The Color Tax: Origins of the Modern Day Racial Wealth Gap

This film screening and discussion is the third episode of a five-part documentary series titled Shame of Chicago.

The Color Tax tells the story of how a system of predatory home contract sales during the 1950s and 1960s plundered enormous sums of wealth from the pockets of Black families seeking the American dream of homeownership. The film documents who peddled the contracts, how and why they were allowed to do it, and what happened when Black families organized to fight back in one of Chicago's most heart-wrenching and perilous campaigns for racial and economic justice. 

Hosted by Katanya Raby of The Raby Foundation, the evening will include a screening of the film from 6–6:40 p.m. and panel discussion with filmmaker Bruce Orenstein from 6:40–7 p.m.