Tennessee Human Rights Commission commemorates Fair Housing Month with summit honoring the legacy of the Fair Housing Act and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tennessee – The Tennessee Human Rights Commission is recognizing April as Fair Housing Month, joining national fair housing organizations, advocates, and communities across the country in celebrating the protections granted under the Fair Housing Act.

The annual observance marks the passage of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, a landmark law that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.

The Fair Housing Act was signed into law on April 11, 1968, just one week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The tragic event served as a catalyst for the act’s passage, following years of advocacy and resistance in Congress.

Dr. King’s influence on the movement for housing equality was shaped by his efforts in the 1966 Chicago Freedom Movement, where he and fellow civil rights leaders fought against redlining, unsafe housing conditions, and discriminatory lending practices.

Although their work in Chicago led to some local agreements with housing authorities and financial institutions, fair housing legislation stalled at the federal level until two key events shifted momentum.

The first was the release of the Kerner Commission Report, which identified residential segregation as a core cause of civil unrest. The second was Dr. King’s assassination, which galvanized national support for civil rights legislation.

In response, President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Congress to act swiftly, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was signed into law on April 11. During the signing, President Johnson declared, “Fair housing for all, all human beings who live in this country, is now part of the American Way.”

In Tennessee, the THRC enforces the state’s version of the Fair Housing Act through the Tennessee Human Rights Act, which mirrors the federal law in prohibiting housing discrimination.

To honor this year’s Fair Housing Month, the Commission will host the 2025 Fair Housing Summit on Tuesday, April 29. The event will take place both virtually and in person at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT.

The summit aims to bring together stakeholders from across the state to discuss the current landscape of housing rights and share strategies to eliminate housing discrimination. In-person registration is $100, while online registration is available for $60.