Unjust Deeds: The History of Racial Covenants in Dane County and Beyond

media release: Unjust Deeds, an exhibition sharing the history of racial covenants in Dane County and beyond, is coming to Sequoya Library in October.  

For most of the 20th Century, racial covenants were an insidious tool used nationwide to segregate whites from Blacks and other minorities in America’s burgeoning suburbs and residential neighborhoods. Racial covenants were clauses inserted into property deeds to prevent non-Whites and non-Christians from buying or occupying land. Although no longer valid or enforceable, they can still be found in the land deeds of almost every American community, including Dane County. 

Racial covenants were made illegal with the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. Nevertheless, their impacts are pervasive and still with us today.  

Events:  Unjust Deeds: The History of Racial Covenants in Dane County with Dane County Historical Society(link is external) 

Monday, October 6 | 6:30-8pm 

Local historian Rick Bernstein will give a presentation at Sequoya Library that explores the history of racial covenants in Dane County and nationwide. Before attending, homeowners are encouraged to look up their properties using the Prejudice in Places(link is external) map online to see if their house still has a discriminatory covenant on the deed. If so, you can file a “Discharge and Release of Discriminatory Restriction Affecting Real Property” form at the event. 

Dane County property assistants and notaries will be on site to help validate documents, and will take the documents to the Register of Deeds on your behalf. Document recording fees are waived thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Realtors Association Foundation. 

Registration(link is external) is requested.  

This is a project of the County Executive, Board of Supervisors, Planning & Development, and Office of Equity & Inclusion. This project is supported by WI Act 210(link is external) and Dane County Resolution 2024-305(link is external). 

It's possible for this program to take place in libraries thanks to support from Beyond the Page(link is external), National Endowment for the Humanities(link is external), Madison Community Foundation(link is external), the Evjue Foundation(link is external), Dane Arts(link is external), and Dane County Department of Planning & Development(link is external).   

Interested in hosting the exhibit in 2026? Contact Executive Director Rick Bernstein. Mr. Bernstein is available to make a presentation in conjunction with the exhibit or elsewhere, to provide greater context and background about the history of racial covenants locally and beyond.

The Dane County Historical Society is a 501(c)3 private non-profit established in 1961. Its mission is to preserve and promote Dane County's history. To find out more, go to www.danecountyhistory.org.

To learn more about the County-wide Mapping Prejudice Project visit here.