Bloomington's push to address historical housing discrimination continues with an event spearheaded by the Human Rights Commission. Set for March 13, "Just Deeds & Beyond: The Legacy and Future of Housing Access for All" aims to dive deep into Bloomington's residential past, the stride toward inclusion, and visions for equitable housing access in the future. This initiative comes on the heels of the original Just Deeds event in 2021, which brought attention to the city's properties bound by racial covenants. Participants can learn more about the effort on the city's Just Deeds page.
Serving both brain food and actual dinner, the upcoming forum is co-hosted by Normandale Community College and invites residents to Civic Plaza from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It builds on the city's educational endeavors to recognize and rectify the scourge of systemic racism that once infested local real estate. As part of the same narrative, the historical lesson plan of homeownership, riddled with racial exclusion, is to be laid bare before the residents who, proudly serving their curiosity and sense of justice, will descend on 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road.
The panel will comprise experts whose insights are expected to enrich the community dialogue on this pertinent issue. It remains paramount to understand the underlying forces and policies that shaped the disenfranchisement of generations and the steps necessary to foster an inclusive future. The city remains committed to such causes, as evidenced by its ongoing partnership with colleges and civic institutions.
With racial covenants once legally barring people of color from owning properties in certain areas, the Just Deeds initiative represents a direct counter-strike to a legacy of segregation. While many may remain unaware, those attending will engage with a past disturbingly threaded through local neighborhoods, at a time where awareness and activism seem increasingly en vogue. It's through such communal reckoning that a more equitable landscape can be envisioned, and, more importantly, constructed for all citizens.
For more details about the event and the broader mission it serves, interested parties are encouraged to visit blm.mn/justdeeds. As past events have set the stage for honest, transformative discussions, this latest gathering promises to propel the conversation further - turning knowledge into action and dialogue into tangible change.
