MARIN FAMILY SUCCESSFULLY FIGHTS RACE DISCRIMINATION

Contact: Nancy Kenyon, Executive Director, 415-457-5025

(July 15, 2000) - Fair Housing of Marin recently announced the settlement of a race discrimination case brought by an interracial couple against the San Rafael landlord who refused to rent to them. Reuben Burke, who is African-American, contacted Fair Housing of Marin (FHOM) last August, shortly after he and his wife Kathy, who is Caucasian, attempted to rent a Lucas Valley residence. The Burkes, accompanied by their two children, then aged 8 and 12, stopped at the home after seeing a "for rent" sign posted in front of it.

Burke reported to FHOM that when the landlord answered the door, he told the Burkes that he would not rent to them because "Blacks sell drugs" and "bring down the neighborhood." He further admonished them not to attempt to rent anywhere else in the area as all the neighbors felt the same way. The homeowner also told the Burkes that he would not rent to an interracial couple in any event because such couples were likely to break up and he did not want that in his home. The landlord made these statements in front of the four Burkes and then repeated them in front of the tenant who was in the process of moving out.

FHOM sent a team of trained testers to the home. The two testers, one African-American and one Caucasian, posed as potential tenants. FHOM's analysis of the testers' reports substantiated Reuben Burke's allegations. FHOM then referred the case to attorney Christopher Brancart of the law firm of Brancart & Brancart, who filed suit on the Burke's behalf. The parties settled the case for $7,786; according to their attorney they could have won more but sued for the principle. In addition, the settlement prohibits this landlord from acting as the manager of any rental property and requires him to attend fair housing training at FHOM.

Throughout this process, Burke stressed to FHOM that he is a busy person, an employer, husband and a parent, and does not "run around looking for discrimination." He pursued this, he said, because of the terrible humiliation suffered by his wife and children as well as himself, and because he hates racism and feels a responsibility to eradicate it when he can. Indeed, he told the Marin Independent Journal that "those kinds of things you don't forget. I'm always conscious of it. I'm always aware that I'm in an interracial relationship and that there are people who don't like it."

The courage of people like Reuben Burke and his family advances the possibility of fair housing for all.