National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) President Charlie Oppler represented NAR at a wreath-laying ceremony honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 18. King’s enduring legacy was on display as attendees reflected on the foundation he set in the fight for racial equality and highlighted the progress the nation has made and must still make. NAR welcomes a new Congress and presidential administration in Washington, D.C. this month having cemented association efforts to address housing inequality and racial discrimination in real estate as one of its top priorities of 2021.
“Dr. King often spoke of the need to see ourselves not just as members of a neighborhood, but as a brotherhood of man. As a minister, he challenged our country to fulfill its promise to Americans of all colors, and, in the words of Scripture, to ‘let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,'” Oppler said during his remarks at Monday’s ceremony. “We remember his words today and every day. But, primarily, Dr. King was a man of action, and he remains an inspiration to us all now more than five decades after his death.”
Oppler acknowledged REALTORS®’ historic role in furthering residential segregation and opposing the federal Fair Housing Act, but reiterated NAR’s active, ongoing commitment to securing Dr. King’s Dream of diverse, inclusive communities.
“Today, NAR fights to protect and promote the Fair Housing Act,” Oppler, a REALTOR® from Franklin Lakes, N.J., continued. “We’re proud that, in 2011, we made the decision to be among the first to contribute to this memorial’s construction. And we’re proud to continue our partnership with the Memorial Foundation, to champion fairness and equality in housing, and to preserve Dr. King’s legacy.
“His dream is the American Dream. That’s a dream we fight for every day. And, as the largest trade association in the world, NAR is committed to using our voice to champion efforts that will combat discrimination throughout real estate.”
NAR’s ongoing efforts include partnering with lawmakers in Washington to secure more equitable public policy and continuing work to implement principles outlined in the association’s Fair Housing ACT plan, which was unveiled in January of 2020. NAR is also promoting to Realtors® and the general public its implicit bias training video and recently-released interactive fair housing simulation training.
For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.
