January 21, 2022
Linda Blaser
New York Times cites Desmond Odugu’s research on racist property clauses
An article in The New York Times on a new Illinois law that removes racist clauses from property deeds cites a study conducted by Associate Professor of Education Desmond Odugu.
“Illinois Homeowners Can Now Remove Racist Clauses From Their Property Deeds” was published in The New York Times (NYT) on January 20, 2022. In it, the reporter refers to Odugu’s study, “Restrictive Covenants and Housing Discrimination in the Chicagoland Area.” Odugu completed his research and created a digital presentation of his findings with several Lake Forest College students. The study was part of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant-sponsored Digital Chicago project, a three-year program that concluded in 2018.
Having his work cited by The New York Times is an important moment for Odugu “not only because of the reach of their readership and the important place NYT occupies in journalism worldwide, but also because racial restrictive covenants and housing discrimination broadly are not uniquely Chicago phenomena,” he said. “The NYT is lending its voice to a broader history that is often buried by our hesitation as a society to confront ourselves historically. So, there is an opportunity here to increase connection among researchers and members of the civil society who are now taking up the task of unmasking the central role race and racism played (and continues to play) in the founding of the United States and the international order in which we live today.”
Related Links:
- Check out Desmond Odugu’s digital “Restrictive Covenants” project
- Read about NPR’s coverage of racial covenants with quotes from Desmond Odugu
- Learn more about Desmond Odugu