Join us for the first of this year’s three-part Racial Justice Series examining institutional racism and how to advocate for real and lasting change for our clients.  At our first event, our panel will examine both the history and the present reality of housing segregation and how federal, state, and local policies have affected and advanced systems of structural racial inequality in education, public health, voting, criminal justice, and more.

We’ll be joined by an expert panel, including:

• Reed Colfax, Partner at Relman Colfax (moderator)
• Genzie Bonadies Torres, Counsel for the Educational Opportunities Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Alicia Horton, Executive Director, Thrive DC
• Gregory Squires, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University

It is important that public interest and pro bono lawyers understand the historical backdrop in which they are practicing.  Join us to examine both the history and the present reality of housing segregation and how these housing policies have affected and advanced systems of structural racial inequality. Armed with this information, we hope you will gain a better understanding for the breadth of systemic barriers that many in our client communities face.

In preparation for the event, we have prepared a sampling of resources that you can use to gain information about relevant topics and retain for further consideration after our event.

 

Videos

The Segregation Myth: Richard Rothstein Debunks an American Lie | NowThis 

Segregated by Design

Redlined: A Legacy of Housing Discrimination

 

Reports, Research & Books

Systemic Inequality: Displacement, Exclusion, and Segregation

Racial Disparities in Home Appreciation

The Case for Fair Housing: 2017 Fair Housing Trends Report

Time for Justice: Tackling Race Inequalities in Health and Housing

Attacking the Black–White Opportunity Gap That Comes from Residential Segregation

Fight for Fair Housing Edited By Gregory Squires

 

Press and Opinion Pieces

Housing segregation is holding back the promise of Brown v. Board of Education

HUD’s disparate impact rule is a ‘get out of jail free’ card

Trump’s attempt to weaken fair housing rules is beyond tone-deaf

 

Housing Discrimination in the District of Columbia:

For Many Black Washingtonians, Homeownership Remains Out Of Reach

Discriminatory housing practices in the District: A Brief History 

Gentrification in D.C. was not fated. Policy made it happen.

 

Racial Justice Series: Racism By Design: Where We Live, Why We Live There, and Why It Matters takes place on Tuesday, October 20, 6:30-8:00 pm ET via Zoom. The program costs $5 for Washington Council of Lawyers members and co-sponsoring organizations and $10 for nonmembers. Register here.