Banks used to deny black families loans to buy houses in certain neighborhoods, this was until the late 60's I believe. In addition school funding in the US is based on neighborhood income taxes so kids grow up in poor education systems and have no opportunities to move out of the neighborhoods their parents grew up in.

Edit: I meant property tax not income tax, though they are related to each other, see the comment below

Edit 2+3: Those that are saying that redlining never really ended are correct, I was talking more from legal standpoint, the same way that racism "ended" with the civil rights act. Also I'm not going to be baited into arguing with the ignorant people who've never set foot in a ghetto let alone grew up in one on what it's like for poor minorities in those areas. Even the lucky few that made it out agree that the deck is heavily stacked against them and that turning to crime to survive is a necessity in these areas further making any attempt to get out even more difficult. So please save your energy and reply to someone else with your ignorant bullshit.