Think about the sacrifices individuals made during civil rights movements in this country.
People lost their lives to fight government-mandated or -sponsored racial discrimination.
Now the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those fighters face similar discrimination.
Some colleges and universities still practice racial discrimination in housing. Race-based dormitories, euphemistically known as “affinity housing,” are illegal.
The College Fix reported that Craig Trainor, assistant secretary of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, sent colleges and universities a letter (PDF) warning them about “the rise of institutionalized separatism on the basis of race.”
Race-based dorms are one example of institutionalized separatism. Is it boldness or ignorance that leads taxpayer-supported institutions of higher learning to create black-only dormitories after the country went through a whole tempestuous movement to eradicate such things?
Whether bold or ignorant, they are on notice. From the letter:
The law is clear: When educational institutions permit the existence of racially segregated student housing—or openly encourage separation on the basis of race, color, or national origin, advertise a discriminatory preference, or have policies that discourage students from one race, ethnicity, or nationality from living with students who do not share those characteristics—they violate the Fair Housing Act.
The assistant secretary directs anyone who suspects that a school is discriminating against individuals based on race to file a complaint to the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Learn more here.
Photo credit: By Bernt Rostad – Flickr: The Sather Gate, CC BY 2.0, Link
