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Associated Press
28-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
NCJAR Celebrates Fair Housing Month and Honors Bill Flagg as NAR Fair Housing Champion
Recognizing Leadership in Equity and Inclusion as Fair Housing Month Comes to a Close MORRISTOWN, NJ, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2025 / / -- As Fair Housing Month comes to a close this April, North Central Jersey Association of REALTORS® ( NCJAR ) reflects on the significant strides made since the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This month served as a reminder of the ongoing work to ensure equity, inclusion, and access in housing, values that NCJAR and REALTORS® across the nation strive to uphold every day. NCJAR is proud to celebrate the achievements of one of its own, Bill Flagg, who has been recognized as a 2025 recipient of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Fair Housing Champion Award. Bill's dedication to furthering the mission of fair housing through advocacy and action spans over four decades. Notably, his leadership in organizing Newark's first successful Homeownership Fair, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Baptist Church, has left a lasting impact on the community and serves as a model for others to follow. 'Bill Flagg's work exemplifies the heart of what Fair Housing Month is all about,' said Jeff Jones , NCJAR 2025 President. 'His tireless efforts to bring opportunity to underserved communities continue to inspire REALTORS® and remind us that we each have a responsibility to be champions of inclusion and access.' As we move forward, NCJAR urges its members to carry the spirit of Fair Housing Month into every day of the year. REALTORS® have a unique opportunity to not only abide by the law but to actively work to eliminate bias, promote inclusivity, and foster conversations that lead to lasting change in our industry and communities. This month's theme, 'Being the Change,' underscores the importance of REALTORS® taking an active role in confronting bias, fostering inclusivity, and leading conversations that propel the industry toward greater equity. 'We all have the power to make a difference in the communities we serve,' added Jeff Jones. 'Whether through training, education, or simply engaging with our neighbors, we can continue to build a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to pursue homeownership.' As Fair Housing Month draws to a close, let us celebrate the accomplishments of individuals like Bill Flagg and renew our commitment to promoting fair housing and leading with integrity every day. For more information about NCJAR and its ongoing efforts to promote fair housing, please visit and About NCJAR: North Central Jersey Association of REALTORS® (NCJAR) is dedicated to advocating for the real estate industry and promoting the values of fairness, equity, and access for all in every community we serve. Through education, outreach, and ongoing professional development, NCJAR strives to create a real estate market that serves all people equally. About Homebuyer NCJAR Homebuyer NCJAR is your go-to resource for homebuying in North Central New Jersey. Powered by NCJAR, we connect you with expert REALTORS® and provide essential tools and insights to make informed decisions throughout your homebuying journey. Ella Mae Gading-Delacruz NCJAR +1 973-425-0110 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X Other Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Realtors advocate for fair housing
Although Realtors are committed to fair housing practices year-round, April is when they commemorate the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. 'The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was monumental,' said Reading-Berks Association of Realtors President Dave Snyder. 'The act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in other housing-related activities. 'It prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex — including gender identity and sexual orientation — familial status and disability. In our state, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act also protects against housing discrimination based on age, ancestry and usage, handling or training of assistance animals for persons with disabilities.' Although more people have opportunities to achieve homeownership than before, discrimination still occurs throughout every step of the homebuying process, from the initial search and securing financing to the final closing, based on race, gender, socioeconomic status and other factors. As members of the National Association of Realtors, Realtors are required to complete fair housing and anti-bias training upon becoming members, and every three years thereafter, coinciding with their Code of Ethics training timeline. 'Regardless of identity or background, everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally throughout the entirety of the homebuying process,' Snyder said. 'Homeownership offers individuals a foundation for security and an opportunity to build long-term and generational wealth. 'As Realtors, we subscribe to NAR's Code of Ethics and are committed to adhering to the Fair Housing Act. Every day, we strive to promote equal housing opportunities for all and help people achieve their homeownership dreams.' Homebuyers and sellers can seek products, services and prices from multiple companies to ensure that they're receiving fair treatment. If consumers believe they've experienced a fair housing issue, they should contact the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission at
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City considers plan for downtown signage
CUMBERLAND — Merje Design presented options for signs across the city to the mayor and City Council Tuesday. The 'wayfinding plan' came about after various experts were in Cumberland for the recent downtown renovation. 'When the consultants were here, they often got lost,' said Ruth Davis- Rogers, the city's historic preservation planner and grants manager. She said an initial $30,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development was secured to hire West Chester, Pennsylvania, consultant Merje for the project. The exact cost of the wayfinding plan hasn't been determined. 'A lot of this will be grant funded,' Davis-Rogers said. Merje provided wayfinding for cities including Annapolis and Frederick, she said. 'We've been working with them for six months,' Davis-Rogers said. Merje partner Glen Swantak said Cumberland has a hodgepodge of directional markers. 'You've got a lot of signs,' he said, adding that an emphasis will be placed on consistent displays of parking availability in the city. 'It's very complicated to come into the downtown area,' he said. He also talked of direction to downtown needed for folks arriving at the Amtrak Station. Merje designer Madison Phillips said the next step for the wayfinding project will be development of a preliminary budget. In other city business: • The council proclaimed April 2025 as Fair Housing Month with a document that states Cumberland 'is proud to join the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in celebrating the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.' • The council met privately Tuesday to discuss board and commission appointments.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Black History Month: Lyndon B. Johnson's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The 1960s were a time of social unrest and a constant fight for equality. One president emerged as a pivotal figure in the progression of the Civil Rights Movement and that was Lyndon B. Johnson. When LBJ took office after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the country was deeply divided. At the same time, the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum. Historian Raffi Andonian said LBJ took this momentum and was able to create a new legacy with civil rights in the forefront of his mind. 'When he became president after JFK was assassinated, he delivered on multiple pieces of legislation…,'Andonian said. That legislation included the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This outlawed discrimination in the workplace and in public. The next year he was able to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which prohibits discrimination while voting. It was the work on this act that highlighted the partnership between LBJ and Martin Luther King Jr. 'LBJ knew to work with MLK on that because MLK was really good at getting attention to gain the moral high ground with nonviolence to be able to provide the political pressure to achieve these difficult things…and LBJ working with MLK with many White House meanings there are many photos and images that show them doing this… and they were able to deliver on the Voting Rights Act of 1965…'Andonian said. It was after MLK was assassinated that LBJ continued work he and MLK were doing together. Which led him to passing the Fair Housing Act of 1968. 'When MLK was assassinated, LBJ capitalized on that national moment just as he did after JFK was assassinated to deliver one more piece of civil rights legislation…he did so because he and MLK had been talking about it, but it had not passed or gone somewhere yet…but when MLK died it made the national mood that he felt he had the capital to do so,' Andonian said. Andonian said that people can take notes from LBJ and be inspired by his actions to support causes such as the Civil Rights Movement in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative Black Caucus wants schools to observe Vel Phillips' birthday
'Her life and work has impacted countless Wisconsinites, so much so that all Wisconsin students should know about and recognize her,' Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde said. Screenshot via WisEye. The Legislative Black Caucus proposed Tuesday that Wisconsin make Vel Phillips' birthday — Feb. 18 — a special day of observance in Wisconsin schools. Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee), a bill coauthor, recognized Phillips' lengthy list of 'firsts' at a press conference Tuesday morning, saying that 'far too few' Wisconsinites know about her legacy. Phillips was Wisconsin's first Black statewide elected official, serving as secretary of state from 1979 to 1983. She also served as Wisconsin's first Black judge and the first woman judge in Milwaukee County and was the first Black woman to graduate from University of Wisconsin Law School. Phillips was the first African American and the first woman to be elected as a Milwaukee Common Council alder. She was an activist who advocated fair and affordable housing in Milwaukee, including introducing the Phillips Housing Ordinance in 1962, which would have outlawed racial discrimination among landlords and real estate agents in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Common Council finally adopted an open housing ordinance in April 1968 after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the U.S. Congress passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Phillips passed away on April 17, 2018. Her 101st birthday was Tuesday. 'Her life and work has impacted countless Wisconsinites, so much so that all Wisconsin students should know about and recognize her,' Moore Omokunde said. Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) said at a press conference that Phillips 'wasn't just a leader. She was a force of nature. She refused to accept the limits placed on her as an African American woman and as a woman in general, and she made sure that no one coming after her had to suffer those barriers,' Johnson said. 'Milwaukee is the city that it is today in part due to Vel Phillips. 'She wasn't just making history. She was paving the way for the rest of us — for Black women in Wisconsin who still face barriers, for girls who need to see what's possible and for every person who has ever been told to wait their turn,' Johnson said. 'That's what this bill is about — ensuring Vel Phillips' story is told for generations to come. Making Feb. 18 a special observance day isn't just about remembering Vel Phillips. It's about teaching our kids what she stood for, making sure her name, her fight, her legacy lives on.' There are 21 special observance days in Wisconsin's school calendar, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, Environmental Awareness Day, Bullying Awareness Day, September 11 Observance Day, Veterans Day and Robert La Follette Sr. Day. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) states on its website that observance days can 'teach the elements of tradition that preserve U.S. society and foster an awareness of our cultural heritage' and 'can be part of a rich social studies curriculum that gives these individuals and events proper emphasis, both in the context of Wisconsin and U.S. history and in relation to their effect on or improvement of our political, economic and social institutions.' Mikki Maddox, a teacher at Necedah Area High School, is part of the reason the caucus brought the legislation forward. She said she started doing announcements for the school and marking the observance days in her calendar. 'I noticed that there are quite a few gaps,' Maddox said, adding that she contacted DPI and wrote to Senate and Assembly members about observance days. 'I knew this was a person that needed to be recognized all over the state for her courage and for her willingness to stand up,' Maddox said. Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski honored her predecessor at the press conference, recalling that she learned about Phillips in school only after taking her own initiative to look for women important to Wisconsin history and coming across her in a textbook. 'As Wisconsin's secretary of state I stand on Vel's shoulders. … She is a trailblazer and Wisconsin is better because of Vel's leadership,' Godlewski said. 'Too many students [are] just like the one that I was sitting in the classroom flipping through my history books and not seeing that full picture of who actually shaped our state.' The bill, Godlewski said, would ensure 'every student learns about her, not just as an afterthought, but as a fundamental part of our state history.' The bill, which is currently being circulated for co-sponsorship, will need bipartisan support to pass in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Moore Omokunde said he doesn't think recent hostility towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts from Republicans will hinder it, adding that many observances of Phillips already exist throughout Wisconsin. An outdoor statue of Phillips was installed outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in September 2024 — an action that received bipartisan approval in 2021. Phillips also had a Madison high school renamed for her in 2021 and a road in Milwaukee is named after her. 'We already have the statue. Vel Phillips has a street in Milwaukee… it's really a no-brainer,' Moore Omokunde said. The bill is a continuation of lawmakers' work to recognize and celebrate Black Wisconsinites during Black History Month. Early this month, lawmakers re-introduced a resolution to proclaim February as Black History Month. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
