Reckoning with the Past...Laying Brick for the Future By: Lydia Pope National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) The time is long overdue for reckoning with the past. Black Americans still wait for the nation’s promises to be fulfilled. I speak not only from experience, but also as president-elect of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Systemic mortgage disparities, blatant sales deterrents, the pervasiveness of redlining, and decades-old discriminatory federal policies have all conspired to keep Black homeownership below the 50% mark. True reckoning—in which this country pays its debt to Black Americans—has yet to occur.
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To understand the intractability of the racial wealth gap, let’s consider a bit of NAREB history. In 1947, 12 visionary Black real estate professionals from across the country joined together to form NAREB. The 11 men and one woman, Nannie Black, had experienced blatant marketplace racism. This compelled them to help Black WWII veterans use their VA loan benefits to buy a home. Many Black veterans had been denied this opportunity. There should have been a national outcry, but none arose. NAREB, in its fledgling state, took up the charge and prepared to ensure that Black Americans, especially those who valiantly fought for democracy and freedom on foreign battlefields, now had a growing legion of real estate professionals who stepped up to help them fight for Democracy in Housing on their native soil. Over the next seven decades, NAREB expanded its reach among Black real estate professionals and more widely into the Black community-at-large. We listened; we learned from legacy NAREB members; we absorbed the heart-wrenching stories told by Black consumers—each
