Political Context
The impetus for the law's passage came from the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and subsequent civil unrest across the country. On April 5, Johnson wrote a letter to the United States House of Representatives urging passage of the Fair Housing Act. With newly urgent attention from legislative director Joseph Califano and Democratic Speaker of the House John McCormack, the bill (which was previously stalled) passed the House by a wide margin on April 10.
Read more about this topic: Civil Rights Act Of 1968
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