Uncovering the History of Race and Housing in Arlington

AHS believes that understanding and confronting the historical causes of racial inequities, including discrimination and segregation in the housing system and the legacy they have left behind, is fundamental to addressing today’s societal and housing challenges. In September, 2020, we held the first in a series of community conversations to help uncover some of our community’s history that hasn’t been widely publicized. Future community conversations will explore policy priorities and opportunities for systemic reforms moving forward.

AHS created two resources to accompany the event: a seven minute video highlighting key elements of the history of race and housing in Arlington, and a visual timeline exploring these and other points in our history. We invite you to explore these as a starting point and dive in deeper using additional resources from our Race and Housing page and the video source material, or view the full History of Race and Housing event video.

African Americans have lived in Arlington for generations, but Arlington has not always been a welcoming place. Learn about some of the history of discrimination and segregation in Arlington.