Nice article, but the description of blockbusting is a little off. The technique was not designed to keep blacks out, but rather to convince whites to leave and sell at a low price due to panic. After that, the homes could be resold to blacks at higher prices. This is why residents put signs in their windows that said "I'm not going, or I'm staying".
The practice was so widespread that the 19th Ward Community Association obtained a "cease and desist" order that prohibited Realtors from doing business in the neighborhood, and then started their own real estate service.
Dana Miller
City Council VP and 19th Ward Resident
Re: “History, activism, and resilience in the 19th Ward”
Nice article, but the description of blockbusting is a little off. The technique was not designed to keep blacks out, but rather to convince whites to leave and sell at a low price due to panic. After that, the homes could be resold to blacks at higher prices. This is why residents put signs in their windows that said "I'm not going, or I'm staying".
The practice was so widespread that the 19th Ward Community Association obtained a "cease and desist" order that prohibited Realtors from doing business in the neighborhood, and then started their own real estate service.
Dana Miller
City Council VP and 19th Ward Resident