APARTMENTS MCKey v. Hyde Park Village Apartments was a case heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1978. The case involved a dispute between the Hyde Park Village Apartments and its tenant, Robert McKey. McKey had been living in the apartment complex for several years when the complex began to implement a policy of racial segregation. McKey, who was African American, was told that he could no longer live in the complex due to his race. McKey sued the complex, arguing that the policy of racial segregation violated the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The Supreme Court agreed with McKey, ruling that the policy of racial segregation was illegal and violated the Fair Housing Act. The Court also held that the complex had violated McKey's right to equal protection under the law. The decision in this case was significant because it established that racial segregation in housing was illegal and that landlords could not discriminate against tenants based on their race. The decision also established that tenants had the right to equal protection under the law and that landlords could not deny them housing based on their race. This decision was an important step in the fight for civil rights and helped to ensure that all people had access to housing regardless of their race.

APARTMENTS In the dissenting opinion of MCKEY v. HYDE PARK VILLAGE APARTMENTS, Justice Blackmun argued that the majority’s decision was wrongfully based on a misreading of precedent and an incorrect interpretation of federal law. He believed that Congress had intended to protect tenants from discrimination in housing when it passed Title VIII, which prohibited discrimination based on race or color in any real estate transaction. The majority had ruled against McKey because they found no evidence that Hyde Park Village Apartments had discriminated against her due to her race; however, Justice Blackmun argued this was not enough to prove there hadn't been racial discrimination as required by Title VIII. He also noted that even if there were no direct evidence of racial bias at play, circumstantial evidence could still be used to infer discriminatory intent under certain circumstances—which he felt applied here—and thus should have been considered by the court before ruling against McKey's claim for damages. In conclusion, Justice Blackmun asserted his belief that Congress' intention with Title VIII was clear: all individuals should be protected from housing discrimination regardless of their race or color and therefore McKey deserved compensation for being denied access to a rental unit she qualified for solely because she is African-American