As an affordable housing provider, we recognize the profound impact of affordable housing policy on the lives of Black Americans throughout this country’s history and the vital role that housing equity plays in shaping communities and fostering opportunity. In honor of Black History Month this February, we’re highlighting Black leaders in affordable housing and the ways that people can support equity in affordable housing today.

Black Leaders in Affordable Housing History

Maggie L. Walker, is the visionary founder of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, who not only championed financial empowerment but supported Black homeownership through the mortgages her bank provided to Black clients.

Robert C. Weaver was the first Black cabinet member to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Born in DC and educated at Howard University, Weaver was instrumental in creating the U.S. Housing Administration that funneled $50 million into federal housing projects. Throughout his career he fought to ensure fair employment for Black Americans in those federally funded housing projects, and to increase the availability of affordable housing and dismantle segregation in housing project.

Geneva Valentine. As a real estate owner, Geneva fought to break up all white blocks and refused her white clients’ requests to charge Black clients more to purchase their homes. She also bought property to establish a nondiscriminatory housing co-op and fought tirelessly against the use of eminent domain and restrictive covenants as a means of displacing Black Washingtonians.

John Whitelaw Lewis, founded the Whitelaw Hotel, a luxury hotel and meeting place built by and for African Americans, and the Industrial Savings Bank, the only Black-owned Bank in DC at the time of its founding, that opened up opportunities for Black people to purchase homes and finance their businesses. While the Industrial Savings Bank closed during the Great Depression, the bank was reopened by Howard University Alum Jesse H. Mitchell, who revived the bank as the Industrial Bank of Washington, providing crucial mortgages and business lending to African Americans when mainstream banks refused to do so. Today, the bank is still Black-owned and thriving and the Whitelaw Hotel has been revived and transformed into affordable apartments.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beyond his renowned civil rights work, Dr. King was a fierce advocate for housing as a key component of economic justice for African Americans. During the Chicago Freedom Movement of 1966, Dr. King collaborated with Chicago civil rights leaders like Albert Raby to organize open housing marches through segregated neighborhoods, rent strikes and boycotts against banks with discriminatory practices, and to expose housing discrimination through fair housing testing. These efforts were part of a larger vision to abolish the social and economic discriminatory practices that kept Black people in urban areas from achieving true equality.

Etta Horn was a fierce advocate for welfare rights and affordable housing. Etta, along with fellow tenant Lilian Wright, took a stand against the neglect of the government towards Barry Farms Dwellings in DC’s historic Anacostia neighborhood by forming the Barry Farms Band of Angels. Through the Barry Farms Band of Angels Etta secured $1.5 million from the National Capital Housing Authority to combat the deteriorating living conditions in the Barry Farms Dwellings. She then went on to lead the Citywide Welfare Alliance, an anti-poverty group that tackled various socio-political issues and fought to alleviate poor living conditions.

Hilyard Robinson. A native Washingtonian and Dean of the Architectural School at Howard University, Robinson is notable for designing the Langston Terrace Dwellings, DC’s first federally funded public housing, and the private residence of Ralph Bunche, the first Black Nobel laureate. His work also includes the Tuskegee Army Airfield and iconic structures such as Cramton Hall, the Ira Aldridge Theater, the School of Architecture-Engineering, the Home Economics Building, and Locke Hall at Howard University.

Patricia Roberts Harris. Not only was Harris the first Black woman to serve as an Ambassador for the United States but she also made history as the first Black woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet. During her tenure as HUD Secretary, Harris reshaped HUD’s focus and invested millions of federal funds into improving living conditions in deteriorating neighborhoods instead of bulldozing them through slum clearance. She also established the Neighborhood Strategy Program which subsidized the renovation of apartments in neglected areas, expanded the Urban Homesteading Plan, and introduced Urban Development Action Grants, enticing businesses into disinvested areas and fostering economic revitalization.

Rev. Channing Phillips. Phillips was a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to advocating for decent housing and social justice for all. Phillips served as Senior Minister of the historic Lincoln Temple Congregational Church in DC and as a member of the executive board of the Model Inner City Community Organization, a grassroots group founded by Rev. Walter Fauntroy, that sought to provide better housing, jobs, and other basic services to the people who lived in Shaw. Phillips also led the Housing Development Corporation, spearheading efforts to develop and rehabilitate more than 8,000 units of affordable housing in Shaw alone.

Edward Brooke. Brooke made history as the first African American to be elected to the United States Senate by popular vote. Brooke played a pivotal role in the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark legislation that aimed to combat housing discrimination and ensure equal access to housing for all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. He also championed the Brooke Amendment, an amendment to the Fair Housing Act that set limits on the amount of rent low-income tenants would have to pay in public housing.

Black Leaders in Affordable Housing Today

Alanna McCargo. As the 18th President of Ginnie Mae and a former Senior Advisor for Housing Finance at HUD, McCargo has dedicated her career to making America’s housing finance system more equitable and affordable for all. Her work spans decades, from leading research at the Urban Institute to shaping policy at JP Morgan Chase and Fannie Mae. McCargo’s advocacy for reducing racial homeownership gaps and improving access to credit has left a lasting impact on housing security and affordability efforts.

Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. As the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Fudge has dedicated her career to helping low-income families, seniors, and communities across the country. From her time as the first female and African American mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, to her tenure as a U.S. Representative, Secretary Fudge has tackled housing challenges head-on. She’s fought against predatory lending, revitalized neighborhoods, and expanded opportunities for affordable housing.

Heather Raspberry. As the Executive Director Emeritus of the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND), Heather has been at the forefront of creating equitable communities in the Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond Capital Region. Over her career, Heather has been recognized for her passion and commitment, receiving numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to community development and affordable housing. Heather’s leadership has strengthened the capacity of nonprofits throughout the Capital Region to champion affordable housing and address systemic inequities. She also played a pivotal role in developing HAND’S Housing Indicator Tool, a dashboard that measures the Capital Region’s progress towards meeting its affordable housing needs.

Donald Whitehead Jr. With over 20 years of experience serving and advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness, Whitehead currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, an organization dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness, addressing the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness, and ensuring their civil rights are respected. Whitehead has directed several programs serving people experiencing homelessness and has also served as a national advocate and an Organizational Management Consultant focused on homelessness and racial equity. Whitehead has advocated throughout his career for systemic change to end homelessness through increased federal investment in housing and services as well as an end to policies that criminalize homelessness.

Amanda Andere. With over fifteen years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, Andere is a dedicated leader committed to racial and housing justice through advocacy for systemic change. Andere currently serves as the CEO Funders Together to End Homelessness, where she leads efforts to address homelessness by advocating for policies and initiatives that tackle its root causes. Andere is also a founding member and leader of the National Racial Equity Working Group on Homelessness and Housing and serves on the Leadership Council for the DC Partnership to End Homelessness.

Lisa Rice. As the President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Rice leads efforts to advance fair housing principles, broaden protections, and expand equal housing opportunities across the nation. Rice is a published author contributing to several books and journals addressing a range of fair housing issues. She has also played a pivotal role in investigating and resolving precedent-setting fair housing cases, resulting in remedies for millions and the elimination of systemic discriminatory practices in lending, insurance, rental, and zoning matters.

Aja Taylor. Taylor is the Advocacy Director for Bread for City, where she oversees the nonprofit’s Affordable Housing Campaign and manages a team of community organizers to drive impactful change in the housing landscape. Beyond her work at Bread for the City, Taylor is deeply involved in advocacy efforts through her role on the steering committee for the Fair Budget Coalition, a network that advocates for policy initiatives addressing the human needs of DC residents. Taylor has been recognized with awards such as the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizens’ Partner Award and the Washington Peace Center Activist Award for her leadership in the passage of the Fair Criminal Records Screening Act of 2014.

Damon E. Thompson. With over 22 years of public sector experience in administering and overseeing HUD-funded housing programs, Thompson is a dedicated advocate for affordable housing. In his current role as Director of National Housing with LISC Housing, Thompson leads efforts to replicate and launch home repair programs. Thompson’s leadership has included overseeing programs like the Delray Home Improvement Program and the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund, that focus on preserving affordable housing and revitalizing communities. He as also led initiatives like the 0% Interest Home Repair Loan Program in Detroit, that provided crucial assistance to nearly 700 Detroit homeowners.

Renee M. Willis. As the Senior Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Willis works tirelessly to ensure that the organization’s commitment to racial equity is woven into its culture, policies, programs, and practices. In her work, she leads efforts to intensify engagement with renters with low-incomes and individuals with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability. Willis is also active in the Shriver Center’s Racial Justice Institute, a network of advocates working on race equity issues across the country. Throughout her career, Willis has held key roles in various housing agencies, including serving as the housing services chief with Arlington County, Virginia, and the administrator of the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs for Montgomery County, Maryland. Additionally, she has contributed her expertise as an advocate and manager for the Public Justice Center’s Tenant Advocacy Project.

Natalie N. Maxwell. As the Managing Attorney at the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) Maxwell is dedicated to preserving rural housing, protecting low-income tenants impacted by disasters, and expanding fair housing rights for marginalized communities. Prior to her role at NHLP, Maxwell spent 14 years in the Florida legal aid delivery system, where she litigated civil rights cases involving housing preservation, housing discrimination, disability rights, and public benefits. Maxwell was also a 2005 Equal Justice Works Fellow, where she developed legal strategies to increase housing access for low-income Floridians with disabilities.