Madison Reporter

An exhibition called "Unjust Deeds," which explores the history of racial covenants in Dane County and across the United States, will be held at Sequoya Library in Madison in October 2025. The exhibit aims to shed light on how racial covenants were used throughout much of the 20th century to segregate white residents from Black and other minority groups. These clauses, inserted into property deeds, prevented non-Whites and non-Christians from buying or occupying land. While these covenants are no longer legal or enforceable following the Fair Housing Act of 1968, they still appear in many property records.

The exhibition will feature a presentation by local historian Rick Bernstein on October 6 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., discussing both local and national histories of racial covenants. Homeowners are encouraged to use the Prejudice in Places map online before attending to determine if their properties contain such restrictions. Those who find discriminatory language can file a “Discharge and Release of Discriminatory Restriction Affecting Real Property” form during the event. Dane County property assistants and notaries will be present to validate documents and submit them to the Register of Deeds. Document recording fees have been waived through support from the Wisconsin Realtors Association Foundation.

Registration for this event is requested.

"This is a project of the County Executive, Board of Supervisors, Planning & Development, and Office of Equity & Inclusion. This project is supported by WI Act 210 and Dane County Resolution 2024-305."

Support for bringing this program to libraries comes from organizations including Beyond the Page, National Endowment for the Humanities, Madison Community Foundation, Evjue Foundation, Dane Arts, and Dane County Department of Planning & Development.

Another related event will take place on October 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., when Alder Bill Tishler moderates a panel discussion on Richard Rothstein’s book "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America." The discussion will address how government policies shaped segregation patterns that persist today. Copies of "The Color of Law" will be available at Sequoya Library's Ask Desk on a first-come basis.

"In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America’s cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation―that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies. Rather, The Color of Law incontrovertibly makes clear that it was de jure segregation―the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments―that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day."

After its run at Sequoya Library ends in October 2025, "Unjust Deeds" will travel to other library locations throughout Dane County until February 2026. More information about future events can be found at danecountyhistory.org/racial-covenants.