A SHORT HISTORY OF NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH

Prepared by the GBCHRB, 2021.

What is It? 

National Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of The Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status in the sale or rental of housing. This Act was subsequently amended and revised by legislation in 1974 and 1988 to produce what is in 2010 the Fair Housing Law of the United States. The most recent change in the law was HUD's February 11, 2021 announcement that it would enforce discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Historical Background 

From 1966-1967, Congress regularly considered the Fair Housing bill, but failed to garner a strong enough majority for its passage. However, when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson utilized this national tragedy to urge for the bill's speedy Congressional approval. Since the 1966 open housing marches in Chicago, Dr. King's name had been closely associated with the Fair Housing legislation. President Johnson viewed the Act as a fitting memorial to the man's life work, and wished to have the Act passed prior to Dr. King's funeral in Atlanta. Another significant issue during this time period was the growing casualty list from Vietnam. The deaths in Vietnam fell heaviest upon young, poor African-American and Hispanic infantrymen. However, on the home front, these men's families could not purchase or rent homes in certain residential developments on account of their race or national origin. 

Passage of the Act 

Specialized organizations like the NAACP, the GI Forum, and the National Committee Against Discrimination In Housing lobbied hard for the Senate to pass the Fair Housing Act and remedy this inequity. Senators Edward Brooke and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts strongly lobbied for the passage of this legislation. Senator Brooke, the first African-American ever to be elected to the Senate by popular vote, spoke personally of his return from World War II and inability to provide a home of his choice for his new family because of his race. 

Legally, the Act was a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The 1968 Act expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and as amended) handicap and family status. Title VIII of the Act is also known as the Fair Housing Act (of 1968). 

The Act could never have been passed without both the strong leadership of President Lyndon B. Johnson and the creation of bi-partisan support in the Senate. The Majority Whip Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minnesota) and the Minority Leader Senator Everett McK. Dirksen (R-Illinois) were instrumental in forging a compromise that led to passage. 

Creation of HUD 

To aid community development and enforce the Fair Housing Law, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was created. The department was established on September 9, 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act into law. It stipulated that the department was to be created no later than November 8, sixty days following the date of enactment. The actual implementation was postponed until January 13, 1966, following the completion of a special study group report on the federal role in solving urban problems (Wikipedia, 2010). President Nixon tapped then Governor of Michigan, George Romney (Mitt's father), for the post of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. While serving as Governor, Secretary Romney had successfully campaigned for ratification of a state constitutional provision that prohibited discrimination in housing. President Nixon also appointed Samuel Simmons as the first Assistant Secretary for Equal Housing Opportunity. 

Fair Housing laws now are enforced by a combination of federal, state, local, and nonprofit agencies and organizations. 

Celebration of the Act 

HUD initially held a gala event marking the first year of the Act's passage. The tradition of celebrating Fair Housing Month has grown larger and larger. Governors began to issue proclamations that designated April as "Fair Housing Month," and schools across the country sponsored poster and essay contests that focused upon fair housing issues. Regional winners from these contests often enjoyed trips to Washington, D. C., for events with HUD and their Congressional representatives. 

Under former Secretaries James T. Lynn and Carla Hills, with the cooperation of the National Association of Homebuilders, National Association of Realtors, and the American Advertising Council, these groups adopted fair housing as their theme and provided free billboard space throughout the nation. Every HUD administrative region across the country also has its own celebrations, meetings, dinners, contests and radio-television shows that featured HUD, state and private fair housing experts and officials. 

In Maryland 

In Maryland, Fair Housing Month also celebrates the passage of Article 49-B of the Annotated Code of Maryland prohibiting discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. The Governor traditionally issues a Proclamation declaring April as Fair Housing Month in the State, and various celebrations are held. 

The HUD Baltimore Office, several governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private groups - including the GBCHRB - hold various events and webinars in connection with Fair Housing Month. Everyone is invited to attend these free events.

For More Information

Maryland

Baltimore City Office of Equity & Civil Rights Fair Housing Month Film Festival. For any questions,  contact Lauren Jackson in the Office of Equity and Civil Rights:  Lauren.Jackson@BaltimoreCity.gov.

National Fair Housing Alliance, “Seven Days - History of the Fair Housing Act”

Maryland Center for History and Culture, “Housing Discrimination"

The 2021 Fair Housing Month Exhibition Student Artwork Call for Entry seeks student art from Elementary School, Middle School, and High School students in Baltimore City for the 2021 Fair Housing Month Student Exhibition in April 2021. Students are encouraged to create artwork based on home, community, and housing discrimination. The exhibition will be a dynamic curated outdoor art event installed in the Parks and People Foundation location at 2100 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21217 from Thursday, April 1, until Saturday, May 1, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 1, 2021. Submit Your Artwork here!

National

US Department of HUD - The Department's main website.

HUD Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity National Office - For information about Fair Housing and Fair Housing Month.

2021 HUD Fair Housing Month 2021 Outreach Materials - A variety of materials free to download including posters, guides, PSAs, and others.

File with HUD a Complaint of Housing Discrimination - Description and form for filing a complaint.

Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act - Describes the various parts of the Law.

 APRIL IS FAIR HOUSING MONTH!

 HUD to hold Fair Housing Month Event on April 7th

The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) and the GBCHRB, among others, provide free Fair Housing training on a multitude of issues and laws. MCCR offers the following training nodules about Fair Housing and equity:​

• Know Your Civil Rights
• Conflict Resolution
• Dimensions of Diversity
• Disability Issues, Awareness & the Law
• Employment Discrimination Prevention
• Housing Discrimination Prevention
• Public Accommodations/Services Discrimination Prevention
• Race in America: Systemic and Structural Discrimination
• Investigating Complaints of Discrimination (4 hours)
• Religious/Spiritual Awareness, Accommodation & the Law
• Sexual Harassment Prevention
• Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
• LGBTQIA Safe Spaces
• The Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program

For more information on MCCR’s Community Outreach & Education program or to make a request, please contact either:

Kara N. Hunt, Ph. D.

Director of Education & Outreach

kara.hunt1@maryland.gov​

410.767.7656

Keith Merkey

Education & Outreach Associate

keith.merkey@maryland.gov

410.767.8560

For Fair Housing training, contact the GBCHRB at 410.929.7640 or email wkladky@gbchrb.org.

 

 

Disability Advocacy Groups File Federal Lawsuit Alleging 6 Maryland Jurisdictions Discriminate in Vaccine Process

Baltimore, MD (March 9, 2021) ⁠— The Arc Maryland is suing Baltimore City and Carroll, Garrett, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, and Talbot counties, charging they have discriminated against people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by denying opportunities for them to access COVID-19 vaccines. 

The lawsuit filed last night in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Northern Division by The Arc Maryland – which is being represented by Disability Rights Maryland, The Arc of the United States, and the Brown & Barron Law Firm – asserts that the websites being used by the six named jurisdictions to convey information about coronavirus vaccines fail to include people with IDD as eligible for vaccines under Phase 1B of Maryland’s vaccine priority plan. This is not only inconsistent with Maryland’s Executive Order and Vaccination Plan, which specifies people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have priority under Phase 1B, but also violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

“Simply put, this discrimination puts lives at stake,” says Ray Marshall, Board President of The Arc Maryland. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have faced and overcome incredible obstacles over the past year,” Marshall notes. “It is frustrating to have our state recognize people with IDD to be the 1B priority group for the vaccine, only for people with IDD to be denied equitable access to the vaccine from the counties in which they live. We hope this action will result in immediate change for the benefit of all.”

Numerous studies indicate that people with IDD face significantly heightened COVID-19 risk. That risk may be increased for those who rely on caregivers or direct support professionals to provide assistance with daily activities, for which social distancing is often not possible. This is particularly true for those people supported by a provider organization, such as one of The Arc Maryland’s local affiliates. According to a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, Catalyst, COVID-19-related fatality rates among people with IDD nationally who have tested positive for COVID-19 are 2-3 times greater than mortality rates among the general population who have tested positive for COVID-19.

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Source: Disability Rights Maryland, March 12, 2021

 

April is Fair Housing Month! Starting next week! Don't miss it! With a huge thanks to our partners @promoandarts , @MDHistory, @hot_sauceart, Baltimore National Heritage Area, HUD and Baltimore City!               Alt text: A photo of a mural where a man holds the keys to a house. The Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights Presents Fair Housing Month. A month long outdoor gallery exhibition of Baltimore City student artwork on the idea of housing discrimination, home and community. April 2021. Free and open to the public. Home is Where the HeART is. Mural: El Decorator. 2100 Liberty Heights Avenue or check out all of the work online at https://fairhousingmonth.splashthat.com/ brought to you by: The Office of Equity and Civil Rights, HUD, Baltimore National Heritage Area, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Hot Sauce Artists Collective, MD Center for History and Culture, City of Baltimore. *The work that provided the basis for this event was supported by a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this flyer. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the federal government.  ***** Source: City of Baltimore's Daily Digest, March 25, 2021.

Book Review 

The Whiteness of Wealth: How The Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans–And How We Can Fix It

By Dorothy A. Brown
Crown, 2021
288 pages. $27.00 hardcover.

“Important reading for those who want to understand how inequality is built into the bedrock of American society, and what a more equitable future might look like.”—Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist.

This is an excellent analysis of racism in the American taxation system conducted by a law professor and expert on tax policy. Brown examines decades of cross-disciplinary research in showing that tax law rewards the preferences and practices of whites while not helping and sometimes penalizing  Blacks. From attending college to getting married to buying a home, Blacks are at a financial disadvantage compared to their white peers. The results are an ever-increasing wealth gap. The author also shows that to address the problem, America’s tax code will have to be revised significantly with different choices. 

 

March 19, 2021

Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Women's History Month 2021 Events Join the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights for exciting programming in honor of Women's History Month! The Shadow Pandemic: Gender Inequality in the Wake of Covid 19 Wednesday, March 24, 2021 12 noon - 2:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE This two-hour interactive presentation will detail the disparate impact of COVID-19 on women with an emphasis on the longstanding economic and racial disparities that have led to the exacerbation of systemic and structural inequity. Topics that will be covered include: Employee’s rights if they have COVID (what to do about FMLA, Vaccine mandates, caretaking duties, unemployment and under-employment etc.) The “she-cession” The the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Women of Color as well as low-wage workers The vulnerability of women (especially women with children) to housing insecurity and harassment during the pandemic Presented by Glendora C. Hughes, General Counsel for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and Michelle Daugherty Siri, Executive Director, The Women's Law Center of Maryland. Fairness for All Marylanders: Barriers to Equality for Transwomen Friday, March 26, 2021 12 noon - 2:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE This educational program and panel presentation will feature an overview of Maryland’s anti discrimination laws with an emphasis on gender identity protections and unlawful employment practices. The panelists will provide background and insight with regard to the personal, systemic and institutional barriers the trans community has encountered and how to support and take action to ensure equal rights for trans and gender non-conforming Marylanders.

Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships

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'Racial bias runs deep' at America's largest banks, study says

By Chauncey Alcorn, CNN Business 

Updated 6:58 AM ET, Thu March 18, 2021

A just-released study conducted by the Committee for Better Banks and obtained by CNN Business found that people of color's chances of getting promoted to the highest levels of management or senior and executive leadership at some of the nation's most powerful consumer banks are much lower compared with their White peers. "Racial bias runs deep," the report concluded.

The report, titled "Advancing Racial Justice for Frontline Bank Workers," graded 13 major banks based on three categories: their willingness to disclose workforce demographic data, their levels of diversity across the job classification hierarchy, and how employees of color fare in career advancement relative to their White peers.

The study gave a final overall grade of "C" for diversity and inclusion to the collective financial services industry. The overall industry received "D's" for Black and Latino representation and a "C" for Asian representation. Asian Americans did better than Black and Latino workers throughout the report, with Black employees the worst for career advancement at the banks examined. The overall industry received "C's" for the Blacks and Latinos career advancement and a "B" for Asian Americans. "None of them performed that great," Weiner said of the banks, as none of the banks received an overall grade higher than a "C."

The top grades went to Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase with a "C," meaning their diversity metrics are about that of the larger industry. The report gave the lowest grades to banks that provided incomplete data or refused to provide any. Only five of the 13 banks — Bank of America, TD Bank, Citibank, JPMorgan, and Capital One — provided all the stats necessary to complete the report. Several banks — Bank of the West, Fifth Third Bank, HSBC North America, PNC Bank, Santander, Truist Bank, US Bank, and Wells Fargo — all got overall "F's" because they declined to provide data on "the total number of employees within race groups at the company" and in some cases declined to break down their percentage of minority employees. "Because accountability begins with transparency, banks that did not disclose data were judged accordingly," the study authors wrote.

US Bank responded that CBB's findings are not accurate and do not reflect data the company has publicly released, including the 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance report available on its website, which does contain its workforce demographic statistics.

The study found that Black and Latino employees at all the banks face "strong unfavorable disparities" compared with Whites regarding career advancement, and a trend of "decreased diversity at higher employment levels within all eight banks." Citibank and Bank of America employees of color had the best chance of reaching the highest ranks compared to their White counterparts. Black Citibank employees had a 27% chance and Latino Citibank employees had a 23% chance compared with White employees. "Meanwhile, Black employees [at Citibank] are 2.3 times and Latino employees are 1.8 times more likely than White employees to hold entry level positions," the study authors wrote. 

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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/18/investing/bank-diversity-racial-bias-study/index.html?mc_cid=bd9e101ffa&mc_eid=7b306e8d85.