I think there are two elements at play. Consider a person of colour living in the eponymous mansion of the city's wealthiest neighborhood. For a racist govern

I think there are two elements at play. Consider a person of colour living in the eponymous mansion of the city's wealthiest neighborhood. For a racist government, it's a symbol of defiance. For other people of colour, who have been told by the government their whole lives that they are worthless, good only for manual labour -- one of their own is living in the oldest mansion in the fanciest neighborhood in town. It's an affirmation of their worth. As a symbol, his place of residence had great power.