Black History Month and Real Estate

February is Black History Month and real estate is just one industry in which the Black community contributes immensely.

Created as Black History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, it was extended to Black History Month and was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976. This month, educate yourself further on Black history and what impact you can have on the Black community.

“For Black History month, I would like to emphasize equity and economics,” said Darlene Meekins, president of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Board of Realtist©. “African Americans have endured many years of redlining, steering to certain neighborhoods, lowball appraisals and other predatory practices in the real estate industry. The very reason the National Association of Real Estate Brokers formed was because African Americans were not allowed to be Realtors®, and therefore, we called ourselves ‘Realtist©.’ That was in 1947. Today, we are still dealing with various discriminatory practices.”

Tracee Carter, president of the Central PA Association of Realtist©, said, “African American real estate professionals show fellow Black Americans that we can purchase homes, that real estate can be inclusive and that we deserve homeownership, as well as democracy in housing.”

Meekins emphasized that change can be painful and that change will not happen overnight.

“We must continue chipping away at discriminatory practices and penalize those who are caught and eliminate such misguided and unnecessary practices. We can accomplish this is by setting up mentoring and unique educational plans for minority agents, discussing ideas with them and be open to hearing different points of view,” said Meekins. “Merely attempting to only make equality in economics viable in urban communities is not going to cut it. We need to create an equitable environment where all can flourish economically, regardless of where they live or their current socio-economic status.”

“This is a call to action for all Americans to get involved,” added Meekins. “Diversify your thoughts to make equity in economics the new normal for every American.”

“Acknowledge racism exists,” said Carter. “Confront peers when you see discrimination or racism. Treat all people like people. Be the best real estate professional you can be, advocating for your clients, regardless of their race.”

The theme of Black History Month 2021 is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,” chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The association offers resources for families at home to use, while the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People offers suggestions for brands to use.