The human side of Black history | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to top out in the mid-40s under sunny skies. It should be a nice day across our region.

As Black History Month continues, one of our columnists suggests viewing it through the lens of real humans — and not just one-dimensional factoids about Black accomplishments.

Also, we examine how high home prices and low supply are restricting the types of homes that buyers can afford.

— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com )

You might know the name Ruby Bridges, the brave Black 6-year-old who integrated Louisiana’s public schools. But you probably don’t know that Bridges’ parents were both fired from their jobs as a result.

We hear about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. But we don’t hear that he was the most hated man in America, with people plotting his demise — and ultimately death — at nearly every turn.

Those are just a sampling of what our columnist Elizabeth Wellington points out as she asserts that so much of the narrative is missing when it comes to the real human lives that have shaped — and continue to shape — Black history in America.

Here’s a poignant part of her piece:

“Without context, America’s sins against Black Americans’ humanity continue to go unacknowledged. History that is never fully acknowledged can never be truly understood.”

I encourage you to join Elizabeth as she takes a 360-degree snapshot of Black life in America you can’t readily find on a flash card.

In the Philly area, people making $100,000 can afford to buy roughly 60% of the homes on the market, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors.

Here’s the issue: Only 20% of Black and Hispanic households earn that much.

In Philadelphia, the main issue isn’t necessarily housing supply but the ability for prospective buyers to afford current home prices or even make repairs on a fixer-upper. It’s a situation so bleak that housing advocates say there needs to be a shift from viewing “housing as a commodity to it being a human right.”

Our reporter Michaelle Bond delivers another exploration into how the housing market, wage disparities, and skyrocketing demand continue to price out so many people from obtaining the American dream.

There’s a Scottish actor who refers to Philly as his “second home.” He filmed a movie here and even met the love of his life here, a Philly native who is now his wife. Today’s question: Think you know who? Take a guess and then find the answer here.

a. Bradley Cooper

b. James McAvoy

c. Idris Elba

👀 Eyeing: What happens next as New Jersey and Delaware prepare to lift school mask mandates.

🤔 Wondering: How the Israeli con man known as the Tinder Swindler in Netflix’s latest documentary managed to obtain a Pennsylvania driver’s license.

🏀 Remembering: That it was two years ago this week when Sixers fans discovered that disgruntled point guard Ben Simmons had a house complete with a “candy kitchen.”

Enjoy today. I’ll catch you tomorrow, Philly. 🥨