Our imaginary racial equity is destroying the tools that can achieve it

Of all the obstacles people of color face in their struggle for equity in America, one of the most durable is often called “the legacy” of redlining. Redlining was the widespread, decades-long practice of excluding people of color from buying homes in certain neighborhoods.   

Because of redlining, economic, educational and health inequities are still firmly entrenched in cities across America.   

The apparent good news is that redlining has been illegal for decades now, so at least mortgage lenders aren’t doing it anymore, right? 

Wrong.   

Just a few weeks ago, another bank settled a case in which it was accused of racist redlining, agreeing to pay a fine of $13.5 million. In 2024.  

Redlining didn’t die and leave a legacy; it’s alive and well. And that’s just one important thing to remember as we enter a new era of fighting for diversity, equity and inclusion.  

It was never true that we were somehow past the point of needing equity-focused laws and policies in this country. And it’s even less true now, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling against race-based affirmative action in higher education.  

That ruling ostensibly applied to universities alone. But as one national law firm puts it on their website, “the  June 29, 2023, decision has already emboldened those who are seeking to challenge private sector diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”  

A wide variety of public sector programs are at risk, too. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Minority Business Development Agency can no longer fulfill its mission of targeting assistance to minority-owned businesses. If the ruling holds, many other government programs could fall like dominoes. 

It’s against this backdrop that I had a chance to visit recently with Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), a leading voice for racial equity; specifically, economic equity.    

Horsford chairs the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and he and I share a deep belief in the power and responsibility of government to address inequity. 

When the White House held a convening on equity in February, Horsford was there. He has consistently and successfully urged the administration to enact policies that help close the racial wealth gap.   

That wealth gap only increased during the pandemic. According to the Brookings Institution, by 2022, for every $100 in wealth owned by white households Black households had $15.    

So I respect Horsford immensely, and I have to say that he and the CBC have their work cut out for them.    

The CBC is a strong voice condemning the Texas ruling against the Minority Business Development Agency, demanding that states not dismantle university DEI programs, calling on corporate America not to abandon DEI goals and more.    

But we all know it’s much better when we move forward instead of struggling against backsliding. The struggle takes so much energy that we could put into making real progress.   

And leaders like Horsford have great ideas. He is especially focused on eliminating the racial wealth gap by promoting homeownership. That’s something the federal government can help advance in multiple constructive ways, even as it takes action against bad actors by suing modern-day redliners. 

If we are serious about racial equity in America, we need investment in homeownership. We need investment in jobs, workforce training and public health. We need fair courts, civil rights enforcement and environmental justice. We need rural development and a solution to the digital divide.  

To its credit, the Biden administration takes its responsibility toward racial equity seriously. Can we always do more? Yes. The challenges are huge. And the leaders who are willing to take them on deserve our support.  

We’re in a dangerous time when progress could slip away. We can’t let that happen.  

I’ll be voting with that in mind this year, and I hope millions of other Americans will, too.

Svante Myrick is president of People for the American Way.