanities 1109, California State University, Bakersfield (Bakersfield, California) Brief Description: This flyer announces a bi-annual Public History Institute (PHI) lecture series event titled “Minority Housing Districts in Bakersfield in the 19th and 20th Centuries: From China Towns to Mayflower.” The program features two short lectures on Bakersfield’s historic Chinatown communities and the Sunset–Mayflower District, followed by a Q&A session. The event is free and open to the public and includes in-person attendance and YouTube livestream access. Full Extracted Text: The Fight for Civil Rights: Contesting Discrimination in the American West A bi-annual PHI lecture series CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIELD Public History Institute Minority Housing Districts in Bakersfield in the 19th and 20th Centuries From China Towns to Mayflower Two short lectures will be followed by an audience Q&A session “Bakersfield: Two Chinatowns with Only an Alley Left” Gabriel Moore SRS Scholar “SMPC: Community Organizing and Self-Reliance in the Sunset-Mayflower District 1930-1940s” Eileen Díaz Graduate Student Donato Cruz Historical Research Center YouTube Live Stream @CSUBHRC Join us for the event on Friday, November 3, 2023 • 1 - 2:30 pm Humanities 1109 This program was made possible with support for California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org Co-hosted by the Historical Research Center (HRC) FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • FREE PARKING IN LOT A Detailed Description / Context: This event flyer documents a public history lecture series at California State University, Bakersfield, focused on the history of minority housing districts in Kern County. The title situates the event within broader civil rights and anti-discrimination scholarship, specifically examining the development, displacement, and community formation of marginalized populations in Bakersfield from the nineteenth century through the twentieth century. The lecture on “Two Chinatowns” references the historical presence and subsequent erasure or displacement of Chinese communities in Bakersfield, likely linked to anti-Chinese violence, exclusion laws, and urban redevelopment. The presentation on the Sunset–Mayflower District addresses community organizing and self-reliance among residents during the 1930s–1940s, a period shaped by migration, segregation, labor shifts, and New Deal-era reforms. The program reflects ongoing scholarly and public engagement with the history of segregation, racial covenants, redlining, and neighborhood formation in the American West. Support from California Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities indicates the project’s public history orientation and emphasis on community-based research and education.
 Event Recording
Title: Red Lining: Housing Discrimination in Kern County — Presentation to Introduction to Ethnic Studies Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2025 Creator / Publisher: Historical Research Center and Archives; Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU Bakersfield; supported by California Humanities Document Type: Event flyer / presentation announcement Location: Not visible (Kern County, California; affiliated with CSU Bakersfield) Brief Description: This flyer announces a presentation titled “Red Lining: Housing Discrimination in Kern County,” delivered to an Introduction to Ethnic Studies course. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, 2025, and focuses on the history of redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. The flyer includes images of historical housing materials and racially restrictive covenant language. Full Extracted Text: Red Lining Housing Discrimination in Kern County Presentation to – Introduction to Ethnic Studies Presentation on the history of red lining and housing discrimination in Kern County Wednesday, October 25, 2025 America’s Newest City RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org Walter W. Stiern Library CSU Bakersfield Historical Research Center and Archives Detailed Description / Context: This flyer documents an educational presentation on redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County, delivered within an academic course setting. Redlining refers to discriminatory lending and real estate practices that systematically denied mortgage access and investment to neighborhoods identified as high-risk, often based on racial or ethnic composition. The inclusion of references to “Restrictive Covenants” signals attention to deed restrictions that barred property ownership or occupancy by individuals not classified as white. Such covenants, commonly recorded in subdivision documents during the early and mid-twentieth century, operated alongside federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) mapping practices, local zoning, and private lending policies to shape patterns of residential segregation in Bakersfield and other California cities. By situating the presentation within an Introduction to Ethnic Studies course, the program links local housing history to broader frameworks of race, law, public policy, and structural inequality. Support from California Humanities underscores the public history and community-engaged research dimensions of the project.
 Title: Red Lining: Housing Discrimination in Kern County Date: Oct. 11 (year not visible) Creator / Publisher: Historical Research Center and Archives; Kern County Museum; Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU Bakersfield; supported by California Humanities Document Type: Public lecture flyer / museum program announcement Location: Kern County Museum, Historic Standard School in Pioneer Village (Kern County, California) Brief Description: This flyer announces a public lecture titled “Red Lining: Housing Discrimination in Kern County,” held at the Kern County Museum. The event features Chris Livingston, Director of the Historical Research Center (HRC), and Donato Cruz, processing archivist, discussing the history of redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. The program includes discussion of historical sources such as underwriting manuals and racially restrictive covenants and is free and open to the public. Full Extracted Text: Red Lining Housing Discrimination in Kern County Join us at the Kern County Museum 6:00pm Oct. 11 Lectures held in Historic Standard School in Pioneer Village, Free Admission Chris Livingston, Director of the HRC, and Donato Cruz, processing archivist, will speak about the history of red lining and housing discrimination in Kern County Discussion of sources and history Tract 1387 Tract 1532 Tract 1088 Tract 1094 Tract 1095 Tract 1099 Tract 1139 Mayflower Annex UNDERWRITING MANUAL f. Prohibition of nuisances or undesirable buildings such as stables, pig pens, temporary dwellings, and high fences g. Prohibition of the occupancy of properties except by the race for which they are intended h. Appropriate provisions for enforcement Grant Deed “That the lands herein conveyed shall never, at any time, be sold to or rented to or occupied by any person not of the white or Caucasian race.” This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES A STATE OF OPEN MIND Kern County Museum WALTER W. STIERN LIBRARY CSU BAKERSFIELD Historical Research Center and Archives Detailed Description / Context: This museum program flyer documents a public history lecture addressing redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. Redlining refers to discriminatory lending and housing policies that limited access to mortgages, insurance, and property ownership in neighborhoods designated as high risk, often based on racial composition. The flyer includes references to tract maps, underwriting manuals, and a grant deed containing racially restrictive covenant language prohibiting sale, rental, or occupancy by persons “not of the white or Caucasian race.” Such covenants were widely recorded in subdivision documents in California during the early and mid-twentieth century and functioned alongside federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) risk maps and private lending standards to structure residential segregation. By situating the lecture at the Kern County Museum and highlighting archival materials, the event emphasizes the role of local records in documenting systemic housing discrimination. Support from California Humanities and partnership with CSU Bakersfield institutions reflect broader efforts to engage the public in examining the historical foundations of segregation and inequality in the region.
 Event Recording
Title: Bakersfield Red Lining Date: Monday, April 8 (year not visible) Creator / Publisher: Bakersfield College History Club; Walter W. Stiern Library, CSU Bakersfield; supported by California Humanities Document Type: Event flyer / campus program announcement Location: Kern County (Bakersfield College; specific room not visible) Brief Description: This flyer announces a Bakersfield College History Club–moderated program titled “Bakersfield Red Lining,” focused on the history of redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. The event is scheduled for Monday, April 8, from 6pm to 7:30pm. The program includes discussion of archival sources, an exhibition, and historical documentation related to racially restrictive covenants and housing policy. Full Extracted Text: Bakersfield Red Lining FREE Join us Monday, April 8, 6pm to 7:30pm Location: Kern County (text partially visible) A program about the history of red lining and housing discrimination in Kern County Moderated by the BC History Club Christopher Livingston M.A., M.L.I.S. Director, Historical Research Center Donato Cruz M.A. Archivist, Historical Research Center Discussion of sources, exhibition and history “That said premises, or any part thereof, shall not be sold, conveyed, leased or rented to any person of African or Asiatic descent.” This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org Walter W. Stiern Library CSU Bakersfield Historical Research Center and Archives BC Detailed Description / Context: This flyer documents a campus-based public history event addressing redlining and housing discrimination in Kern County. Redlining involved discriminatory lending and real estate practices that restricted access to property ownership and mortgage financing based on race and ethnicity. The inclusion of restrictive covenant language prohibiting sale or rental to persons “of African or Asiatic descent” reflects common deed restrictions used in California subdivisions during the early and mid-twentieth century. Such covenants were legally enforceable until the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1948 decision in Shelley v. Kraemer, which barred judicial enforcement of racially restrictive covenants, though their legacy persisted in residential segregation patterns. In Bakersfield and throughout Kern County, these mechanisms operated alongside federal housing policies, private banking standards, and local zoning to shape neighborhood demographics and long-term wealth disparities. The program’s emphasis on exhibition and archival sources underscores a public history approach that connects local records—such as subdivision deeds and underwriting manuals—to broader histories of structural discrimination in housing markets. 
 Event Recording
 

Monday, April 8 at 6 pm

Bakersfield College Levan Center

A program about the History of Redlining and Housing Discrimination in Kern County

Moderated by the Bakersfield College History Club

Museum program

 

 

The story of Housing in the California’s Central Valley has been one of exclusion, isolation, and destruction. This lecture will examine the history and development of “red-lining” and housing discrimination in Bakersfield and Kern County. It will also examine the primary sources that document this history and discuss the importance of critical examination primary sources to historical research.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 6:00 pm @ the Kern County Museum

For more information contact:

Chris Livingston, Director, Historical Research Center 661-654-3253, clivingston@csub.edu

 

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A promotional flyer announces an event titled: “The Lonesome Trail: Arborglyphs and Basque Sheepherders in the Far West.” The event will take place on October 22, 2024 at 5:30 pm in the Dezember Reading Room, Walter Stiern Library. The flyer describes an educational program about Basque arborglyphs—historic tree carvings made by Basque sheepherders in the American West. The program will explore the cultural history behind the carvings and how they reflect Basque identity and stories. Guest speakers include: Dr. John Bieter, Boise State University Iñaki Arrieta Baro, M.A., University of Nevada, Reno Dr. Steven Gamboa, CSU Bakersfield Headshots of the three speakers appear along the left side of the flyer inside red circular frames. The flyer notes that the program will feature digital images of the carvings and conclude with the grand opening of an exhibit celebrating arborglyphs and Basque culture. At the bottom, the flyer states that the event is free and open to the public. Logos for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Institute for Basque Studies at CSU Bakersfield appear at the bottom. The design incorporates green and red graphic elements and background images of tree carvings.
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