Black History Month Resources to Share this Month

In February we honor and pay “tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society,” according to blackhistorymonth.gov. Encourage your agents to take time to expand their minds, promote diversity in their businesses, and raise awareness about the importance of cultural history.

REALTOR® EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Earn the At Home with Diversity Certification

This National Association of Realtors® certification course helps educate Realtors® about fair housing while emphasizing the importance of diversity in the industry. After completing the course, agents will be eligible for the AHWD certification and will have a business plan to help them serve all types of clients.

Visit the Fictional Town of Fairhaven

Every Realtor® should visit Fairhaven, a fair housing simulation that helps agents identify and work through discriminatory situations in the real estate industry. The training is free for members and will provide customized feedback participants can use in everyday business practices.

Realtor® L.E.A.D.—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Course

This course through the Center for Realtor® Development helps Realtors® understand DEI concepts and the social psychology behind them. After seven modules, you’ll gain an understanding of how to be a DEI leader, the difference between equality and equity, and more.

ONLINE RESOURCES TO EXPLORE

Explore the National Museum of African American History & Culture

With its Searchable Museum digital initiative last year, people around the world can visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture from the comfort of their own home. Enter its permanent exhibit, Slavery & Freedom 1400-1877, for an in-depth experience about the history of slavery and freedom.

Attend Virtual Presentations Throughout the Month

The Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute, and more are hosting virtual events to educate the public about institutionalized racism, civil rights leaders, and more.

A Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America

The National Association of Realtors® examined homeownership trends of different racial groups in the past 10 years. It covers minority groups and where they live, affordability by race, home financing and race, and more.

BOOKS TO READ

Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion

Tiffany Jana and Ashley Diaz Mejias explore how institutional bias is in every industry from education to healthcare to government. Their novel focuses on the workplace and helps readers challenge biases through activities and new practices.

Small Great Things

Jodi Picoult’s number one New York Times Bestseller novel, Small Great Things, tackles race and privilege in America. Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse faces a serious moral dilemma after being reassigned from a newborn case because the parents are white supremacists. The book confronts racism in healthcare, the judicial system, and more.

The Color of Law

This book dives into the history of American cities and they came to be racially divided. The story begins in the 1920s with racial zoning as African Americans migrated from the south to the north and moves through time covering post-World War II, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and more. Listen to this book in the National Association of Realtors ® library.