April 11 – Civil Rights Bill Signed!

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nOn this date in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law.
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nThis followed years of effort and protests and demands by those who faced discrimination, especially by black Americans.
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nIt’s sad, but true: historically, people have needed the force of law to make society a bit fairer – not quite completely fair, yet, not completely just, but more fair and just than before civil rights bills were passed. 
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nToday’s historical anniversary was a bill designed to stop (or at least lessen) discrimination in housing. It made it a federal crime to, by force or threat of force, injure, intimidate, or interfere with anyone’s equal housing opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin.
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nSince 1968, housing discrimination on the basis of sex is also not allowed, and people with disabilities and families with children are also protected by subsequent additions.
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nHere are some forms of discrimination that are outlawed:
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This is the kind of thing the Fair Housing Act makes illegal!

nYou cannot refuse to sell or rent a house or apartment because of someone’s race (etc.).
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nYou cannot do shenanigans like jacking up the price for people of color, or favoring white folks with better terms.
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nYou cannot indicate in an ad that you prefer a renters or buyers of a particular race (etc.).
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nYou cannot intimidate potential buyers or renters, so that they will back out of the deal, on the basis of race (etc.).
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nIf people feel that they are facing discrimination, they are encouraged to seek help in fixing the situation, either by complaining to the federal government or by starting a lawsuit.
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nOf course, there are all sorts of subtle ways in which discrimination still happens, including realtors only giving people of color information on houses and apartments in particular areas or casually steering them only to particular areas. We need more education in social justice, and we need strong enforcement of laws like the Fair Housing Act.
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nHere is an article with pretty clear writing about 10 important aspects of fair housing. This article doesn’t discuss all the complexities of housing discrimination, of course, but it is a basic overview.
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nAlso on this date:
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nPassover

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nnSubmarine Day 

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nBarbershop Quartet Day

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nLouie, Louie Day

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nSlow Art Day

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nNational Pet Day

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nJuan Santamaria Day in Costa Rica

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nScientist and inventor Percy Julian’s birthday

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nPlan ahead:

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Check out my Pinterest boards for:

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• nApril holidays

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• nApril birthdays

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• nHistorical anniversaries in April

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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:

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• nMay holidays

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• nMay birthdays

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• nHistorical anniversaries in May

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