The bear trap Leti tip-toes around in the basement is a sad reminder that they were also used to catch runaway slaves.
When people begin moving into the house it's mentioned that the dog's name is Baldwin, this might be a reference to James Baldwin, author of The Black Issue of the Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost being also the title of the episode.
A quick reference is made about Martin Luther King Jr. during the house party scene. Characters discuss a man named Martin, who changed his name from Michael (MLK's birth name), who dated a white woman while he was young (as did MLK).
The riots in Chicago that Ruby mentions are probably the 1953-1954 Trumbull Park Homes Race Riots.
The opening narration is voiced by Precious Angel Ramirez and was for a Nike "#BeTrue" Pride Month 2017 campaign featuring dancer Leiomy Maldonado.