In 1949, a group of young dynamic African-American real estate Brokers gathered to discuss the inequitable and prejudicial treatment of Brokers in the Los Angeles area. In addition, they were being prevented from marketing properties in certain areas of the city and even denied access to open houses for viewing by their clients. It was patently clear to this group of Brokers assembled that a collective effort would be required to mitigate these obstacles to their professional success. That meeting initiated by Mr. Willis E. Carson was the genesis of the Consolidated Realty Board of Southern California, Inc. Other funding members of the Board included William Black, William Bujol, Ernest DeGruy, Charles Dunning, Wesley A. Fairchild, Hernbert Gleed, Claude Jolly, Fred Ninehouse, Cluese Reid, Lorenzo V. Spencer, Oscar White, Bryce Wisner, and Dave Wolf. Members of this new board designated themselves as REALTISTS. A distinctive emblem was adopted by the membership. Arnold McNeeley, a local African-American artist, developed that emblem that serves as the Board’s logo today. With counsel from Attorney Thomas Newsome, the Board formulated its constitution and by-laws. The principle objectives of the Board indicated were the development of social, political and economic imperatives for African-American Brokers, and the promotion of equal housing opportunities for minority citizens. On March 16, 150, a charter was issued to the Consolidated Realty Board of Southern California, Inc. by the California Secretary of State. On March 24, 1950, the California Real Estate Commissioner, Dean D. Watson, installed the first elected officers of the Consolidated Realty Board at a banquet held at the Golden State Mutual Insurance Company Auditorium. The officers included Willis E. Carson, President; Cluese Reid, Vice President; Bryce Wisner, Secretary; and William Black, Treasurer. The first office of the Consolidated Realty Board was located at Western Avenue and 36th Place in Los Angeles. The Board membership grew rapidly and approximately 1,200 listings were placed with the Board during its initial year. In 1973, the Board office was relocated to its present location on Don Felipe Drive in scenic Baldwin Hills, California. As the membership of the Board grew, its focus as a proponent of fair treatment of African-American brokers and agents in the real estate industry and equal housing opportunities for minorities expanded. In 1975, the Consolidated Realty Board was a catalyst for legislative actions against the redlining practices of the lending and insurance industries. As an affiliate of the California Association of Real Estate Brokers (CAREB) and National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the Consolidated Realty Board remains an advocate for social, political and economic parity for minority real estate industry professionals and community members.
