On April 10, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties (Habitat SKKC), in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), will welcome Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of The King Center, and academic and bestselling author Richard Rothstein for a special event presented by Habitat’s Home is the Key campaign. From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership will include keynote addresses from Dr. Bernice A. King and Richard Rothstein before they sit down for a panel discussion centered on affordable housing.
“Both my father and my mother, Coretta Scott King, believed that dignity is, in part, reflected in how we care for each other’s everyday well-being, including healthy, humane housing. Dignity is also reflected in our concerted efforts to create pathways to affordable homeownership, which builds generational wealth and produces greater educational outcomes. This is critical for defeating what my father called the ‘inseparable twins of economic injustice and racial injustice,” said Dr. Bernice A. King.
The event falls on the eve of the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, for which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vocal proponent. Dr. King’s advocacy for housing justice stemmed from his activism for the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His leadership of the Chicago Freedom Movement laid the groundwork for the Fair Housing Act, which was passed on April 11, 1968, just seven days after Dr. King’s assassination. The groundbreaking legislation prohibited housing discrimination based on protected characteristics including race and national origin and marked an important first step in closing the racial homeownership gap.
The panel will also include Nicole Bascomb-Green, a member of the core leadership team for the Black Home Initiative (BHI). BHI is a regional effort that seeks to target the racial inequities at the core of the housing ecosystem to increase homeownership among Black households. Habitat SKKC is an active partner in the BHI Policy Network Group. Natosha Reid Rice, Vice President of Housing Opportunities & Mission Engagement for Habitat for Humanity International, will moderate the conversation. The event will take place at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle’s Central District.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an instrumental leader in the fight for affordable housing. This event is a tribute to his legacy and a continuation of the conversation of how we can build upon the foundation he and other fair housing advocates have laid,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO of Habitat SKKC.
During the event, Habitat SKKC CEO Brett D’Antonio and Dr. Bernice A. King will also unveil the name of Habitat SKKC’s largest single-building development to date—and the largest multi-family Habitat project in the country. When completed in Spring 2028, the building will offer 58 local families earning low incomes the long-term financial stability, independence, and equity-building that affordable homeownership provides.
From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership is a local activation of HFHI’s national awareness and fundraising campaign “Home is the Key,” which aims to call attention to the need for equitable access to affordable homeownership in the U.S. In addition to the April 10 event, Habitat SKKC will also host a Community Build Day, an opportunity for members of the community to come together as volunteers to help build homes in Seattle.
While From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership is invitation-only, it will be livestreamed for the public to watch here. We hope you will join us for this important and inspiring conversation.