Unjust Deeds: A History Racial Covenants in Dane County

For most of the 20th century, racial covenants were an insidious tool used nationwide to segregate whites from Blacks and other minorities in America’s burgeoning suburbs and residential neighborhoods.  Racial covenants were clauses inserted into property deeds to prevent non-Whites and non-Christians from buying or occupying land. Although no longer valid or enforceable, they can still be found in the land deeds of almost every American community, including those of Dane County.

Racial covenants were made illegal with the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. Nevertheless, their impacts were pervasive and are still with us today. This program, presented by local historian Rick Bernstein, will explore the history of racial covenants in Dane County and nationwide. 

Through the month of February, you can also learn about this through the traveling exhibit: Unjust Deeds: A History of Racial Covenants in Dane County and Beyond, which you can view on the top floor of the library following the presentation. 

Monona Public Library will be the first stop of this traveling exhibit. There will be food and refreshments for the presentation. Please register to reserve your spot. 

This program was made possible thanks to support from Beyond the Page, Dane Arts, Evjue Foundation, Dane County Dept of Planning & Development, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Madison Community Foundation. 

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Please note: this program takes place after normal library business hours. The main floor of the library and normal library services will not be available during or after the program. 

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