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Ann Arbor neighborhood repeals whites-only deeds

The Smith family's neighborhood in Charlotte.
Swikar Patel for NPR
The Smith family's neighborhood in Charlotte.

Residents of an Ann Arbor neighborhood have repealed a racist covenant that was still on their deeds despite being illegal.

The decades-old covenant said only white people could buy homes in the neighborhood.

Organizers of the repeal say such language is fairly common in existing deeds in the state, and it's still harmful to people of color, even though it can't be enforced.

The Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School plans to help other neighborhoods and homeowners do the same thing.

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Radio as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.