On the 55th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous speech, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson wrote a tweet in support of the civil rights leader’s legacy — even as his agency comes under attack for rolling back anti-segregation measures.

“55 years ago today, Dr Martin Luther King, JR inspired millions & helped passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with his I Have a Dream speech,” Carson posted on his official Twitter account today, August 28. “All Americans can participate in Dr. King’s legacy, by continuing to carry the torch of liberty and brotherly love.”

https://twitter.com/SecretaryCarson/status/1034455966140575745

Nominated by President Donald Trump in Dec. 2016, Carson has been a divisive figure as HUD secretary. Amid increasing protests against plans to suspend an Obama-era mandate on correcting housing discrimination, the state of New York joined a lawsuit filed by three civil rights groups against HUD in May.

Under the 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing mandate, federal funding would have been held from local governments that fail to take concrete steps to desegregate themselves. The initiative, according to various housing activist groups, is necessary to push segregated communities into action.

The lawsuit by civil rights groups, which was dismissed earlier this month, claimed that by rolling back the mandate HUD failed to enforce the landmark Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing.

“As a former HUD Secretary, it is unconscionable to me that the agency entrusted to protect against housing discrimination is abdicating its responsibility, and New York will not stand by and allow the federal government to undo decades of progress,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at the time.

Email Veronika Bondarenko

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×