In 2020, a couple in the Los Angeles area decided to share the dark history of their home, a disturbing history they hadn’t become aware of until purchase. They ultimately decided to expand on that dark past with Realtor.com, telling their interviewer, Clare Trapasso, that the home’s 1920s deed “stated that no one of African or Asiatic descent could remain on the property after 6 p.m., unless that individual was a caregiver to someone living in the home” (Trapasso).
Deeds such as this one are defined by Trapasso as “legally [preventing] people of certain races from buying, renting, or living in individual homes in white communities” (Trapasso). While the story follows one couple, the focus is on the deed preventing anyone of Black or Asian descent from owning/renting the home, a blanket restriction meant to target all Black/Asian Americans, not just one person. It is in this way that this is systemic injustice, along with the writers of the deed using legal documentation to create an injustice targeting Blacks/Asians, manipulating the legal system to make racism a reality. Had this just been a stand-alone moment of injustice, those with the intent of carrying out the injustice would have targeted one individual or one group, with an action that could only be applied one time. By creating a deed that would exist for decades, they ensured that anyone ever looking to buy that home again would be targeted, being allowed to target those in the future because they changed the system. The immediate impact was an even deeper divide in America, with those knowing how to work the system being able to keep white neighborhoods white, dictating who could buy homes where. The long-term impact was the ability for those with racist intentions beyond Los Angeles dictating where those of Black and Asian descent could live, as the same legal system that they altered was present in most states.
When examining this systemic injustice against theoretical class concepts, the relationship between “the Self” and “the Other” can be seen. The group who wrote up the deed and did so in hopes of controlling where Black and Asian Americans could live, seeing themselves as “the Self” and looking at Black/Asian Americans as “the Other”. This becomes clear when looking at their motivations, as the writers wished for their neighborhoods, the ones they lived in, to remain all-White neighborhoods. If they had truly viewed everyone as an equal, not as a self or an other then this deed would never have been written, for the writers would have no issue living in a diverse neighborhood. In wanting to keep the neighborhood all White, they are acknowledging the relationship of the self and the other, for, at its core, that concept relies on the idea that some groups view themselves as being superior. The self and the other can be seen in racism, a topic discussed in the class, and by understanding the racist motives of the deed, this concept exists here.
(The home of the Los Angeles couple who was featured in the interview, photo provided in the article)
(An example of deeds similar to this one with racist intent, provides an idea of what the deed actually looks like in legal writing, photo provided in the article)
Works Cited
Trapasso, C. (2020, June 24). ‘Legacy of Shame’: How Racist Clauses in Housing Deeds Divided America. Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/racial-covenants-systemic-racism/.
Hi, this is an interesting presentation as I never knew this was an occurrence in the housing industry. It is surprising that this was able to be put in place. Given the time period the idea of segregation and discrimination was something that was much more common than it is today. Especially in the aspect of systemic injustice whereas it is a literal law preventing a race or multiple races from owning a home. Laws like these are not allowed to be in place anymore and rightfully should not be. These laws should removed and are inherently, obviously, and is plane racist. I hope society is able to effectively eliminate these issues. I appreciate you bringing light to these issues and how they should be changed.
This was a great post and I found it very interesting that something like this deed is still legally allowed to exist today. It doesn’t seem right that the deed still has legal authority today considering how discriminatory it is. This type of discrimination is no longer legal, so something should be changed in that deed. I loved how you tied the class concepts into this systemic injustice post. I really liked that you said the making of the deed is the real acknowledgement of the “Self” and the “Other”. They knew that they were putting another group down to keep them superior when they created this deed. This was a great example because the legal deed is still imposing discrimination on those who own that house, and it needs to be changed. This post was very well done.
I enjoyed your post, it was very interesting to read! This is the first time I have been made aware about deeds such as this one. I am shocked to learn that these deeds are still allowed because this is an injustice against people of color. I found it interesting to learn from your post that the use of deeds such as this one is used to create an injustice targeting minorities and manipulating the legal system to make racism a reality. Your comparison of this injustice to the theory of “the Self” and “the Other” is very powerful and helps put this injustice into a greater perspective.
Hi! I thought you did a great job on your presentation and bringing attention to systematic injustices with housing deeds. I am also surprised that deeds like this still legally stand, as discrimination like this is illegal and makes me wonder what other areas of injust loopholes like this. Connecting the concept of “the Self” and “Other” that we discussed in class was really interesting and shows just how harmful this practice is, creating white-only neighborhoods where Blacks are discriminated against. Again, great job and super interesting post!
Hi, well done on this presentation. This is the first time this problem has been highlighted for me, although I was aware of it, I didn´t know it was this big of a problem. manipulation and injustice like this continues to surprise me, because this is such an obvious thing that I don´t understand how it´s not been brought to light. Connecting this to the concept of “one” and “the other” was very accurate and a smart move. Making the people of color the other.
Hi,
I found this showcase very interesting and it never really occurred to me that this would still be an issue today. I think its really cool that you brought an issue like this to light and probably educated many in our class. good job!
Great DSI post. I had know idea that those deeds weren’t forced to be changed during/after the CRM and its kind of shocking to me now that those deeds have not been changed yet. I think it’s truly sad how much effort was put in to divide neighborhoods and communities still by race.
Great DSI post. I think this is an example involving racial discrimination, including the idea that some ethnic groups are superior to others. Generally speaking, this article is carried out through a specific example, which can often help readers feel the existence of discrimination more intuitively.And this article also includes some concepts in the course, and I think it can be well integrated into this example. Good Job!
I’m glad to see that you and I have studied the same systematic injustice. You are right. Although the bill was repealed decades ago, it still affects us today. Whether it is historical apartheid, suburbanization or today’s selective neglect of colored communities, these problems are worth solving.