In antebellum Texas, Samuel Dawson does the unthinkable. He rejects the idea that Black people are subhuman and do not possess the same rights as whites. His defiance is met with hostility from his father and neighboring plantation owners. But Samuel does not succumb to the pressures exerted by others. He remains true to what…
What would you do to defend your freedom? Following the emancipation of slaves in Texas, twenty-year-old plantation owner Samuel Dawson faces new challenges. The state government is reticent to recognize social and political equality between Blacks and whites. Many Texans are determined to return the state to white dominance, threatening the thriving community that Samuel…
Can one person change the course of history? Challenging cultural paradigms is seldom a simple task, and it is particularly difficult for a twelve-year-old. Yet, in 1857, Samuel Dawson, the son of a slaveholder in Texas, does just that. He begins by befriending Will, an enslaved boy his father had recently purchased. Samuel’s father objects…
On September 1, a new Texas law prohibiting homeowners’ associations (HOA) from banning renters from using housing vouchers. Many, including The Dallas Morning News, are calling this a “moral stand” against racism. It is nothing of the sort. In fact, it is an immoral attack on property rights. An HOA typically enforces deed restrictions within…
In my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I provide numerous examples of how racism has prevented non-whites from owning a house and building wealth. Zoning, occupational licensing, eminent domain, and numerous other government policies have often been founded on racism. All of these policies, and many more, are a violation of property…
In 2020. California established the California Reparations Task Force. A few weeks ago, the task force approved recommendations to be considered by the state’s legislature. Several of the recommendations are meant to address housing segregation and past housing decisions based on skin color. At the end of the day, the task force recommends fighting injustice…
On January 9, the unesteemed Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee introduced the “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023.” Among the provisions of the bill, an individual can be convicted of a hate crime if he publishes material on social media or elsewhere that, as determined by a reasonable person, motivate actions by a person predisposed to…
Mark Twain popularized the phrase “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The essential meaning of the phrase is that statistics can be misrepresented to support a particular position. A recent report from Housing for All Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an example of abusing statistics. In the Introduction, the authors claim, This report……
This is a guest post by JP Miller In late January we witnessed a brazen low point in the history of the United States. President Joseph Biden announced the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer from the Supreme Court. He would be examining candidates with the best minds, the highest moral character and best records of…
A Los Angeles apartment developer is suing the city for losses incurred as a result of the city’s eviction moratorium. He correctly claims that the moratorium is a “taking” per the Fifth Amendment and compensation is due to him. He is asking for $100 million. Sadly, the courts usually defer to legislators during a crisis,…
New York City is considering a law that will require “racial equity studies”—akin to environmental impact statements—for zoning changes. The law would require “a study that would analyze the area’s demographic conditions, quality of life, housing security and displacement risk index.” One supporter of the law acknowledges that rezoning has provided great benefits, but only…
It is difficult to read anything written by a Leftist without seeing the words “systemic racism” used to explain an issue. Systemic racism is blamed when a white police officer kills a black thug resisting arrest. When a black woman is raising her children without the father, the cause is systemic racism. When a black…