EP 947 The Bag of Tricks Used to Make Black Homeownership Difficult Continues to Grow

 If you go back and look at the history of how Blacks in America have been limited in their pursuit of the American Dream by way of home ownership, the record is staggering.  Historically there have been racial covenants, redlining, predatory mortgage lending, blockbusting, urban renewal and now we can add a new pernicious tool: property tax foreclosures.  Our guest, Professor Bernadette Atuahene, the author of “Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America,” describes, chapter and verse, how this practice has been done in Detroit, the focus of the book’s case study.  Yet, this tactic, along with the others listed above, have been commonplace throughout the nation.  You will find in listening to this podcast that our guest is clear-eyed about the many machinations which have grown the wealth disparity in our nation.  The transfer of wealth from one generation to another is a product of home ownership: thus, the vast differentials between races.  She will acquaint you with terms like ‘structural injustice’, ‘predatory governance, ‘ and ‘acts of legal violence.’  Many practices we would all find objectionable in this age are hiding in plain sight.  After listening to this podcast, you will be much better equipped to identify them.  And like the scholar/activist our guest is, perhaps, you can do something in your community to remedy them.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download