Civil Rights Memorial Center to Gather Comments Against Trump Administration Rule Change That Would Allow Housing Discrimination

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For decades, the disparate impact provision of the Fair Housing Act has helped protect victims of domestic violence, immigrants, families with children, individuals with disabilities, communities of color and LGBTQ+ people from housing discrimination. Now the Trump administration wants to remove this long-standing protection. 

On Thursday, Oct.10, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) will host a “comment writing party” where participants will be encouraged to draft comments, tweets and Facebook posts that address the impact the proposal will have on local communities. The comments will be part of the federal rulemaking process, which allows members of the public to express their opinions about proposed changes to federal regulations. The event, which will include music and free pizza, will be open to the public.

The event will take place in conjunction with Defend Civil Rights, a national campaign by a coalition of equal rights advocates who are dedicated to protecting civil rights and ensuring equal opportunity for all people. The organization seeks to generate 100,000 comments in opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed rule changes on the Fair Housing Act.

Staff members of the CRMC and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be available to help attendees at the “comment writing party” to draft their comments and social media posts.

“Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts during the civil rights movement included ensuring that all Americans, black Americans in particular, were afforded an opportunity to fair and quality housing,” CRMC Director Tafeni English said. “It is imperative that we do not allow this administration to destroy this crucial aspect of King’s legacy.”