'Plundered' Book Launch Uncovers How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America

DETROIT, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading property law scholar and founder of the Institute for Law and Organizing Prof. Bernadette Atuahene will launch her highly anticipated new book, Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America, at a virtual event on Tuesday at 7PM ET, where she will be in conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist.

The groundbreaking work offers a new angle on systemic racism, revealing how unlawful property tax foreclosure and other racist policies have eviscerated Black communities, in what MacArthur Genius fellow Patricia Williams calls "a tale of outright government theft hiding in plain sight." Atuahene reveals the grave economic, social, and personal consequences of these practices, and counters the victim-blaming that has long surrounded the issue of Black wealth-building. Crucially, Atuahene not only identifies problems, she locates solutions. In particular, she is a leader of the Coalition for Property Tax Justice, which is a grassroots advocacy group that has joined with hundreds of homeowners to fight back against racialized property tax administration in Detroit and throughout the nation.

At the virtual event, which is free and open to the public, Prof. Atuahene and Dr. Kendi will discuss an underreported national phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, as well as the unforgettable people whose stories Atuahene shares. "I have spent years researching the various racist policies at work in Detroit and other Black cities in America," said Bernadette Atuahene. "I cannot wait for the world to hear the powerful stories contained in Plundered."

Plundered, which has already received high praise, is now available for pre-order and will officially hit shelves on Jan. 28.

"Clear. Accessible. Compelling." —Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist

"A compelling achievement of groundbreaking scholarship that you can imagine playing out on a movie screen." —Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, author of White Poverty and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign

"It's a vital addition to the literature on housing inequality in America."—Publishers Weekly

"Atuahene braids personal stories with an analysis of Detroit's policies on real property to produce an engaging and informative assessment of yet another way that racism permeates American society. Eye-opening."—Kirkus Reviews

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. To RSVP for the virtual event, visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/plundered-virtual-book-launch?source=direct_link&

View the Plundered Support Packet.

SOURCE Institute for Law and Organizing