The Thurston County Auditor’s Office is partnering with the University of Washington, local leaders and New Life Baptist Church to host a Housing Justice Forum on racially restrictive covenants.
The forum, which will be held on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m. at The Atrium, located at 3000 Pacific Ave. SE, Olympia, aims to provide a space for education, reflection and action around the history and ongoing legacy of racially restrictive covenants in Thurston County.
These covenants, written into property deeds throughout the 20th century, explicitly excluded people based on race and religion. Though no longer enforceable, they remain in the official records of many properties.
“Our goal is to shine a light on this history and empower property owners to take action,” Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall said in a news release. “This forum is about our community learning together, reckoning with the past and moving toward a more inclusive future. This is one step toward healing and accountability.”
The event will feature presentations from Hall, UW Racial Restrictive Covenants Project researcher Sophie Belz, and Dr. Thelma Jackson with the New Life Baptist Church Community Engagement Ministry.
Attendees will learn about the widespread use of racially restrictive covenants in Thurston County and the free legal process available to strike them from property records. The UW has identified more than 1,600 parcels impacted by racially restrictive covenants.
Property owners can also complete and submit restrictive covenant modification forms during the event. A notary will be on site to notarize forms at no cost to attendees.
The event is free and open to the public. Community members, landowners and anyone interested in learning more about the region’s housing history are encouraged to attend.
More information on racial restrictive covenant modification in Thurston County can be found online at https://tinyurl.com/7hhfaaa9.
