In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder many financial institutions and industry organizations made commitments to racial equity. Recently, some have seemed to wane in their commitments. It took us over 400 years to get into this mess. A two-year commitment to racial equity and justice is not going to cut it. I think Just Action can help us all think about and implement sustained action so we continue on the path of that moral arch of the Universe that bends toward justice. I can't wait to read the book!
Banking is opaque to most of us. Has the Community Reinvestment Act made a significant difference in lending practices? Does racial targeting of subprime mortgages occur mostly at the level of individual branch banks or at a higher level within the bank? My vague sense has been that local loan officers could be neutral in their loan practices but that the people in the headquarters who designed the loans and the qualifications for them built racism into the structure. But I don't know if that idea is supported by evidence or not. In general, I wonder if racism is now baked into the entire system rather than depending on individual attitudes. Do you deal with these sorts of questions in Just Action?
I rent in the City of Falls Church, VA. One of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the US, carved out of the adjacent county to ensure that Blacks were excluded. I see some liberal neighbors with Black Lives Matter signs in their yards. Talk is cheap. As soon as a proposal comes forth to build affordable housing, those same folks fight it tooth and nail. I doubt they realize (at least I hope they don't realize) that by blocking affordable home construction, they are helping to further discrimination against Black lives.
Have you considered the work of Aaron Carr and the Housing Rights Initiative in holding real estate interests accountable for practice which tend to perpetuate segregated housing?
In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder many financial institutions and industry organizations made commitments to racial equity. Recently, some have seemed to wane in their commitments. It took us over 400 years to get into this mess. A two-year commitment to racial equity and justice is not going to cut it. I think Just Action can help us all think about and implement sustained action so we continue on the path of that moral arch of the Universe that bends toward justice. I can't wait to read the book!
Thank you for responding to the community's request for actionable strategies! Look forward to reading the book.
~Humera
Banking is opaque to most of us. Has the Community Reinvestment Act made a significant difference in lending practices? Does racial targeting of subprime mortgages occur mostly at the level of individual branch banks or at a higher level within the bank? My vague sense has been that local loan officers could be neutral in their loan practices but that the people in the headquarters who designed the loans and the qualifications for them built racism into the structure. But I don't know if that idea is supported by evidence or not. In general, I wonder if racism is now baked into the entire system rather than depending on individual attitudes. Do you deal with these sorts of questions in Just Action?
I rent in the City of Falls Church, VA. One of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the US, carved out of the adjacent county to ensure that Blacks were excluded. I see some liberal neighbors with Black Lives Matter signs in their yards. Talk is cheap. As soon as a proposal comes forth to build affordable housing, those same folks fight it tooth and nail. I doubt they realize (at least I hope they don't realize) that by blocking affordable home construction, they are helping to further discrimination against Black lives.
Have you considered the work of Aaron Carr and the Housing Rights Initiative in holding real estate interests accountable for practice which tend to perpetuate segregated housing?