Steering in Chicago: Comedian George Wilborn denied home

story by Dr. Boyce Watkins
photo by Getty

Video Interview Link of George Wilborn: http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/55dfe94f-a5bf-4c55-b045-3b3dc80ece8c/News/Comedian-and-radio-personality-faces-housing-discrimination

Serious charges of racial discrimination have been laid out against a Chicago couple for refusing to sell their home to a black comedian and his family. Apparently, the family's real estate agent informed government officials that the couple chose not to sell their home to the comedian because he is black.

George Wilborn is not only the victim of the couple's discrimination, he is also a co-host of The Michael Baisden Show. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on August 10 that they will charge Daniel and Adrienne Sabbia, as well as their real estate agent Jeffrey Lowe with violation of fair housing laws.

According to HUD, the family and their agent stalled negotiations with Wilborn and even took the home off the market in order to avoid selling it to him. Wilborn and his wife Peytyn offered $1.7 million for the house, which was the highest offer the couple had received in two years. Lowe, the real estate agent, admitted that the couple did not want to sell the home to the Wilborn family because they are black.

"Racial fairness is important at all income levels. Civil rights enforcement must be the effective shield against housing discrimination that in this case wealth was not," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

"We went and saw the house one more time and as we left, something occurred," Willborn said. "My family and I felt strange. Let's just say it was a really quiet ride home after this happened."

Wilborn filed a complaint in January about the Sabbia's behavior. After finding out that the complaint had been filed, they offered to sell the home, fully furnished, for $1.8 million. The Wilborns declined to take the second offer. Wilborn plans to take the issue as far as he can, including speaking about it in public.

Good for George Wilborn. For every case of discrimination that goes reported, there are hundreds that are swept under the rug. By using the courts to remedy such discrimination, Wilborn has put others on notice that this kind of behavior will simply not be tolerated. I am also happy to see that Wilborn didn't reward the alleged racists in this situation by taking their second offer. If they did indeed discriminate against Wilborn because of his race, they should learn very quickly that racism is just not profitable.