Norton Commemorates 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Authored by D.C. Native Son Senator Edward Brooke
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released the following statement to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Act, which was authored by Senator Edward Brooke (R-MA), the nation's first popularly-elected African American senator and a native son of the District of Columbia, who served from 1967 to 1979. Norton also praised Brooke's help on achieving the D.C. Home Rule Act. A Norton bill got Congress to award Brooke the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. He was also a graduate of Dunbar High School and Howard University.
"The Fair Housing Act was a historic legislative milestone that completed the great trilogy of civil rights acts secured by the civil rights movement," Norton said. "The lead author of the Act, which prevents discrimination in housing based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex or disability, was Senator Edward Brooke, the nation's first popularly-elected African American senator and a native son of the District of Columbia. We here in his hometown are particularly grateful to Senator Brooke for his tireless activism for the Home Rule Act of 1973. His remarkable life story and assent to the U.S. Senate should continue to inspire his hometown as D.C. continues its quest to become the 51st state."