Blockbusting Terrorizes White Chicago Neighborhoods, Trapping Black Buyers

Real estate speculators in Chicago and other Northern cities practice 'blockbusting' — introducing one Black family to an all-white block, then circulating panic among white residents that property values will fall, buying their homes cheaply, and reselling at inflated prices to Black buyers on exploitative contracts. Realtors send postcards, cold-call, and conduct door-to-door campaigns warning of 'neighborhood change.' The National Association of Real Estate Boards expels members who sell to Black buyers in white areas but profits from the panic-selling that follows blockbusting.