Alphonso Jackson

On June 4, an old, frail, sick man named Jim Clark died in an Alabama nursing home. The passing of this segregationist who accidentally helped advance the cause of civil rights was marked in the obituary pages of national newspapers, complete with pictures from the old days.

They recalled a time when he was the face of segregation — smirking, confident — wearing a policeman’s hat and uniform. As sheriff of Dallas County in Alabama, Clark was a stereotype of authority and repression. His uniform belied the badge on his chest, because he was simply masquerading as a lawman, an upholder of the law in an era and an area where segregation was a form of apartheid.

One of the key figures of the March 7, 1965 civil rights march that turned into an unprovoked attack known as “Bloody Sunday,” Clark was and remained an unrepentant segregationist until the day he died. He recently said that he would do it all over again — again let the dogs loose, again pull out the batons and again assault nonviolent marchers who demanded freedom and justice — all in the name of law and order.

Some said that Clark was a forgotten man. Well, not by me, or the millions of us still alive who lived under segregation. We can never forget the hatred expressed on his face. During the March from Selma to Montgomery, we met Clark on Pettus Bridge. While I was on that bridge with Congressman John Lewis and many other unarmed protestors, Clark ordered his “posse” to attack. I still have the scars from the dog bites on my left leg.

It is a strange thing to watch these segregationists leaving a society where everyone now drinks from the same fountain and our country’s diversity is its strength. Some admit their mistakes. Others, like Clark, hold on to the end, steadfastly loyal to supremacy.

In spite of the segregationists’ best efforts, blacks continue to make progress in America. For example, nothing epitomizes the American Dream more than owning a home. It is where we find solitude and shelter.

Ownership is one of the common themes — maybe the greatest theme — of the American experience, and homeownership is one path to upward mobility, wealth creation and a secure retirement. Housing is also about equality, fairness, justice and rights. I know this firsthand. Housing issues were central to the civil rights movement. This was one of the places where civil rights were won and freedom secured.

Minority homeownership rates are at a historic high — over 50 percent. That statistic was unfathomable a century ago, when blacks were denied to right to vote, forced into sharecropping and were routinely lynched. We have come a long way since the days of Jim Clark and Jim Crow.

But there is more work to be done. There is a large homeownership gap between minorities and whites, which is why President Bush set a goal of 5.5 million new minority homeowners by the end of the decade. We are already halfway there and we can continue to close the gap, even in spite of the problems in the subprime market. Black Americans are typically charged higher interest rates — a 3-point difference — and have a harder time getting loans. As a result, they are also more likely to fall prey to predatory lenders and are more deserving of a safe alternative to exotic loan products. So while the homeownership gap has closed from 26 to 24 percent since we started our initiative, I worry that it could widen again due to foreclosures on homes with exotic subprime loans, because too many minorities are being forced into the high-cost subprime market.

I see housing issues across the entire spectrum — from those Americans who are less fortunate and rely upon the safety net of public housing and vouchers to market-rate renters to first-time homeowners to McMansionaires. Especially during these times of exotic subprime mortgages, it is more important than ever to ensure that those at the beginning of the homeownership process understand what they are getting themselves into — i.e., that they read the fine print.

That’s why housing counseling is so important and why this Administration has increased funds for those programs by over 200 percent since 2001 — because minorities and those of low to moderate incomes may only get one shot at homeownership. Those with higher incomes typically have the financial wherewithal to come back from a loan default because of their sustained earning capability. Unfortunately, some minorities and low-income people, because of their potential income level, are not able to, which is what lenders look at when making loans.

Through counseling and programs to help minorities and first-time homeowners, we can keep working to close the homeownership gap. As these old symbols like Jim Clark go to their eternal reward, I hope we can find it in our hearts to forgive them, but never forget their deeds. As I read Clark’s obituary, I could only shake my head, roll up my sleeves and recommit to using my role as the nation’s chief housing officer to help more black Americans become homeowners and find housing free from discrimination.

Alphonso Jackson is Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.