Decades of undervaluing properties in Black neighborhoods has deprived communities of generational wealth.
Last year, the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police, among several other high-profile incidents of racial violence, led to much broader conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion throughout American society. Commercial real estate has been no exception to this. Many firms added new chief diversity officers. Industry associations made renewed efforts to foster conversations about what it would take to open up opportunities in the industry. There was much talk of turning a “moment into a movement.” And there have been efforts to create new programs and launch new funds that seek to level the playing field.