The Legacy of Racial Covenants: A Hidden History

🏘️Racial covenants played a significant role in promoting residential segregation in Minneapolis in the early 20th century.

✊🏿African American families faced discrimination, threats, and resistance when attempting to move into predominantly white neighborhoods.

🔒Racial covenants were private contracts that restricted the sale or occupancy of properties based on race.

🔍Researchers have discovered thousands of racially restrictive covenants embedded in property deeds in Hennepin County.

🗺️Mapping Prejudice Project aims to digitize and analyze these racial covenants to raise awareness about their historical impact.

What were racial covenants?

—Racial covenants were private contracts that effectively restricted the sale or occupancy of properties to specific racial groups.

How did racial covenants contribute to residential segregation?

—Racial covenants promoted segregation by preventing African American families from moving into predominantly white neighborhoods.

What challenges did African American families face when attempting to move into white neighborhoods?

—African American families faced discrimination, threats, and resistance from white residents.

How have researchers discovered these racial covenants?

—Researchers have analyzed thousands of property deeds in Hennepin County to identify and map racially restrictive covenants.

What is the goal of the Mapping Prejudice Project?

—The Mapping Prejudice Project aims to digitize and analyze racial covenants to raise awareness about their historical impact.

00:00Introduction to the legacy of racial covenants in Minneapolis and their impact on residential segregation.

05:33Discussion of early racial covenants and their discriminatory language.

12:00Exploration of the racial covenants' role in shaping housing disparities and racial inequality.

15:56Overview of the Mapping Prejudice Project and the use of digital tools to identify and analyze racial covenants.