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Remembering 2008

The housing and financial crisis of 2008 was over a decade ago, but we still live in communities recovering from home equity that was lost, jobs that were never replaced, and trust in a financial system that was not deserving of that trust.

Understanding the past is more than a history lesson that belongs in a textbook. It’s how we prepare for our future, how we decide what we want for ourselves and our loved ones. Understanding 2008 is an investment that we make, so that we can do what is required to make sure it never happens again.

Watch the Story

From the people who were there, watch the story of the events that led to 2008. Listen to people who investigated the subprime loans as they were being made, local law enforcement officers in Ohio who prosecuted mortgage fraud, families who took out these loans, and from government officials who warned of the crisis but whose warnings were ignored.

In a new, five-part documentary series just released in October 2020, filmmakers interview the insiders who blew the whistle and the families whose lives were forever changed. Support independent journalism when you watch just one episode, or watch all five.

We Remember Addie Polk

“The actual phone call was kind of like a blur,” Gregory Harrison, pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Akron, remembers. “It was kind of like, ‘Wait a minute, slow down. Are we talking about the same person?'”

Addie Polk’s Story

Angelo Mozilo

“The nation’s largest mortgage lender [Countrywide] curried favor with politicians, government officials, and business partners who were in a position to influence policy, profits, or public opinion.

The Story of Countrywide

We Remember Joe Finley

“This is the devastation that I knew was coming [when my pension would be cut], but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it. You play by all the rules . . . and then they pull the rug out from under you.”

Joe Finley’s Story