It’s time to talk about racism again . . .

During the Bias and Racism Workshop which Indivisible Ferndale hosted in May, there was a video and discussion about a U.S. domestic policy known as “redlining.” Redlining was used to delineate low income and minority communities. In particular, black families were deemed ineligible for federal loan assistance which prevented these families from owning their own homes.

I paired up with another attendee to discuss this policy, The attendee asked “Have you ever heard about this practice called redlining?” I had to say that I had not. But that really wasn’t a surprise since we both shared the same white privilege of owning our own homes.

This past week the very topic of “redlining” was in the national news as Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Kamala Harris spoke at an event. Harris announced her plan to close the racial homeownership gap by proposing a $100 billion program to provide “down payment and closing cost assistance to families living in historical red-lined communities.”

Read the Rollingstone article on Senator Harris’ $100 billion home ownership plan here.

Now to bring this home to our own community, This Tuesday, July 9 from 2 to 4 pm, the Ferndale city council will be holding a public study session. One of the topics is specifically related to providing more affordable housing through Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Please consider showing up, learning more and voicing your opinions to the council. View the agenda here.

Continuing the conversation on Bias and Racism, Meridith Oram, our workshop facilitator and IF member, has provided a document with a number of resources for learning more on this important topic. Thank you, Meridith! View the document here.

Lights for Liberty Humboldt this Friday

A protest entitled “Lights for Liberty” will be held this Friday, July 12 across the nation. The goal is bring awareness and end the suffering for refugees in concentration camps at our southern border. This event is sponsored by the national Indivisible along with many other organizations. To find out more about Lights for Liberty, go here.

In Humboldt, there will be two protest locations: Eureka and Fortuna.

Date: Friday, July 12