Very good, Joyce. As a banker for 22 yrs of my career all in TX, I can say honestly that I dealt with a few black customers & some Hispanic customers in my lending duties, which didn't include home mortgages. I was mostly a consumer lending bank branch President my last 6 or so yrs. One of my black customers was "pushed" off on me by one of my banker friends. Mr. Gilbert was blind & had to get around with the help of his wife Terry. Although Mr. Gilbert was a real pain sometimes to work with, we not only became friends, he was as good a loan risk as there ever was. I learned that he was a very good businessman. He had a good head on his shoulders. Granted, there were many times he bothered me at home with his phone calls that would last 30-45 minutes, and my wife wasn't pleased, but I grew to understand that when he had an idea, he trusted me to tell him what I thought, and I was always honest with him. He attempted to help his older son repair his bad credit, but to no avail. Mr. Gilbert disliked using one of his Certificates of Deposit as collateral for his son's loans, but he had no choice as I didn't trust the son to pay on time due to his multiple bad lines of credit on his report. I can smile about some of the stories that I won't go into here, but suffice to say, sometimes color isn't as important as the opportunity to help someone achieve one of their goals. Mr. Gilbert amazed me in that I'd be at his house, outside always, where he was working on a car or truck. He wasn't always blind, and he knew vehicles, so he could do work on them with a little help from his son or from his wife. His younger son played high school football, and was a great kid. I liked him a lot. I don't know who took care of Mr. Gilbert after I was out of banking in 2009, but I hope he was still successful. I know one time that he bought a fixer upper house close to where he lived, and he and his son, along with his wife began to make repairs themselves. I think he bought it for $17,000, and by the time he'd fixed it up with new appliances and paint, etc., he rented it to a Hispanic family on a rent to own contract. If the family made 12 payments on time & they wanted to buy the house, he would sell it to them on a new contract and carry the note himself. He sold that particular house for $60, 000+. If they became past due, he could always foreclose and sell it again. Smart man. Not a slum lord by any stretch either. He always called me, Mr. McGuire, never Bill, his wife either, so I mostly called him Mr. Gilbert. I enjoyed our lunches together after I was out of banking. One of these days, I intend to find out if he is still alive. I doubt he is. I never lost a cent on him, and I made him some good interest on his certificate of deposits (I convinced him that borrowing against a vehicle was more costly than against his CDs). I think I broke him from trying to help his older son fix his credit after about 3 yrs. I doubt that one ever learned his lesson. I am happy to have played a part in his success and that we became friends who didn't play golf together. Glad the DOJ got things set straight with its Civil Rights Division. Tough duty that. Peace.
I love these success stories. Thank you for sharing. Thank you, also, for helping this family. I have found through my life (74 yrs) the audacity of OUR Government to discriminate. Every human life is worthy of RESPECT. You are a fine man, Mr. McGuire. I hope you found him alive and PROUD.
Thank you for sharing the wins by the Civil Rights Division of DOJ. We probably will not hear that news from any other source. I expect AG Garland will be respectful and diligent no matter what the republicans throw at him. Republicans are hypocritical beyond belief.
Agree with all you said, Barbara. Several years ago I read, the one thing Americans will not tolerate is hypocrisy. Now hypocrisy seems to be a winning strategy. Thoughts on how this earth moving change happened?
This is such a good point. I feel like if we could answer this one questions we could make a lot of progress. When did hypocrisy become okay, or perhaps more to the point, how did snake oil salesmen get Americans to accept the unacceptable?
Thank you, Joyce. I appreciate hearing about positive legal accomplishments by the DOJ that are not as well covered as the January 6 prosecutions and the trail of potential lawsuits following the former president. If the settlement agreements in the various redlining cases are enforced, it will be very meaningful for many families of color whether that information is splashed across the news or not. Every move towards equality for Americans, in this case for people of color, is worth celebrating.
Good evening Joyce. Garland has always fascinated me in his ability to remain neutral under unfair scrutiny. I expect the same tomorrow and look forward to observing him in action among some of the cruelest interrogators in the House. Garland will exemplify grace under pressure. No doubt. Thanks for sharing this important update and the dedication of DOJ to improve lives across the spectrum 🇺🇸
I appreciate your perspective and continued optimism, Joyce. I’ve run out of mine. I feel like we’ve been collectively holding our breath waiting for accountability. I can’t hold my breath anymore.
Thank you for publishing the lesser known work that is strengthening our committment to democracy. It shows that there are currents of energy that are doing the good work even if such work is drowned out by voices of evil.
The Civil Rights achievements are a big deal, important work..Now if only criminality can be found in the behavior of those at FNC, perhaps we can start by revoking Rupert Murdoch’s citizenship and deport him..Have the FCC shut down the shows who were spreading lies and fine the hell out of them..
I have been so busy and distracted with sone personal matters that I have not been keeping up with the latest news cycle. As a result, I did not know about this hearing. Thank you always for your thoughtful and thorough preview of what’s to come. I look forward to your post-hearing observations and insights. You are my go-to!
Joyce can you help me understand why the Justice department isn't doing anything to protect the LGBTQ community and especially trans kids in red states? Why is my community being left to fend for themselves by this administration? It doesn't seem like anybody at the White House or Congressional Democrats give a crap about what's happening to my community. I'm a lesbian who lives in Chicago so right now I have safety but if the MAGA GOP has its way my entire community could be erased from existence. They have essentially done that in Tennessee. I feel like we are in the late 1930s Nazi Germany right now.
These are really important questions. DOJ has to have standing to sue to get directly involved in issues. So while they have (or at least we had in my district when I was US Atty) a very aggressive support for the LGBTQ community and know your rights kind of programs, they can't always challenge some of these horrible state laws we're seeing or actions states take.
Your point about the need for them to be vocal is well taken. Sometimes folks in DC forget than it's not enough to say something once or even ten times but you have to keep saying it. I don't say that to be critical of them, because I largely think they do a good job in this area, but this is something we should all be reminding them of, and if I may, I'll circulate your comments.
Thank you, Joyce. I had no idea about these other actions DOJ has been working on. I’m so hopeful that the redlining cases will start to make a difference for people of color.
For all his accomplishments, Garland remains a weak and indecisive AG. His failures to act for 2 years are highlighted by Jack Smith’s many subpoenas and court actions, which should have been issued and taken years ago by Garland.
This is all information that will not be in the hearing today. I just listened to Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley desk pounding, accusing Garland of discrimination against Catholics, screaming at him for the camera's sake, not allowing him to reply and generally disgracing the office they hold. Garland is no shrinking violet: his rage was quietly controlled and his answers, when he was allowed to give them, forceful. But it calls to mind how fortunate we are that they are in the minority.
Very good, Joyce. As a banker for 22 yrs of my career all in TX, I can say honestly that I dealt with a few black customers & some Hispanic customers in my lending duties, which didn't include home mortgages. I was mostly a consumer lending bank branch President my last 6 or so yrs. One of my black customers was "pushed" off on me by one of my banker friends. Mr. Gilbert was blind & had to get around with the help of his wife Terry. Although Mr. Gilbert was a real pain sometimes to work with, we not only became friends, he was as good a loan risk as there ever was. I learned that he was a very good businessman. He had a good head on his shoulders. Granted, there were many times he bothered me at home with his phone calls that would last 30-45 minutes, and my wife wasn't pleased, but I grew to understand that when he had an idea, he trusted me to tell him what I thought, and I was always honest with him. He attempted to help his older son repair his bad credit, but to no avail. Mr. Gilbert disliked using one of his Certificates of Deposit as collateral for his son's loans, but he had no choice as I didn't trust the son to pay on time due to his multiple bad lines of credit on his report. I can smile about some of the stories that I won't go into here, but suffice to say, sometimes color isn't as important as the opportunity to help someone achieve one of their goals. Mr. Gilbert amazed me in that I'd be at his house, outside always, where he was working on a car or truck. He wasn't always blind, and he knew vehicles, so he could do work on them with a little help from his son or from his wife. His younger son played high school football, and was a great kid. I liked him a lot. I don't know who took care of Mr. Gilbert after I was out of banking in 2009, but I hope he was still successful. I know one time that he bought a fixer upper house close to where he lived, and he and his son, along with his wife began to make repairs themselves. I think he bought it for $17,000, and by the time he'd fixed it up with new appliances and paint, etc., he rented it to a Hispanic family on a rent to own contract. If the family made 12 payments on time & they wanted to buy the house, he would sell it to them on a new contract and carry the note himself. He sold that particular house for $60, 000+. If they became past due, he could always foreclose and sell it again. Smart man. Not a slum lord by any stretch either. He always called me, Mr. McGuire, never Bill, his wife either, so I mostly called him Mr. Gilbert. I enjoyed our lunches together after I was out of banking. One of these days, I intend to find out if he is still alive. I doubt he is. I never lost a cent on him, and I made him some good interest on his certificate of deposits (I convinced him that borrowing against a vehicle was more costly than against his CDs). I think I broke him from trying to help his older son fix his credit after about 3 yrs. I doubt that one ever learned his lesson. I am happy to have played a part in his success and that we became friends who didn't play golf together. Glad the DOJ got things set straight with its Civil Rights Division. Tough duty that. Peace.
I love these success stories. Thank you for sharing. Thank you, also, for helping this family. I have found through my life (74 yrs) the audacity of OUR Government to discriminate. Every human life is worthy of RESPECT. You are a fine man, Mr. McGuire. I hope you found him alive and PROUD.
Thanks for taking the time.
"In this best of all available worlds things sometime/often happen for the best." igm
L&B&L
Thank you for being a wonderful caring person💕
Exactly! “We want DOJ to hold those who are most responsible, all of them, accountable for what they have put the country through.”
Joyce should take the credit for the comment. I was just quoting her. But thank you!
Thank you for sharing the wins by the Civil Rights Division of DOJ. We probably will not hear that news from any other source. I expect AG Garland will be respectful and diligent no matter what the republicans throw at him. Republicans are hypocritical beyond belief.
Agree with all you said, Barbara. Several years ago I read, the one thing Americans will not tolerate is hypocrisy. Now hypocrisy seems to be a winning strategy. Thoughts on how this earth moving change happened?
This is such a good point. I feel like if we could answer this one questions we could make a lot of progress. When did hypocrisy become okay, or perhaps more to the point, how did snake oil salesmen get Americans to accept the unacceptable?
Thank you, Joyce. I appreciate hearing about positive legal accomplishments by the DOJ that are not as well covered as the January 6 prosecutions and the trail of potential lawsuits following the former president. If the settlement agreements in the various redlining cases are enforced, it will be very meaningful for many families of color whether that information is splashed across the news or not. Every move towards equality for Americans, in this case for people of color, is worth celebrating.
Good evening Joyce. Garland has always fascinated me in his ability to remain neutral under unfair scrutiny. I expect the same tomorrow and look forward to observing him in action among some of the cruelest interrogators in the House. Garland will exemplify grace under pressure. No doubt. Thanks for sharing this important update and the dedication of DOJ to improve lives across the spectrum 🇺🇸
Yeah Tutone, Garland is a class act. I hope people recognize class when they see it... after the past few years of seeing trash glorified.
I appreciate your perspective and continued optimism, Joyce. I’ve run out of mine. I feel like we’ve been collectively holding our breath waiting for accountability. I can’t hold my breath anymore.
Yes, you (we) can. Justice is often slow in our system, but it will come. Have faith.
I agree with Colleen. My patience has run out. I believe most Americans are craving accountability! People got hurt and died on Jan. 6.
Thank you for publishing the lesser known work that is strengthening our committment to democracy. It shows that there are currents of energy that are doing the good work even if such work is drowned out by voices of evil.
The Civil Rights achievements are a big deal, important work..Now if only criminality can be found in the behavior of those at FNC, perhaps we can start by revoking Rupert Murdoch’s citizenship and deport him..Have the FCC shut down the shows who were spreading lies and fine the hell out of them..
I have been so busy and distracted with sone personal matters that I have not been keeping up with the latest news cycle. As a result, I did not know about this hearing. Thank you always for your thoughtful and thorough preview of what’s to come. I look forward to your post-hearing observations and insights. You are my go-to!
Joyce can you help me understand why the Justice department isn't doing anything to protect the LGBTQ community and especially trans kids in red states? Why is my community being left to fend for themselves by this administration? It doesn't seem like anybody at the White House or Congressional Democrats give a crap about what's happening to my community. I'm a lesbian who lives in Chicago so right now I have safety but if the MAGA GOP has its way my entire community could be erased from existence. They have essentially done that in Tennessee. I feel like we are in the late 1930s Nazi Germany right now.
These are really important questions. DOJ has to have standing to sue to get directly involved in issues. So while they have (or at least we had in my district when I was US Atty) a very aggressive support for the LGBTQ community and know your rights kind of programs, they can't always challenge some of these horrible state laws we're seeing or actions states take.
Your point about the need for them to be vocal is well taken. Sometimes folks in DC forget than it's not enough to say something once or even ten times but you have to keep saying it. I don't say that to be critical of them, because I largely think they do a good job in this area, but this is something we should all be reminding them of, and if I may, I'll circulate your comments.
Yes, please circulate my comments. I would love for Main Justice and others in DC to understand how we are feeling.
You can access the DOJ.gov website and use their search tools
to locate any current information
concerning LGBTQ. Good luck.
Thanks Victoria. I will do that but I really need them to be more vocal about whatever they are doing. Their silence is not okay.
Thank you, Joyce. I had no idea about these other actions DOJ has been working on. I’m so hopeful that the redlining cases will start to make a difference for people of color.
Thanks for the update Joyce. We can only pray that everything works out the way it is supposed to🙏🏼
Thanks for writing about the DOJ holding banks accountable for redlining.
Thank you for this one. I learned a lot I didn't know about what's been happening in the Civil Rights Division.
For all his accomplishments, Garland remains a weak and indecisive AG. His failures to act for 2 years are highlighted by Jack Smith’s many subpoenas and court actions, which should have been issued and taken years ago by Garland.
This is all information that will not be in the hearing today. I just listened to Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley desk pounding, accusing Garland of discrimination against Catholics, screaming at him for the camera's sake, not allowing him to reply and generally disgracing the office they hold. Garland is no shrinking violet: his rage was quietly controlled and his answers, when he was allowed to give them, forceful. But it calls to mind how fortunate we are that they are in the minority.