Discrimination in the housing industry based on race and color has existed since America was born, and for centuries, it was legally protected and enforced. Only in the last few decades has that situation begun to change, both in law and in reality.
Timeline of Race and Color Discrimination
1600s to 1865
Colonial Era to End of the Civil War
Property ownership in the United States during this period was almost exclusively reserved for white males. In many states, voting rights were held only by white male property owners, helping to ensure the system remained in place. Entering the Civil War, almost all wealth in the United States was concentrated in this one group.
1865 to 1945
Reconstruction to End of World War II
In the wake of the Civil War, the right to own property was generally extended to Black Americans, although in practice, it remained difficult for them and other people of color to buy their own homes. In the South, de jure (legalized) segregation remained in place, barring millions from owning property, building wealth and participating fully in political decision-making. In the North (and increasingly in the West), de facto (in fact) segregation worked to prevent Black Americans, many of whom migrated from the South, from buying their own homes and building wealth.
In cases where home ownership was possible, business and political leaders often ensured that Blacks and other people of color could only live within certain, well-defined geographic limits. During the New Deal that helped end the Great Depression in the 1930s and 1940s, the federal government went so far as to implement “redlining,” the practice of denying people access to credit based solely on where they lived. Federal officials maintained and updated official maps upon which they marked segregated areas with red lines.
1945 to 1968
The Civil Rights Era
After World War II, millions of white former servicemembers were able to access the generous housing support available under federal GI Bill policies. In policy and in practice, Black Americans who served their country in uniform were denied access to these benefits. As the baby boomer generation was born, white Americans spread out to build a vast network of suburban communities (“suburbs”). To ensure these suburbs remained segregated, deeds and community covenants routinely and explicitly denied access to Black Americans or other racial and ethnic groups. Levittown was an early example of suburban growth and a “whites only” reality.
As the racial wealth gap widened, the civil rights movement gained momentum. Increasingly, Black leaders and their political allies spoke out against all forms of discrimination, including in homeownership. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke clearly about this central issue. “We are tired of living in rat-infested slums,” he said. “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children.”
Responding to mounting protests and a rise in public support for civil rights in the white population, the U.S. Congress passed — and President Lyndon Johnson signed — the Fair Housing Act in 1968. The new law prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin and sex — protections that now include handicap and family status.
1968 to Present
From Law to Practice
Despite the fact that discrimination in housing has been illegal at the federal level for more than half a century, the legacy and reality of discriminatory practices continue. In many cases, suburban communities have remained resistant to allowing people of other races and colors to buy property. This has extended to explicit and unconscious bias in the business communities that support property sales, including banks and real estate licensees.
This reality hit home in 2019 when Newsday ran a series that depicted discriminatory practices in the real estate profession on Long Island. “Long Island Divided” provided historical context and evidence that despite legal and public support for fair housing — including by Long Island Board of REALTORS® (LIBOR) — the legacy of discrimination continues. As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, housing patterns in the nation, including on Long Island, continue to reflect centuries of unfair housing practices in action.
With this history in mind, LIBOR remains fully committed to advocating for fair housing practices and supporting its REALTOR® members as they work to make Long Island “home for all of us.”