Our Little Library

For the past several years, as we’ve celebrated various December holidays, we have gifted each District agent with a book about race. And in our office, we’ve created our own little library of knowledge from which we can continually learn.

These books have included those that address racial segregation driven by the government, the cost of racism for everyone and the unspoken caste system in our country:

The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee

Caste by Isabel Wilkinson

I cannot overstate the importance of learning what these books, and others like them, have to teach. As real estate agents, we have a responsibility to fully understand the role our industry has played in racial discrimination in this country. Only by examining the past can we change the narrative for our industry’s future and play a pivotal role in helping all people find a good place to live.

Racism is not a political issue; it is a social issue. We live in a country with huge inequalities. We all play a part in transforming that, and I believe educating ourselves is a first step. 

This year, our library will get two new books:

Freedom to Discriminate by Gene Slater, which deals with the role of Realtors in segregation.

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa, which discusses the effects of racism in health and medicine.

Both books will live in our little library, and I look forward to using what we learn from them to build a better community and a more equitable new year for us all. Happy 2023!

All in. Always.
Anna

P.S. If you want to buy these books, consider doing so at your local bookstore. We love Pegasus Books on Solano Avenue in Berkeley or Marcus Books on Martin Luther King Jr Way in Oakland.