Dr. King’s Housing Justice Journey

We are inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work for housing justice, a crucial part of the broader struggle for racial justice in the U.S.. Dr. King spoke out against the “dilapidated, inadequate housing” in African American communities when he moved to the Midwest to organize the Chicago Freedom Movement. He led a powerful multiracial coalition of Black, Latino, Polish, and Jewish renters who laid the foundation for passing the Fair Housing Act, a victory he referred to as “the first step in a 1,000-mile journey.’’

Today, that journey continues: communities of color are still facing housing discrimination, unsafe living conditions, displacement through gentrification, rising rents, and eviction. It is no coincidence that here on the West Side, where over 40% of residents are people of color, half of all residents are spending an unsustainable amount of our income on housing (Source: MN Compass). 

We can honor Dr. King’s legacy with action. Learn more about WSCO’s Housing Justice Action Circle, and join our multiracial coalition of renters and homeowners working together in solidarity for a future where all West Siders can afford a safe and dignified place to live.

Image description: Martin Luther King Jr. helps remove a window frame while renovating an unheated apartment. King moved into the apartment to protest unjust housing conditions in the neighborhoods where Black renters were forced to live. Photo credit: The Chicago Tribune, 1966