A group of residents in Brighton has successfully revoked racist property deeds in their neighborhood. The racist covenants in the Meadowbrook neighborhood dated back to 1929, when Kodak built the tract. As noted by an August report co-authored by researchers from Yale and City Roots Community Land Trust, these restrictions were common in the first half of the 20th century. While they are now illegal and unenforceable, thousands of homesin Monroe County still contain them. The covenants have contributed to segregated housing patterns across the county, and have had intangible effects as well.
The group of neighbors formed a committee called "Confronting Our Racist Deeds" (CORD), dedicated to revoking the racist covenants. This hour, we talk about CORD's efforts and the broader impact they hope their work will have in the community. Our guests:
- Johnita Anthony, member of CORD
- Kristin Doughty, member of CORD
- Shane Wiegand, board member of City Roots Community Land Trust, and co-lead of the PathStone Foundation’s Antiracist Curriculum Project
- Conor Dwyer Reynolds, executive director of the Rochester Police Accountability Board
