The histories of many North American cities are marred by institutional acts of unfairness and cruelty towards a catalog of colors, races and religions.
In this current world of war with its attendant social upheavals and refugees, there is a lot for communities around the world to learn from the systematic social atrocities perpetrated over the last few centuries by Johnny-come-lately North Americans as they in turn bullied those who were here before and many who arrived after them.
Today, the winds of change in America are belatedly blowing. Federal requirements initiated in the Obama era (And paused in the Trump era, but now reinstated) direct communities to take detailed stock of their prejudiced attitudes and actions, as well as formulate plans to redress them.
One of the latest communities to go on record is Chicago, with its Blueprint For Fair Housing. Read more at the CHICAGODEFENDER: City Releases Final Blueprint for Fair Housing, and the blueprint itself at the City of Chicago: Chicago Blueprint For Fair Housing
In turn, Chicago’s efforts are the fruits of its participation in an assessment and plan of action by its regional Government: Cook County, which is available here: Cook County Regional Assessment of Fair Housing+ REIA (REIA stands for Race and Equality Impact Assessment)
For communities currently on the human receiving end of upheavals around the world, don’t make the same mistakes that we did in North America. There are ‘how not to’ guidebooks already published, with more coming.
