It’s a thing.
One example I’ve been sitting on for a while is the Montgomery County, Maryland, Planning Department’s study of racially restrictive deed covenants and housing discrimination. This screenshot from the agency’s 2023 report shows a discussion of a Black physician’s efforts to buy a home in Silver Spring in the early 1960s.
The report’s authors didn’t bother to learn that this home described in their report was still owned by the family and that the doctor’s daughter was married to the son of a Tulsa race massacre survivor and leading voice in Black history: John Hope Franklin.
There’s lots more missing from the report, but that’s a story for another day.
Shortlink for this post: https://wp.me/p1bnGQ-43L
It’s frustrating to see historical research conducted in such a lazy and superficial manner. The Montgomery County Planning Department’s study on racial restrictive covenants is a prime example. They missed out on the rich historical context of the Black physician’s home in Silver Spring, failing to acknowledge the family’s continued ownership and the significant connection to John Hope Franklin, a prominent figure in Black history. This kind of oversight undermines the credibility of the study and perpetuates a disservice to the understanding of historical events.