Racism Matters

Maryland town working to remove racial language from covenants

Cape St. Claire Improvement Association is working to remove racially discriminatory language from covenants that date back to the 1940s. The law in question reads: “At no time shall any lot or any part thereof be sold, leased, transferred to or permitted to be occupied by any Negro, Chinaman, Japanese, or person of Negro, Chinese, or Japanese descent. This restriction is not intended to include servants or employees of the owner or occupant of said lot.”

Federal housing law bars discrimination in home sales or rentals, but the covenants and their wording have remained unchanged mainly because board members were unsure of how to get rid of them. The board needs approval from 85 percent of the 2,400 or so homeowners to remove the paragraph.

[via HometownAnnapolis.com | NewsOne.com]