S11 Ep 10 - Mapping Racism in Milwaukee: The Truth Behind Racial Covenants

Did segregation in Milwaukee just “happen”? Or was it planned?In this powerful episode of The 411 Live, Beverly Taylor sits down with UW-Milwaukee researchers Dr. Anne Bonds and Dr. Derek Handley, along with volunteer Mary Roberts, to uncover the truth behind more than 32,000 racially restrictive covenants discovered across Milwaukee County.These weren’t rumors.They were written into property deeds.And they shaped generational wealth, housing access, and segregation in Milwaukee.This groundbreaking project, Mapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County, reveals how intentional housing discrimination helped create the racial wealth gap we still see today.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhat racially restrictive covenants actually saidHow segregation in Milwaukee was intentional and policy-drivenThe connection between housing discrimination and today’s racial wealth gapWhy removing covenants from deeds may erase important historyHow federal funding cuts impacted the projectWhy understanding this history is critical for moving forward [00:02:03] What Are Racial Covenants? Dr. Anne Bonds explains how racist clauses were embedded into property deeds, restricting who could live on the land. [00:05:06] 32,506 Covenants Discovered: The Shocking Numbers Researchers reveal there were three times more covenants than Black residents in the 1930s.[00:06:04] Volunteers Read 5 Million Documents Mary Roberts shares the emotional impact of transcribing dehumanizing language that compared people of color to livestock. [00:17:04] How to Look Up Your Own Address on the Map Learn how you can search your neighborhood and see whether your property had a racial covenant.[00:19:36] The Wealth Gap Connection & Why It Still Matters Today How housing discrimination directly impacts generational wealth, school funding, and why Milwaukee remains one of the most segregated cities in America.Explore the Map YourselfSearch “Mapping Racism and Resistance UWM” in your browser to access the interactive map. https://sites.uwm.edu/mappingracismresistance/ Zoom into your neighborhood, view covenant language, see when it was enacted, and learn the historical context behind your property.Click Here to Donate: https://the411live.org/donate All contributions made to The 411 Live is tax deductible to the extent permissible by law. Subscribe to our podcast so you can get alerts on upcoming podcasts and for more conversations that inform, empower, and move our communities forward. Follow, like, subscribe and watch us on our social media platforms. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The411Live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The411Live Twitter: https://twitter.com/The411Live Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the411live Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-411-live/id1447716009iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-411-live-52465336/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ll7a69BSjY9UwfGRmRvsk?si=d7a1c00c5fa8474aAudible: https://www.amazon.com/The-411-Live/dp/B08K57VCNT Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-411-live/PC:28529If you have suggestions for future episodes, go to our website, https://the411live.org