Growing Suburbs oral history collection

At the close of World War II, waves of families moved out of Baltimore and into the residential neighborhoods outside the city, or the suburbs. Initially, this was due in large part to the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill. In addition to educational benefits, returned servicemen were eligible for financial rewards and low-cost mortages.

With the benefits from the G.I. Bill, many veterans now had the money to purchase larger homes for their growing families, and they looked to do so in areas that were less racially diverse. Through the practice of blockbusting, real estate agents persuaded white families to sell their properties in the city far below market prices, using fearmongering tactics to scare families into believing that their neighborhoods would soon be overrun by racial minorities. Agents would then turn around and sell the properties for inflated prices to black families seeking upward mobility. This move became commonly known as "white flight," and had a significant impact on Baltimore's growing infrastructure.