‘Inequality in America’ Special to Take on Housing Discrimination

News4 will examine the history of systemic housing discrimination in an upcoming special in our “Inequality in America” series.

News4’s Shawn Yancy will look at how redlining and other discriminatory practices affect how we live, work, grow wealth and educate our children.

News4's Shawn Yancy talks to Andre M. Perry, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, about the practice of redlining in the U.S., how it impacted Black Americans from developing wealth, and what's being done on a policy level to correct it.

You can watch the special on News4 and right here online this Sunday, Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. and again on Friday, Nov. 26 at 4:30 p.m.

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We’ll talk to a family who faced appraisal bias and launched an effort to make change, look at the role of Black banks and hear about what officials worry could be a new form of digital redlining. News4 also will delve into what’s being done on a policy level.

The National Fair Housing Alliance is working with the White House leadership and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that racial equity and fair housing remain part of President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan. President and CEO Lisa Rice talks to News 4’s Eun Yang about the groups effort, and what’s next as they try to combat redlining and discrimination in housing issues.

Guests will include Andre M. Perry, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution who has studied “the devaluation of assets in Black neighborhoods;” Sonja Sanders Wells, chief lending officer for City First Bank; and homeowner Jacqulyn Priestly.

Housing Discrimination Resources

The National Fair Housing Alliance works to “dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.” Go here for information and resources.

The group Fair and Unbiased Appraisal Advocates offers a number of resources at BlackHomesMatter.org.

Appraisal complaints can be filed here in D.C., here in Maryland and here in Virginia.

Uterine Fibroids affect nearly two-thirds of all women and disproportionately those of color. A University of Michigan study finds Black women are diagnosed with fibroids roughly three times more than white women. In this "Inequality of America" segment, we explore why Black women experience more severe symptoms and surgical treatments for fibroids.

Complaints involving discrimination under the Fair Housing Act can be filed here with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eight previous "Inequality in America" specials have explored topics including health care disparities, anti-Asian racism, voting rights, police brutality and the intersection of sports and racism.