Today California leaders take pride in state laws that protect civil rights. But that hasn’t always been the case. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, the story of how Martin Luther King Jr. came to Fresno to fight housing discrimination.
Back in 1963, California lawmakers passed a law banning discrimination on race, religion or national origin in the sale or rental of homes, apartments or real estate – the the Rumford Fair Housing Act,. But the law sparked fierce opposition from the real estate industry, who sought to overturn it with a ballot measure, Proposition 14.
In 1964, the California Real Estate Association helped create a new group, the Committee for Home Protection, to promote the measure, and Fresno realtor L.H. Wilson was the chair of both groups.
Enter Martin Luther King Jr. On June 1st 1964, he led a march from Fresno High School to Ratcliffe Stadium at Fresno City College, where he and local clergy held a rally in support of fair housing.
Around 3,000 people attended King’s Fresno speech, including Fresno Mayor Wallace Henderson. The Fresno Bee compared the mood at the event to a mix between a religious revival and a football game. No audio or video recording exists of King’s Fresno speech, and sadly an interview KMJ-TV reporter Brent DeMonte conducted with King has been lost.
Despite’s King’s rally, in November 1964, California voters approved Proposition 14 by nearly a 2 to 1 margin, nullifying the fair housing act. The law would eventually be overturned as illegal discrimination and was later repealed.
