Below you will find additional resources to help you deepen your understanding of systemic racism in housing.
On our bookshelf:
The following list of highly acclaimed books are great resources to gain a better understanding of the history of racial discrimination in housing. We recommend that you add one (or all of them!) to your reading list:
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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
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Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under Color of Law by Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein
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Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
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Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Affordable homeownership is Habitat Wake’s area of expertise, and we recognize the racial disparities in homeownership. Read one of our previous blog posts by former CEO, Kevin Campbell, and board member, Kia Baker, to learn more.
In the news:
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'It's baked into the system': Data shows housing segregation persists across the Triangle - ABC11 (2021)
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Understanding Exclusionary Zoning and Its Impact on Concentrated Poverty - The Century Foundation (2016)
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The Neighborhood Is Mostly Black. The Home Buyers Are Mostly White - The New York Times (2019)
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Escalating rents, flat wages driving a housing crisis in many NC communities - The NC Justice Center (2019)
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How Homeownership Became the Engine of American Inequality (Published 2017) - The New York Times (2019)
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The Case for Reparations - The Atlantic (2014)
Take a listen:
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Reckoning with America's Racial Residential Segregation – Episode of the ACLU’s podcast At Liberty (2023)
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Discovering And Excavating Racist Housing Covenants – WUNC North Carolina Public Radio (2021)
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How Wealth Inequality Impacts Lack Of Affordable Housing - WUNC North Carolina Public Radio (2018)
Highlighting other organizations
Habitat Wake is not alone in our efforts to bring awareness to the long history of racial discrimination in housing. There are a variety of community-based organizations working to achieve an equitable future. Some of those organizations include:
Habitat Wake also participates in a coalition of affordable housing providers called the Wake Affordable Housing Coalition. Member organizations include:
We know there are many organizations doing this work and not all are represented on this list. Let us know if you would like us to add your organization.
