After World War II, the nation remained confronted with vestiges of deep-seated racial segregation that were becoming increasingly difficult impacted citizens to endure. During the postwar years, Black Americans’ aspirations for a better life in America were emerging. Black people were attaining gainful employment, and the Supreme Court had finally passed a ruling that restrictive covenants and private agreements to exclude specified races from the ownership and occupancy of real property in exclusively white neighborhoods were not enforceable under the law.
Like housing, schools were still segregated, a condition fallaciously justified under the “separate but equal” notion, But despite court rulings, discriminatory housing practices still prevailed as equal housing had not yet become reality. It was in this environment of abject racial discrimination that the soon to become “First Realtists” met in Tampa, Florida, on the sweltering night of July 29, 1947, and founded the National Association of Real Estate Brokers® (NAREB®). On that night, the Founders committed to the fulfillment of the principle, “Equal Housing Opportunity for All.”
From the past to the present, NAREB remains an association proud of its past, dedicated to its chosen struggle, and unrelenting in its pursuit of the REALTIST®’ mission/vision embedded goal, “Democracy in Housing.”
