Mapping Mankato Project

This project is intended to identify the history of structural racism in the city of Mankato based on the existence of racially restrictive covenants in real estate deeds. The project team with help from students and community volunteers will read and analyze deeds, identify and document restrictive covenants, and map where those covenants exist in the city. We will use this map to identify connections between past discrimination and current patterns in housing and access in Mankato and to help interested property owners discharge racial covenants under Minnesota law. The purpose of this project is to educate and spread awareness of one method of legal and customary segregation in smaller northern communities like Mankato and to empower community members to become engaged in issues surrounding systemic racism.