The Color of Law A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America A
BY TROI BACHMANN Director of Field Advocacy
18 INSIGHT • February 2021
merica has a long history of civil rights disenfranchisement, and this year was no different. In addition to the challenges presented by COVID-19, a summer of civil unrest followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. Organizations across the country, including the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and NC REALTORS®, are now grappling with the legacy of individual and institutional racism within our nation. NC REALTORS® released a statement affirming its commitment to private property rights and homeownership
for all—regardless of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. “Without productive, forward-looking engagement of all persons, we won’t come out of this painful time in our state and nation better. Racism has no home in North Carolina,” the statement read. Moved to contextualize the legacy of race in real estate, the Government Affairs Department of NC REALTORS® delved into the history of American housing by reading The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. The book outlines the origins of housing policies and programs at the federal, state and local levels designed to disenfranchise and segregate African Americans. The ensuing discussions deepened our knowledge of the impact of race in housing and the challenges that African Americans face throughout the country. “It was great to see our government affairs team so interested in understanding the history behind the issues in which we are still engaged today,” reflected Mark Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of External Affairs. Most REALTORS® are familiar with blockbusting and steering and how they affect Black American homeownership. Rothstein does not limit his research to these topics. Many of the systems that we see today as equalizers in housing opportunity—public housing, tax benefits, local zoning ordinances, etc.—were created with racially restrictive qualifiers that intentionally blocked access to homeownership for Black Americans and segregated communities that were previously integrated. For example, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was formed in 1934 by President Roosevelt and Congress in order to assist middle-class renters in purchasing their first homes during the Great Depression. Mortgage insurance would only be extended to white Americans purchasing homes in all-white neighborhoods. Despite their ability to pay for the
