How Homeownership Shaped Race In America, with Adrienne Brown
Big Brains
Deep Dive
What are the current disparities in homeownership rates between white and Black Americans?
As of the time of the podcast, 74% of white Americans own their homes, while only 46% of Black Americans do.
How does Adrienne Brown's book, 'The Residential is Racial,' redefine the relationship between race and housing?
Brown's book flips the script by exploring not just how race shaped housing, but how housing shaped race, particularly in defining and valuing whiteness through homeownership.
What role did President Herbert Hoover play in the history of mass homeownership in America?
Hoover was instrumental in planting the seed of mass homeownership during the Great Depression, emphasizing the distinction between homes and mere housing, which was initially watered with racial discrimination.
How did the National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB) contribute to housing discrimination?
The NAREB, through its 1924 code of ethics, explicitly forbade realtors from selling property to African-Americans or racial others in predominantly white neighborhoods, solidifying residential segregation.
What impact did the Fair Housing Act of 1968 have on addressing housing discrimination?
While the Fair Housing Act made it illegal to discriminate in renting and selling on the grounds of race, it did not end the racial wealth gap, housing discrimination, or the lower appraisal values of Black property compared to white property. The gap in homeownership rates between Black and white Americans is actually greater today than it was in 1968.
How has homeownership influenced the perception of whiteness in America?
Homeownership became a key factor in defining and validating whiteness, particularly in the mid-20th century, as it was seen as proof of being a model white American citizen. It allowed those on the bubble of whiteness, like Italians or Irish, to move to the center of whiteness by investing in homes and maintaining racial exclusivity.
What does Adrienne Brown suggest about the future of housing and race in America?
Brown suggests that while we are still deeply entrenched in the 20th-century paradigm of property and race, there is a growing skepticism about the American dream of homeownership as the sole path to wealth. Contemporary fiction reflects a shift towards imagining different ways of dwelling, which could lead to a broader rethinking of how people live and occupy space.
- President Herbert Hoover's 1931 speech highlighted the distinction between 'homes' and 'mere housing,' linking homeownership to racial longing.
- Enlightenment thinkers' writings on property and ownership influenced the idea of differential capacity for ownership among races.
- John Locke's concept of land improvement tied to ownership contributed to the racialization of property.
Shownotes Transcript