THE SUBURBAN WALL Part 3 - The Realtors
By Brian Copeland

A recurring theme in the nationally aired 1971 Suburban Wall documentary is one that I make much use of in my solo show, "Not A Genuine Black Man". Realtors in San Leandro in the 1960s and 1970s conspired to restrict the presence of African Americans. The film makers interviewed five real estate professionals practicing in and around San Leandro, Hank Deadrich of Deadrich Realty, Walt Engridson of Woodrand Realty, then the city's largest real estate firm; Frank Straffus, president of the Southern Alameda County Board of Realtors, Rex Hayes, a Hayward realtor who began his career in San Leandro and Ray Cullen, an Oakland realtor with an office which was located a mile and a half from the San Leandro border. Looking at their stories from a vantage point of 35 years boggles the mind.

Ray Cullen talked of how the Durant/E. 14th border constituted an invisible wall that kept blacks out.

"I've sold hundreds of houses on the west side of Durant," he said, "but I haven't been able to make a sale to a black in San Leandro."

Apparently, those entering the real estate field in the city were enjoined in the segregationist policies whether they wished to be or not. Hayes discussed the quick education he received as a young realtor in San Leandro. He had made an appointment with a young black family to show them a home in the city that had been listed by another broker.

"Before I got back to my office, my broker knew about it from the listing broker. I was told that I was certainly new in the business and I'd better wise up."

One of the most interesting anecdotes on just how insidious and, at times, ridiculous, things got was related in the film by Cullen when he talked about the rare times he actually did get a black perspective homebuyer into a San Leandro house.

"I had an opportunity on one or two occasions to present an offer," he said. "We were supposed to meet at the property and we were supposed to have gone in to see the owner before the others. I got there a few minutes early and when I got there, he (the broker) was coming out of the owner's house and he had apparently been in and told her to reject my offer."

"While I was in there, he would rub his ear or rub his nose, pull his hair, use his left or his right hand to indicate to the owner. The reason I know this is that I cooperated with him on an Oakland property later and he told me that these were the kinds of things he did when he wanted a seller react in a certain way."

Participants in the documentary revealed various tricks realtors used to discourage black homeownership. According to one unidentified realtor one common practice was a reversal of the old' 'bait and switch' routine.

"The brokers will take them (blacks) out and show them rundown, high priced property in San Leandro and then take them to Oakland and show them a nice piece of property and suggest that they night be happier living in Oakland."

READ PART FOUR