On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with housing advocate Evangeline Byars of the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft for a sobering conversation about how Black families, especially elders, are being stripped of homes and generational wealth through a web of legal manipulation, fraud, and institutional neglect. Byars made clear that deed theft is not a new problem, but one that has long targeted vulnerable communities and now shows up in especially devastating ways for Black seniors between ages 65 and 100. She explained that many younger people involved in this fight are family members or community advocates trying to protect elders whose homes and assets are under attack.

A major focus of the interview was how guardianship and conservatorship systems can become tools for abuse. Byars described how once a senior is placed under court control, they can lose authority over their finances, property, and even contact with family. In those situations, guardians can sell homes, drain pensions, and redirect assets with little meaningful oversight. Davey D connected this to his own family experience in Florida, noting how expensive and difficult it was to fight off an outside effort to take control of his father’s affairs. That personal story helped underline just how widespread and predatory these systems can be.

Byars argued that deed theft often works as part of a broader crime network involving courts, developers, lawyers, and complicit public officials. She described cases in New York and Georgia where homes were allegedly sold without proper legal standing, families were cut out of the process, and elders with clear plans for their estates still lost control of property worth millions. She also stressed that these schemes often use trusted looking intermediaries, including people from the same community, to gain access to struggling homeowners.

The conversation also placed deed theft in a larger historical context. Davey D drew connections between this crisis, the crack era, predatory lending, foreclosure waves, urban renewal, and gentrification. Byars agreed, saying these attacks on Black property ownership are deeply connected and thrive when communities are not organized. She called for stronger family planning, including trusts and estate preparation, and urged listeners to rebuild local organizing capacity.

Before closing, Byars invited people to get involved with the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, stressing that this is not just a New York issue but a national one demanding urgency, education, and collective action.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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