Thank you to everyone who tuned into our Fair Housing Film Festival! Recordings of the panel discussions will be made available shortly and provided in the schedule below. Films that are available for viewing also have links provided below, though the number of available films is limited.
A huge thank you to all of our panelists, moderators, performers, partners, and sponsors who helped to make the festival a success!
The Office of Equity and Civil Rights is a city agency devoted to advancing equity and upholding the federal and local civil rights laws, the local living and prevailing wage laws, and providing oversight of local law enforcement. The mission of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights is to carry out activities to eliminate inequity, inequality, and discrimination.
There are two divisions in the Office: the Equity Division which works to advance equity in the City of Baltimore, and the Civil Rights Division, which consists of the Civilian Review Board, the Community Relations Commission, the Mayor's Commission on Disabilities and the Wage Commission.
The Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights is a proud recipient of a Fair Housing Initiative Program grant through HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The mission of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws.
AUTISM IN LOVE is a highly acclaimed documentary that explores the experiences of four adults on the autism spectrum as they search for love and romance. In 2014, the Center for Disease Control announced that in the U.S., 1 in every 68 children could be identified as being on the autism spectrum. Rarely do we hear about what happens once these kids with autism grow up. What happens when children with autism become adults with autism and want to have lives of their own and find love?
AUTISM IN LOVE seamlessly answers these questions with candor and sensitivity. It gives its often marginalized subjects an unprecedented platform to speak for themselves as they navigate perhaps the most fundamental human experience - the experience of love. Through multidimensional and nuanced storytelling, this educational documentary encourages all of us to challenge our assumptions and enriches our understanding of love.
Join our panelists as they discuss issues of equities for persons with disabilities in Baltimore City. Panelists will also highlight the intersection of the Fair Housing Act and the American with Disabilities Act on the 30th anniversary of the ADA.
Panelists include:
-M’Balu Bangura, Equity Specialist, Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights
-Caleb Berkemeir, Training Specialist, MidAtlantic ADA Center
-Ben Jackson, Attorney, Disability Rights Maryland
-Lauren Jackson, Community Relations Representative, Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights
-Jacob Leffler, President, Baltimore Association of the Deaf
-Adam Levine, Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities
Moderated by Sharonda Huffman, Accessibility and Compliance Coordinator, Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities
Watch at:
Únase a nosotros mientras vemos tres especiales de noticias sobre las prácticas discriminatorias de hoy en día, desde la línea roja hasta la gentrificación y los préstamos predatorios. Vea un video producido por NPR que detalla la historia de la discriminación en la vivienda en el gobierno y la política de los EE. UU. También presentamos una entrevista de Real News Network con la Dra. Marisela Gomez mientras habla sobre la gentrificación y las políticas discriminatorias de vivienda y desarrollo comunitario en el este de Baltimore, así como algunas posibles soluciones para abordar estas preocupaciones. Por último, veremos un especial sobre las líneas rojas modernas de PBS News Hour. Todos estarán subtitulados en español.
Debe seleccionar subtítulos en español
Únase a nuestros panelistas mientras discuten las dificultades que enfrenta la comunidad Latinx a la hora de acceder a una vivienda justa. El Centro de Justicia Pública discutirá los derechos en torno a los desalojos y otras importantes leyes de arrendatarios e inquilinos y el personal de la Oficina de Equidad y Derechos Civiles de la Ciudad de Baltimore discutirá los derechos de vivienda justa y cómo presentar una queja si ha sido discriminado. También tendremos invitados que discutirán los recursos disponibles en la ciudad de Baltimore con el fin de ayudar a la comunidad Latinx a acceder a viviendas seguras y asequibles.
Tendremos como panelistas a:
-Dr. Felipe Filomeno, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Global Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
-Zelma Ortiz, Investigator, Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights
-Carolina Paul, Paralegal, Public Justice Center
Moderado por Señor Pedro A. Palomino, Somos Baltimore Latino
When a single gunshot rings out at a small motel in Memphis, the assassination of Dr. King triggers riots across the country. President Johnson, long frustrated by his inability to improve fair housing conditions for people of color, scrambles to use the crisis to his advantage. With few days to spare and many arms to twist, he and two young Senators – Edward Brooke and Walter Mondale – attempt to push a fair housing bill through a reluctant Congress before the slain Civil Rights leader is laid to rest. The Fair Housing Act was ultimately passed just seven days after Dr. King’s untimely death.
Underwritten by Nationwide to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and the 30th anniversary of the National Fair Housing Alliance, this short film tells the important story of how the law was passed, reminds people about its significance, and compels us all to complete the unfinished work of the Act.
Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EKo5rBBzpI
Following the showing of Seven Days, this panel will help kick off our week as panelists discuss the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This discussion will focus on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred seven days prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act and how the Civil Rights movement of 1968 is reflected in the movement for Civil Rights today. In particular, panelists will discuss how housing discrimination has changed since 1968, as well as the ways in which housing discrimination has stayed the same. The panel will cover topics on both a national and local level.
Panelists include:
-Lisa Kelly, Community Relations Commission Supervisor, Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights
-Lisa Rice, President and CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance
-Lu Yarbrough III, Associate Vice President, Enterprise Diverse and Cause Marketing
The First Rainbow Coalition charts the history and legacy of a groundbreaking multi-ethnic coalition that rocked Chicago in the 1960s. Comprised of activists from the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (southern whites), and the Young Lords (a former Puerto Rican street gang), Chicago’s Rainbow Coalition (1969-1971) united poor blacks, whites, and Latinos to openly challenge police brutality and substandard housing in one of the most segregated cities in America.
Bridging past and present, The First Rainbow Coalition examines the legacy of the Rainbow Coalition, exploring how contemporary problems that displace the poor in urban areas, such as gentrification and the relationship between the police and poor and minority communities, are fundamentally linked to the defining issues around which the Rainbow Coalition was organized. A thought-provoking film that sparks new dialogue about the 1960s, The First Rainbow Coalition provides an unparalleled platform for contemporary discussions on race and class in an increasingly divided United States.
A Matter of Place shines a bright light on housing discrimination, one of the most shrouded and misunderstood civil rights issues in America. This short documentary connects past struggles for fair housing to contemporary incidents of housing bias based on race, sexual orientation, disability, and source of income, and presents three stories of people who faced housing discrimination in present-day New York City. They poignantly describe the injuries inflicted on them during these incidents, as well as their resolve to fight for justice.
Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkYfa5lX-nU
Join our panelists after the showing of "A Matter of Place" to discuss the various ways in which organizations and citizens are tackling issues of housing discrimination. Topics will include education and outreach on housing discrimination, fair housing testing, and complaint investigation. Viewers will learn about the options available to them if they have been discriminated against in housing.
Panelists include:
-Robyn Dorsey, Fair Housing Director, Fair Housing Action Center of Maryland
-Cleveland Horton,Deputy Director, Maryland Commission on Civil Rights
-Michelle Sullivan-Brady, Board Member, Fair Housing Justice Center, Inc., New York
-Craig Waletzko, Community Engagement Coordinator, Fair Housing Justice Center, Inc., New York
Moderated by Janet Abrahams, President and CEO, Housing Authority of Baltimore City
Watch at:
Beat Goes On is an impressionistic portrait of the activist Keith Cylar (1958–2004), co-founder of Housing Works and a central figure in the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) NY. Cylar spoke clearly, frequently and with moral force about the struggles of people living with HIV/AIDS in New York City, many of whom were impoverished and struggling with multiple social and medical problems. His openness about his own drug use and the centrality of the fight against the criminalization of drugs for AIDS activism make Cylar's legacy especially resonant and relevant at this time. A fellow harm reduction activist recalls how "Keith moved from mixing with the government, to threatening the government, to beating the government—all in the space of five minutes." By resurfacing and weaving together archival media of Cylar's own words and actions, this video will endeavor to convey—in the space of about five minutes—some of the personal charisma, political savvy and fearlessness that characterized Cylar's advocacy.
Commissioned by Visual AIDS for STILL BEGINNING: The 30th Annual Day With(out) Art
visualaids.org/projects/day-without-art-2019
Watch at: https://vimeo.com/372220515
This panel will discuss the intersection of fair housing with homelessness, evictions, and underhousing. Panelists will reflect both on the AIDS/HIV epidemic discussed in the Beat Goes On, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, panelists will discuss how these health crises, along with other issues, disproportionately impact communities of color and the role that housing plays as both a problem and a solution.
Panelists include:
-Anthony Butler, President and CEO, AIDS Interfaith Residential Services Inc. (AIRS)
-Deborah Dunn, Family Practice Physician Assistant and Trans Health Coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center, Chase Brexton Health Care
-Angeles Evans, Community Engagement Manager, TurnAround, Inc.
-Matt Hill, Attorney, Public Justice Center
Moderated by Shanti Avirgan, Filmmaker, Beat Goes On
Watch at:
Unfair housing practices in Baltimore City have spanned for decades and have been identified by the New York Times as “the most pronounced Jim Crow measure on record at the time”. Baltimore was home to at least 18 neighborhood associations, who engaged in restrictive covenants, to which its members pledged to never sell their property to “Blacks, Negros nor African Americans”.
Today, Baltimore continues to experience the residual effects of unfair housing practices as depicted on color-coded maps of the city. Those maps display the “White L”, representing more affluent areas and the “Black Butterfly” representing more impoverished areas of the city.
Various forms of legislation has been sought to remedy the deep-rooted, oppressive efforts that has crippled various communities throughout the city. Shamefully, those efforts have not out-paced the momentum that continues to racially divide this city.
This virtual event will provide various perspectives of Baltimore’s housing history, an overview of impacted neighborhoods, the political structure and most of all, housing financing opportunities/resources. Find out about funding opportunities in housing during this informational session featuring a Six O'clock Session from Live Baltimore that will provide information regarding incentives for perspective homeowners to assist with down payment, closing costs and tips on combining incentives to maximize funding.
Panelists:
-Brian P. Brooks, Acting Comptroller of the Currency
-Kelly Fox, PNC Bank
-Danise Jones-Dorsey, Northeast Housing Initiative
-Scott Serafin, Live Baltimore
-Morgan Rouse, Innovative Housing Institute
-Terrell Williams, Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development
Moderated by Linda Batts and Glenda Curtis, Equity Division, Baltimore Office of Equity and Civil Rights
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In the world’s wealthiest country, access to healthy food should be a basic human right, one shared by all.
Lack of access to food with nutritional value, is an endemic problem across our country. In Baltimore City, many neighborhoods offer little in the way of decent choices for residents. This film attempts to raise awareness through the stories of people trying to make a difference and reclaim their right to healthy food.
Dr. Lawrence Brown, former Morgan State University Professor, coined the terms “Black Butterfly” and “White L” in reference to Baltimore’s hyper-segregation. But as he points out, this hyper-segregation is not just an issue of housing, but also of transit, finance, education, and more- all of which access to has been shaped by racist policies. Panelists reflect on Baltimore’s communities of color and their access, or lack there of, to structural advantages including food access as highlight in Deserted.
Panelists include:
-Anthony Francis, Community Activist
-Tiffany Jones, Director of Programs and Equity Initiatives, Access Art
-Brandon Myers, Counsel- Central Operations, Uber
-Emily Stubb, Documentary Filmmaker
-Tenne Thrower, Community Schools Specialist, Baltimore City Public Schools
Moderated by Steven Cook, San Francisco School Board
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GUEST HOUSE is a documentary feature that captures a six month period in the lives of three women previously incarcerated for non-violent crimes. The film takes you through the reality of reintegration from the prison system and dissolves some of the “otherness” that makes us feel more comfortable with our justice system. The feature attempts to objectively illuminate just how unjust “justice” can be, and just how not “other” many of these women are. The viewer gets to know the real hopes, dreams, desires, and disappointments of our protagonists and gain insight into their choices. The house is full of diverse personalities driven by survival instincts, and characters who use their humor and intelligence to deal with a broken justice system - a system that contributes to the recidivism of its criminals.
A discussion of housing legislation lobbied for and enacted during COVID-19, re-entry during COVID-19, and finding housing for those reentering society.
Panelists include:
-Greg Countess, Director of Advocacy for Housing and Community Economic Development, Maryland Legal Aid
-Nicole Hanson, Out for Justice
-Danielle Jefferis, Assistant Professor of Law, California Western
-Senator Mary Washington, 43rd District
Moderated by Dr. Marisela Gomez, Lead Consultant, Social Health Concepts & Practices
Watch at:
In the 1960s two African-American entrepreneurs hire a working-class white man to pretend to be the head of their business empire while they pose as a janitor and chauffeur.
Revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson) devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racist establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett's wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire - while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built.
Risk, Race, and Real Estate: A Conversation on Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact in Residential Lending
In 2012, Wells Fargo and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a $175 million settlement over accusations of discriminatory lending in Baltimore City and other localities. Specifically, there was evidence that Black and Hispanic residents were more likely to be placed in a subprime loan than their White counterparts even if they qualified for a better loan. A report by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition published in 2015, entitled “Home Mortgage and Small Business Lending In Baltimore and Surrounding Areas', found that, “In Baltimore City, race matters most in mortgage lending. Lending is greater in neighborhoods with larger white than African American populations, and there are tremendous disparities in home lending for African American and white residents.” There are numerous studies and lawsuits that reveal and pattern of disparate treatment and a propensity of disparate impact with regard to lending to minorities. However, this discussion is not to recap the findings of those studies, but to chart a path forward to remedying the issues. This panel will bring together researchers, fair housing practitioners, and financiers to address the feasibility of proposed solutions.
Panelists include:
-Watchen Harris Bruce, President & CEO, Baltimore Community Lending, Inc.
-Dr. Seema Iyer, Director of the Real Estate and Economic Development Program, University of Baltimore
-Monica Mitchell, Vice President Community Development, Wells Fargo
-Tara Ramchandani, Partner, Relman Colfax
-Sally Scott, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Programs in Community Leadership, UMBC
Moderated by: Jasmine Brewer, Program Manager, Financial Equality Center and Housing Counseling Network, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Watch at:
This panel will delve into the policies and practices, along with the challenges of law enforcement, specifically when the conversation turns to equity in policing. All across the country, communities of color are suffering due to the inequitable practices of policing policies and the implementation of those policies by front line officers. Specifically, the disproportionate policing of zip codes where black and brown bodies are the majority, and the disparate treatment and benign neglect in low-income and blighted communities. How do communities of color make changes in policies within departments and begin to have conversation that will change the way in which they are policed? How will communities ensure that police officers are held accountable when they have barely been held accountable in the past?
Panelists will share their testimonies of death family members, and their connection to law enforcement. Instead of bitterness, these individuals turned their pain into becoming activists and community servants. There will be a discussion on how Black Men in America can cope with encounters with law enforcement and learn the types of trauma that victims of racism deal with. Lastly, audience members will be provided with solutions for themselves and to take back to their communities.
Panelists include:
-Fred Jackson, Retired: Baltimore City Sheriff’s Department, IAD Chief
Civilian Review Board Member, Northwestern District
-Ms. Tawanda Jones, Community Activist
-Mr. Gregory Riddick, Sr., The Trill Foundation, CIPC Member
-Dr. Paulette Williams-Tillery, Program Director, Roberta’s House, Baltimore City and Prince George’s County
Moderated by Jill P. Carter, Maryland State Senator, Maryland's 41st Legislative District
Watch at:
Where we live is inextricably tied to how we live. Housing conditions, such as lead poisoning, mold, pests, and other factors of substandard housing affect our physical and mental health. Conditions of neighborhoods, housing affordability, and other housing policies all shape residents lives. Panelists will discuss this link between health and housing, in particular the affects of COVID-19 on housing and the affects of housing on COVID-19.
Panelists include:
-Dr. Lawrence Brown, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin
-Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Commissioner of Health, Baltimore City Health Department
-Dr. Lorece Edwards, Professor of Public Health, Morgan State University
-Ruth Ann Norton, President & CEO, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI)
Moderated by Tracy McCracken, Director of Fair Housing, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Watch at:
Join the Wage Commission to discuss your rights within the community! The Wage Commission will partner with the Public Justice Center, Job Opportunities Task Force, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition to empower low wages, re-entry, and immigrant workers' rights within the workplace and the housing market. Low-wage workers increasingly struggle to support themselves and their families with their wages. Abusive employer practices and stagnant minimum wages prevent many workers, even those able to find full-time employment, from earning a living wage and affordable housing. Wage theft is rampant: all too often, employers violate labor and employment laws by failing to pay the minimum wage for all hours worked, refusing to pay overtime, or classifying employees as independent contractors to avoid laws that protect workers. These violations disproportionally affect women, people of color, and immigrants.
This workshop will consist of a presentation that will cover each of the organization's history and background, and the impact of their organization have on the people of color, women, and immigrants, and the past, present, and future policy reforms on the topic. It will then lead to a panel discussion from industry experts, focusing on how bias, stereotyping, and prejudices impact the services being given to marginalized individuals with the workforce and housing market. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A from the audience.
Panelists include:
-John Barber Jr., Senior Council Representative from the Easter Atlantic States Regional Council Carpenters (Carpenters Local 197)
- Kim Johnson, Policy Analyst, National Low Income Housing Coalition
- Tyra Robinson, Attorney from the Public Justice Center
- Caryn York, Executive Director from the Job Opportunities Task Force
Moderated by Ally Amerson, Esq., Director of Alumni Counseling and Programs at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
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Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story follows three families in a contemporary American battle for equal opportunity. One city's struggle over racial discrimination and how to redress long-standing institutional housing segregation is the subject of a confrontation that challenges and changes Yonkers, New York. Drawn deeply into the conflict, the people in Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story show how contemporary America confronts the issues of race and opportunity. Through their city's crucible, they deal with the meaning of civil rights in a current-day context.
Highlight the Fight: How artists, community members, and activists came together to bring attention to housing discrimination
Join the Producer/Director of "Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story," Bill Kavanagh, along with Gene Capello, Board Member and former Chair of the Fair Housing Justice Center, New York City, and Michael Sussman, Civil Rights Attorney, both featured in the film, to discuss the circumstances that led to the creation of this documentary. Panelists will also discuss how issues of housing discrimination have evolved in the years since the documentary premiered.
Panelists include:
-Gene Capello, Board Member and former Chair of the Fair Housing Justice Center, New York City
-Bill Kavanagh, Producer/Director, Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story
-Michael Sussman, Civil Rights Attorney
Moderated by Adria Crutchfield, Executive Director, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership
Watch at:
Brought to you by Wells Fargo: In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Focus on Home webinar series is designed to share information and educate by providing tips and tools for housing counselors, financial counselors & coaches, and housing industry professionals. This webinar series is made possible through the Wells Fargo Housing Affordability Philanthropy team in collaboration with Home Lending, Community Relations, and Public Affair*
*previously recorded on 8/26/2020- no live audience questions
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Join to view an educational webinar created by the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights about fair housing- includes real life scenarios and a special presentation by Natalie Gillard, Founder and Facilitator of Factuality the Game. The webinar will be followed by a short video created by the Maryland Historical Society on the history of discriminatory housing practices in Baltimore.
Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy4AiR9InRU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWbFYBXrg3c
From Redline to Reality: The facts about the impact of past housing discrimination on the present day
When it comes to the history of housing discrimination, we cannot simply leave the past in the past. In order to truly understand everything from disparities in health, education, and wealth, we must start with the systems that contributed to those disparities- in the case of housing discrimination policies like redlining and racially restrictive covenants & deeds. Join our panelists Natalie Gillard, Founder and Facilitator of Factuality the Game, and David Armenti, Director of Education at the Maryland Historical Society, as they show us historical documents that demonstrate firsthand these discriminatory practices and discuss the modern day outcomes. Learn about the resources available from both panelists that seek to bring history to life through a variety of educational approaches.
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Join us for a virtual red carpet before our final event of the week. Learn more about our year of education and outreach on fair housing, learn to make the signature drinks for the finale of the festival, learn about food deals available, and last, but not least, enjoy a live DJ performance while you get ready to watch The House That Holds Us!
What happens when playwrights, actors, and citizens of Baltimore city come together to share their humanity?
Stories from the city streets are brought to life in dynamic and powerful performances by Everyman Theatre actors. Monologues and scenes from the theatrical canon explore pride -of- place, home, and prejudice. These powerful words will be performed in tandem with original work, inspired by true cautionary tales highlighting the obstacles faced by many Baltimoreans on the journey toward equitable housing opportunity.
Visit the past, witness the present, and imagine a future in this unique theatrical event. After taking in each vignette, learn more from experts, key changemakers, and the real individuals whose stories we have heard, asking questions directly from our virtual audience.
This evening will be a celebration of the power of story to educate, inform, connect, and inspire.
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