The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is a federal law enacted to prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing transactions against people in a protected class. The Fair Housing Act expanded on and served as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
During the long journey to the passage of the Fair Housing Act, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership was instrumental. In 1966, Dr. King moved his family to Chicago to raise awareness of, and fight against unfair housing policies and practices. These efforts, which led to fair and open housing policies in Chicago, were the first large-scale fair housing campaign in the United States and helped inspire the Fair Housing Act.
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the day the Senate was to vote on the Fair Housing Act. President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Congress to pass the Fair Housing Act as a memorial to his life and legacy.
To learn more, visit the links below:
Fair Housing Act ‑ 1968, Federal & Definition | HISTORY
History of Fair Housing – HUD | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Seven Days Documentary – 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act Edition
The Chicago Freedom Movement | National Low-Income Housing Coalition