Lesson 4: “Black Americans and the Racist Architecture of Homeownership”

Think-Pair-Share

Directions: Take out the article from Lesson 3 and your KWL chart. First, compare what you added to your KWL charts. Then be ready to name one detail that helped you understand the article better. Turn to your partner and share briefly. Then, write a response to this question:

• Which detail from last night’s reading felt most important?

Language Study

Note these phrases from the article:

predatory inclusion

the poor-pay-more fee

Black tax

Understanding Key Phrases

First you need to understand the individual words in each phrase and then the phrase’s impact. Write predatory and inclusion in your Personal Dictionaries.

inclusion: include

predatory: predator

• What does it mean to include someone or something?

• What is the literal meaning of predatory?

• What is the connotative meaning of predatory?

• What does predatory inclusion mean in the article?

• What does the phrase add to the meaning in this article? Why is it more meaningful than a phrase like unfair access?

• What does “the poor-pay-more fee” mean in this article? What is the effect of the author’s choice to use that phrase?

• What does Black tax mean in this article, and what is the effect of the author’s choice to use that phrase?

• What can we learn about the author’s point of view when we pay attention to these phrases?

Part A: Restrictive Covenants and Hidden Barriers

Partner Reading & Discussion

Identifying Meaning in Phrasing

Directions: With a partner, read the section about Sugar Hill, from “Our story begins with one Los Angeles neighborhood, known as Sugar Hill…” to “...razing Berkeley Square completely and splitting Sugar Hill in two.” In the section about Sugar Hill, underline every sentence that contains the term restrictive covenant. If the very next sentence helps explain cause or effect, underline that too. Then add at least one new learning and one new question to your KWL chart.

• Which sentence best explains restrictive covenant, and what does it show about who had access to housing?

• What will you add to your KWL chart after rereading this section?

What is the central claim in this section, expressed in one sentence?

How does the author develop the claim? What structure and type of details does the author use? Does the author address possible counterclaims?

Part B: Blockbusting and Writing with Evidence

Quick Write

Directions: Read the section about blockbusting, from the heading “Blockbusting: How a predatory real estate practice changed the face of Compton” through the paragraph ending, “...Johnson realized he didn't want to raise his own son in his beloved city.” Underline every sentence that contains the word blockbusting. Add at least one new idea to your KWL chart. Then, write a short reflection that responds to the following prompt:

• In the article, the author writes, “Owning a home is an undeniable part of the American dream—and of American citizenship. It is also the key to building intergenerational wealth. But Norrington’s homeownership success story is an increasingly rare one for Black Americans.." What have you learned from the article’s section on blockbusting that helps you understand this argument better? How well does the article develop the author’s argument about blockbusting? Evaluate whether the author's reasoning is sound and whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claim, or whether something is missing. Cite at least two pieces of evidence in your response.

Quick Write

Directions: Before we end, take one minute to think about your own reading process today. Then write a short response to this question:

• How did you figure out the meaning of one important phrase or term today? Name the phrase or term and cite two specific clues or details from the text that helped you.