Each month Fatima Johnson, Brightlane’s Community Engagement & Education Strategist, will be sharing some educational information and resources as we continue to learn together. This month she is helping us explore Black History Month.
February is Black History Month, a time to honor the monumental contributions of Black Americans who have shaped our society through civil rights advocacy, scientific innovation, literature, and the arts. However, at Brightlane Learning, we believe this month calls for more than just celebration; it demands a deeper reflection on the systemic challenges that continue to impact the Black community today.
The reality in our own backyard is sobering. According to the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 55% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Marion County identified as Black. Furthermore, the Indiana Department of Education reports that Black students under 18 are disproportionately represented, making up 31% of the unhoused youth population.
These numbers are not accidental. As the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana notes, homeownership is the foundation of generational wealth in America. Yet, despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act and the Community Reinvestment Act, the homeownership gap for Black families has only widened since 1968.
This month, we invite you to join us in honoring Black history by acknowledging these modern-day hurdles. Below are resources to help you learn more about the systemic issues facing our Black neighbors and the youth we serve.
Read:
- Homeless Students Education Status
- What Causes Homelessness? Systemic Racism and Discrimination of Marginalized Groups
- Residential Segregation in Indianapolis: Who lives where — and why
- Join the Brightlane Learning Book Club as we read Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America by Bernadette Atuahene. A powerful work of scholarship and storytelling. Atuahene shows how predatory governance invites complicity from well-meaning people, eviscerates communities, and widens the racial wealth gap.