January 9, 2024 at 5:30 PM - Regular Business Meeting

Authorizing the appropriate board officer(s) and school district administrator(s) to sign all documents necessary to effectuate the discharge of racially restrictive covenants from property titles for several lots at the Lake Nokomis School--Wenonah Campus, which is owned by MPS.

Background
MPS was made aware that several property deeds for certain parcels of district-owned properties. A review of all MPS property titles has revealed restrictive covenants on lots within Parcel ID No. 24-028-24-24-0001 (Lake Nokomis School--Wenonah Campus).

From the City of Minneapolis Just Deeds program webpage:
Racial covenants were documents recorded against a home's legal title which banned property owners from selling, renting, or allowing their home to be used by people of certain races. The discriminatory language was not always the same, but most covenants targeted Black people. Racial covenants were recorded on homes in Minneapolis by developers and homeowners starting in the 1910s. The use of racial covenants forced Black community members to live in racially segregated areas of the City. In these segregated areas, Black residents could not get mortgages, buy property, or build wealth.

Racial covenants were outlawed by 1968 and are no longer enforceable. Yet, Black people and other people of color in Minneapolis still experience the harm caused by these covenants. In 2010, Minneapolis’ population included 69% white residents and 19% Black residents.  However, in the neighborhoods where racial covenants had been common, the population was still 73-90% white. Similarly, the neighborhoods to which Black residents moved during the years when racial covenants were used had present-day populations of 43-62% Black residents. Racially segregated neighborhoods generally have fewer parks and trees, more environmental hazards, poor access to supermarkets and medical care, and underfunded schools. In 2019, Minneapolis' Black homeownership rate of 25% was the lowest of any metro area in the nation. The Indigenous homeownership rate was 49%, the Hispanic homeownership rate was 50%, and the Asian homeownership rate was 60%. Meanwhile, the non-Hispanic white homeownership rate was 77%.