Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arguably one of the most well-known civil rights leaders in the United States, and for good reason. Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, his leadership, along with the work of many other committed citizens, left a lasting impact on the landscape of civil rights in America. Dr. King may be best known for his leadership during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Selma to Montgomery march. While less commonly recognized, Dr. King’s leadership was instrumental in the passage of the Fair Housing Act. On his 96th birthday, and just days ahead of the national holiday celebrating Dr. King, we remember the legacy he left on fair housing in America.
In 1966, Dr. King moved to Chicago to join residents in their fight against unfair housing practices. Unjust policies like racially restrictive covenants and redlining contributed to racial segregation and discrimination in Chicago and surrounding suburbs, forcing Black residents into low-opportunity neighborhoods and sub-par living conditions. Additionally, “contract sales” left many Black families with all the responsibilities of a homeowner, but none of the security, often strapping them with thousands of dollars of debt. In one of his last campaigns, Dr. King co-led the “Chicago Freedom Movement,” which aimed to challenge systemic racial segregation and discrimination in housing. Through rent strikes, workshops on nonviolent activism, boycotts, and marches, Dr. King and thousands of residents brought awareness to the housing issues facing Chicagoans. The Chicago Freedom Movement prompted Chicago’s mayor at the time to negotiate an agreement for fair and open housing policies, a move that Dr. King referred to as “the first step in a thousand-mile journey.” The impacts of Dr. King’s advocacy reached far beyond local policy, and continued long after his death.
On April 11, 1968, just one week after the assassination of Dr. King, Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, better known as the Fair Housing Act. The passage of the Fair Housing Act, which seeks to eliminate housing discrimination and promote residential integration, is due in large part to the Chicago Freedom Movement. Thanks to the tireless work of civil rights activists like Dr. King, every person living in the United States now has the right to fair housing, regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status.
Now, nearly 57 years since the Fair Housing Act became law, we remain committed to the work of advocating for fair and equitable housing. While we have certainly made progress over the last five decades, there is still work to be done. Through his life’s work, Dr. King sought to create the “Beloved Community.” The King Center states that in the Beloved Community, “poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.” Let us honor the legacy of Dr. King by continuing the work of creating equitable, inclusive, and Beloved communities.