New Pittsburgh Courier — “Property is Power! How Thinking Differently Leads to Owning Differently”

The median wealth of a typical white family in America is nearly 10 times higher than that of a Black family — about $171,000 compared to just over $17,000. That gap is driven not just by income but by assets, ownership, and long-term investment. Roughly 44% of Black families own their homes, a figure that has consistently lagged behind white households for decades. Only about 21% of Black households hold credit scores above 700, compared to more than half of white households — limiting access to favorable mortgage financing. 🔗 newpittsburghcourier.com New Pittsburgh Courier

Rescheduling of July Conference

May 20, 2026

Dear NOAAH Members, Partners, and Stakeholders:

I write to you today on behalf of the NOAAH Board of Advisors to formally announce the rescheduling of our July conference. This decision was not made lightly, but it reflects our unwavering commitment to the communities we serve and the extraordinary urgency of this historic moment.

On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais — a decision that has effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the crown jewels of the American civil rights movement. The ruling dismantles federal protections that required states to draw electoral maps giving racial minority voters a meaningful opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. In practical terms, the Court has all but legalized the racial gerrymandering of Black and Brown communities into political silence.

The consequences of this ruling are sweeping and immediate. States across the country have already moved to redraw congressional and state legislative maps, eliminating majority-minority districts that were drawn to ensure Black representation. In Tennessee, legislators swiftly moved to eliminate the state's only majority-Black congressional district centered in Memphis. In Louisiana itself, more than 100,000 voters had already cast early ballots in a primary election that was subsequently suspended — their votes rendered meaningless. The ruling extends far beyond Congress, threatening to reshape state legislatures, county commissions, city councils, and school boards across America.

For NOAAH, this is not an abstract legal matter. It strikes at the very heart of our mission. The vote is the foundational tool through which communities secure the political representation needed to fight for affordable housing, equitable neighborhood investment, and fair lending protections. Less Black representation in Congress and in statehouses means fewer voices advocating for the housing resources our communities urgently need — and fewer checks on the policies that displace, exclude, and marginalize us. Homeownership remains the primary vehicle through which American families build wealth and intergenerational stability. Stripping communities of the political power to defend that access is an assault on Black economic life itself.

In light of all of this, the NOAAH Board of Advisors and I have determined that our time and resources are most critically needed on the front lines of this fight—working alongside the NAACP, the National Urban League (NUL), and their local affiliates and branches to respond to this moment with the urgency it demands. We cannot, in good conscience, proceed with a conference schedule as if it were business as usual.

As a concrete first step in this coordinated effort, NOAAH Board Member Floyd May and I will attend the NAACP National Conference in Chicago this July. Our participation will focus on deepening our collaboration with the NAACP and aligned organizations—aligning our message, sharpening our methodology, and building the unified framework that our communities need as we chart the path forward together.

Our July conference, still in Richmond, will be rescheduled to a date to be announced. We remain fully committed to reconvening and will communicate all details as they become available.

NOAAH has always held that housing justice and civil rights are inseparable. Today, that conviction calls us away from the conference room and into the broader struggle. We are grateful for your understanding, your partnership, and your shared sense of purpose.

Kevin Marchman
Co-Founder & National Director,
NOAAH Publisher, NOAAH Prime

"Motion without movement is meaningless"