The world of banking and of community development is very different than it was in 1977 when Congress enacted the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Thirty-two years ago--with cities still in an urban crisis of broad economic decline and with civil-rights legislation only a dozen years old--CRA laid out an affirmative obligation for banks to expand access to credit in local service areas for "underserved" communities. Under pressure from both activists and regulators, banks significantly increased their investments in neighborhoods formerly written off, and bankers commenced constructive dialogues with community groups. In these terms, CRA has been a success.