Tonika Lewis Johnson
Meet 2021–2022 Artist as Instigator Tonika Lewis Johnson
Tonika Lewis Johnson, visual artist and creator of the highly acclaimed Folded Map, has a proven track record of generating public engagement through her art and personal connection to Chicago as a life-long resident of Englewood.
Inequity for Sale
As a part of her 2021 Artist As Instigator residency, she has set her sights on the living history of Greater Englewood homes sold on Land Sale Contracts during the 50s and 60s.
Land Sale Contracts, or LSCs, were an unscrupulous practice wherein would-be homebuyers, locked out of traditional mortgages by racist policies, were offered contracts that enforced excessive monthly payments without ever transferring ownership. According to a Duke University study, between 75–95% of homes sold to Black families during this period were sold via LSCs. “What happened during this crucial era, that of the making of America’s mass white middle class during the long postwar economic boom, was a systematic, legally sanctioned plunder of black wealth,” to the tune of over $3.2 billion.
The Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago (2018) documented more than 100 homes in Englewood alone sold using this practice. Amber Hendley, lead researcher on this report, shared the addresses with a curious Lewis Johnson who quickly discovered many of these homes were still standing.
Tonika JohnsonMy goal with this project is to map the evidence of historic legalized theft in Greater Englewood and engage the public in action-oriented conversations that ultimately bring this unresolved crime to justice.
Take the Self-Guided Tour!
Inequity for Sale is an artistic, critical exploration of how the use of racist Land Sale Contracts directly contributed to the wealth gap and community disinvestment we witness today. The project comprised 10-15 life-sized land markers for LSC homes, a website documenting the project, and Legally Stolen, a podcast connecting this history of plunder to present-day conditions in Greater Englewood.
Legally Stolen Podcast
Legally Stolen is a 3-episode podcast produced as part of Inequity for Sale. Listen below or on your favorite streaming platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, and RadioPublic.
Episode 1
Episode One is a deep dive into the history and research that sparked Tonika’s idea to create Inequity for Sale. Featured guests include co-author of the Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago report Amber Hendley, author of Family Properties Beryl Satter, author of The Color of Law Richard Rothstein, and housing activist Athena Williams.
Episode 2
Episode Two takes listeners on a journey through present-day Greater Englewood, exploring how legalized theft in the past directly contributed to present inequity in Black communities. Featured guests include Alderman Stephanie Coleman of the 16th Ward, Englewood residents Lolita Hughes and Patricia Porter, author of Family Properties Beryl Satter, and author of The Color of Law Richard Rothstein.
Episode 3
Episode Three focuses on Chicago’s fight for fair housing and racial justice, including redress for legalized theft from Black people and communities impacted by predatory real estate practices. Featured guests include lead researcher of the Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago report Amber Hendley, housing activist Athena Williams, author of Family Properties Beryl Satter, and author of The Color of Law Richard Rothstein.
How It Started
To launch her residency, Tonika and the museum invited collaborators, scholars, civic leaders, advocates, and activists, as well as members of the local community and broader public, to weigh in on how the project can bring awareness and be a resource to current and future organizing and advocacy for fair housing and a more equitable economy.