GGW post on Prologue DC's racial discrimination mapping project, etc.

Click on the link to read the entire Greater Greater Washington blog post.

A local mapping project from two local historians sheds light on the impact of racially-restrictive deed covenants that kept housing in DC segregated during the first half of the 20th Century. Prologue DC, a small historical research company founded by Mara Cherkasky and Sarah Jane Shoenfeld, officially launched its latest iteration of “Mapping Segregation in Washington DC” on October 24. (GGWash has written about earlier versions of their project here and here.)

In a packed room at The George Washington University’s Textile Museum, Shoenfeld gave a preview of three featured exhibits on the website: a walking tour highlighting key sites along the racial line in Bloomingdale, an updated version of story map on legal challenges to racially restrictive covenants, and a slideshow documenting the role of blockbusting and racial steering in facilitating DC's mid-century racial transformation. There's a lot in there, so take some time to click around.

The 2018 launch coincides with several anti-discrimination milestones, including the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Fair Housing Act (which prohibited most forms of racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination in the sale or rental of housing and in mortgage lending), the 70th anniversary of the 1948 Supreme Court decision (which made racially restrictive deed covenants unconstitutional), and others.

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