On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, sometimes called the Fair Housing Act. The law prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and later sex and other factors. It also included provisions to address certain crimes motivated by bias. The act passed shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., amid intense national debate about civil rights. It was a major step in extending civil-rights protections beyond voting and public accommodations. The law continues to shape housing policy and fair housing enforcement in the United States.
