Dana Starks on Racist 'Yard Art'

Chicago - A racially-charged incident on Chicago's South Side is prompting a call to toughen the city's Housing Discrimination Ordinance. The Chairman of the Commission on Human Relations, Dana Starks, said Tuesday that he will ask the council to take action after a report by FOX Chicago news last week.

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More on this story:

• Racially Charged Display Sparks Anger
• Racist Message an Anomaly in Beverly
• 'Yard Art' May Be Violation of Housing Laws

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In that incident a man in the Beverly neighborhood hung a noose from his garage and had a sign that included the words, "White Power," and, "Say no to the ghetto." They faced the home next door to his that is for sale.

The Commission is asking the Department of Justice to investigate because the Federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to intimidate someone from buying a home because of their race, while Chicago's ordinance does not.

Commission Starks calls the Beverly case an isolated incident, but says it was still imperative to investigate it to the fullest extent possible.

"Anytime there's a complaint about something of this nature, there's never an over reaction. When you have an incident that involves the displaying of a noose along with any type of racial or sexual or any type of derogatory terms, then this matter must be addressed, should be addressed, immediately," Starks said.

As for the bigger picture of the racial climate in Chicago, Starks says reports of hate crimes and discrimination have been trending down the past few years. He said Chicago is on par with other major metropolitan areas.

But Starks made it one thing clear: “There are still challenges that need to be met, there are still hurdles that need to be overcome, there are still people that need to be educated, there's still areas of our city that we need to do a better job educating, to break down stereotypes."