The Constructive House

When people think of Miami, they often picture beaches, palm trees, and flashy nightlife. But hidden just northwest of downtown is a neighborhood with a rich and powerful history— Overtown , once known as “The Harlem of the South.” 🎶 A Place Full of Life and Music Back in the early 1900s, Overtown was one of the few places in Miami where Black people were allowed to live due to segregation laws. Even though life was tough, the community built something amazing. Overtown became a center for Black culture, business, and music. Famous musicians like Ella Fitzgerald , Louis Armstrong , Sam Cooke , and Aretha Franklin performed in Overtown after their shows in Miami Beach, where they weren’t allowed to stay because of segregation. The Lyric Theater was the heart of the neighborhood’s music scene, and the streets were alive with jazz, soul, and celebration . 🏘️ A Thriving Community Overtown wasn’t just about music. It had schools, churches, restaurants, and shops owned by Black residents...

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office took legal action against Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation , accusing them of modern-day redlining in Birmingham, Alabama . This means the company may have ignored and avoided Black neighborhoods when offering mortgage loans—and that’s a serious problem. 🕵️ What Did the DOJ Find? The lawsuit says Fairway didn’t treat everyone equally. Here’s what they’re being accused of: No loan officers placed in Black neighborhoods No marketing in majority-Black areas Low loan numbers for Black homebuyers—even though other lenders did better Branch locations that skipped entire ZIP codes with mostly Black residents Basically, Fairway’s business choices made it harder for Black families to get home loans , even when they were qualified. 🗣️ A Word from the DOJ “Fairway’s practices effectively shut the door of homeownership on communities of color in Birmingham.” – U.S. Attorney Prim F. Esca...

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made history with a huge settlement against City National Bank , a big bank based in Los Angeles. The bank is known as the “ Bank to the Stars ” because many of its customers are wealthy celebrities. But while it helped the rich and famous, it ignored entire communities of color. 🏠 What Happened? Between 2017 and 2020 , City National Bank did not open a single branch in any majority-Black or Hispanic neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. Even worse, it gave out very few home loans in those areas—even though many people lived there and wanted to buy homes . The DOJ looked into this and found some big problems: No branches in Black or Hispanic neighborhoods Almost no home loans in those same communities No outreach or marketing to people of color Most loans went to white, wealthy neighborhoods This is a modern example of redlining , a harmful and illegal practice where banks refuse to serve certain areas—usually based on race . 💸 What...

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice reached a $13 million settlement with Lakeland Bank , a regional lender based in New Jersey. Why? Because from 2015 to 2021 , Lakeland consistently avoided serving Black and Hispanic communities —especially around Newark , one of the most diverse cities in the state. This wasn’t a case of obvious racism. There were no slurs. No hateful messages. But the bank’s actions—or lack of them— still caused real harm . 🏦 What Did Lakeland Bank Do? The DOJ accused Lakeland of modern redlining —meaning they didn’t treat everyone fairly based on where they lived. Here’s what the investigation found: ❌ Zero branches in majority-Black or Hispanic neighborhoods 📉 Very few home loans given out in communities of color—far fewer than other banks nearby 🛑 No marketing or partnerships with groups in Newark or similar areas 👥 No loan officers assigned to help people in high-minority ZIP codes In short: Lakeland wasn’t present in the plac...

In 2022, one of the biggest redlining cases in U.S. history came to light—and it was shocking not just for what was done , but how openly it was done . Trident Mortgage Company , once part of Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices , didn’t just ignore Black and Latino communities in the Philadelphia area… … some of its employees openly mocked and insulted them . This case—led by the Department of Justice , the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) , and several state offices—revealed how racism and redlining went hand-in-hand at Trident. 🚨 What Did Trident Do? The investigation found several major problems: 🏢 All 24 Trident offices were in majority-white neighborhoods 📣 Almost all their advertising targeted white communities only 👥 No loan officers were placed in Black or Latino neighborhoods 📧 Internal emails and texts showed racist jokes , slurs, and even a photo of an employee with a Confederate flag Let that sink in. This wasn’t just quiet discriminati...