Norman was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia just a few blocks away from the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. His grandfather was one of the first black civil engineers in Atlanta and when he tried to purchase a home in the Midtown District he was denied because of redlining. Years later, he attended a party at a white co-worker’s house and he realized it was the house he was denied. It is because of racist policies like redlining that Norman’s family and many other black families have missed out on the generational wealth that a rapidly appreciating neighborhood and home would’ve provided.
His family taught him that education could be his pathway toward upward mobility so Norman worked hard in school and became a civil engineer. For the past 20 years he’s lived in and worked in the Pasadena and Altadena area as a civil engineer for NASA. He lost the home he was renting in the Eaton Fire and that’s when he heard about Greenline and our program prioritizing down payment grants for renters displaced by the Eaton Fire that want to purchase a home in the area. We’re pleased to announce that Norman is now a homeowner. He says, “In America, real wealth is attributed to what an individual owns. Owning a home means I can provide sustained wealth for my family.“
