In the mid-to-late 20th century, it was common for property deeds to include covenants that prevented people of color from buying houses in white residential areas. And although these covenants were outlawed in 1968, the racist language continued to appear on deeds. To correct these discriminatory terms, California has enacted a law requiring these covenants to be removed from its property and lease records. Fresno County, in the Central Valley, has taken steps to modify millions of deeds, but the work has stalled due to disagreements among board supervisors. What’s behind this discord? How will the law help root out prejudice in housing and bring people of different races closer together? Victor Palomino brings us the details from Fresno.
This entry is available only in Español.
