St. Louis REALTORS apologize for redlining

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Leaders with St. Louis REALTORS issued a statement on Monday apologizing for decades of discrimination against the Black community.

In their release, the group said numerous “historical events, laws, decisions, and initiatives reflect a history of explicit racial segregation and discrimination. We apologize for all of these actions.”

Redlining and restrictive covenants in the early 1900s were designed to cause residential racial segregation, and that’s what led to the Black and white divide in the St. Louis region. The group said their apology isn’t based on new revelations, rather “it is based on the realization that we cannot move forward together as a community until there is an acknowledgment of our regrettable past. Our hope is that this acknowledgment will start the healing process, enabling us to emerge stronger and united in our journey to lay a new, inclusive foundation for growth and prosperity.”

The group created a three-year plan called Reimagining St. Louis and hired a diversity, equity and inclusion director to help implement it. The plan includes initiatives to increase awareness and education, push for changes in legislature and create a land bank for vacant lots.

“Changed behavior is the only way to demonstrate our commitment to fighting for fair housing and building trust with the Black community,” the group said in the statement.

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