The Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® proudly stands in support of racial equality. We must do all we can to confront hatred and violence, promote equality for all, and build a future free from discrimination and injustice.
Part of building that future requires equal access to housing opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin. Homeownership is the single most impactful way for a family to build generational wealth, but for most of our nation’s history, black families were wrongfully denied the ability to purchase a home through discriminatory actions including redlining, exclusionary deed restrictions, and steering.
While each of these practices are outlawed, they are not completely gone. More than 50 years have passed since the enactment of the Fair Housing Act, and yet the homeownership rate gap between white and black Americans is comparable to the gap at the time when the Act first passed.
As local leaders, REALTORS® have a duty to ensure that racism has no home in our neighborhoods. We must stand together as a united front in the fight against hate, racism and oppression.