National Fair Housing Month, 2008

Proclamation 8232 of April 1, 2008

National Fair Housing Month, 2008

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During National Fair Housing Month, our Nation
commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing
Act and reaffirms our dedication to maintaining equal
access to housing for every American.

On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed
the Fair Housing Act. This important legislation was
one of a series of civil rights laws that sought to
secure the rights of individuals and extend the full
blessings of liberty to all Americans. The Fair Housing
Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and
financing of housing and, in doing so, furthers the
ideals championed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and
other heroes of the civil rights movement.

Our Nation has come a long way, yet our journey to
justice is not complete. While the housing market works
through this difficult period, my Administration
remains steadfast in its commitment to help responsible
homeowners, to end discrimination, and to work to
ensure that all citizens have access to housing. During
National Fair Housing Month, we acknowledge our
responsibility to ensure that all Americans enjoy the
opportunities that this great land of liberty offers.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim April 2008 as National Fair
Housing Month. I call upon the people of the United
States to learn more about their rights and
responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.