Experienced Labor and Employment Attorney.
Author. Mother.
The Case: Housing Appraisal Discrimination Based on Race
Abena is featured along with husband Alex Horton in this story for Nightline with Diane Sawyer. The Hortons' story went viral after the interracial couple "removed all blackness" from their home and saw more than a $100K increase in a second appraisal.
This report is part of "Turning Point," a groundbreaking series by ABC News examining the racial reckoning sweeping the United States and exploring whether it can lead to lasting reconciliation.
The Verdict: Appraisal Coalition Pledges to Combat Unconscious Bias and Discrimination
Days after the Horton's story aired on Nightline, The Appraisal Foundation, authorized by Congress as a source of Appraisal Standards and Appraiser Qualifications, issued a release announcing a coalition of organizations standing together to ensure the appraisal process is free of bias.
The Appraisal Institute, American Society of Appraisers, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers announced a concerted effort to combat unconscious bias and discrimination. The coalition pledged to develop training programs that cover issues of bias as well as connect the appraisal community with thought leaders on unconscious prejudices.
A Housing Newswire story cites the Horton's story as a catalyst for this pledge.