Investigate MS RV Park Owner for Evicting Interracial Couple
- by: Susan V
- recipient: US Department of Justice, Mississippi
A Mississippi RV park owner evicted a family after learning the parents were an interracial couple. And, instead of obeying laws and correcting his discriminatory act, owner Gene Baker says he’s shutting down his park.
Erica Flores Dunahoo, an Hispanic and Native American, told the Clarion-Ledger that she’d never run into any problem before in her 10 years of marriage to Stanley Hoskins, an African American National Guardsman. However, according to Dunahoo, Baker, who had been very friendly - even inviting her to his church - the day she came alone to pay the first month’s rent, called the next day and told her, “’“Hey, you didn’t tell me you was married to no black man.'”
Baker, adds the report, told Dunahoo that “black and white shacking” is a “ big problem” with members of his community and church - and with his mother-in-law.
Despite Dunahoo’s prayers and pleas that Baker change his mind, the family had to move to another park where the rent is higher. Baker told the C-L that he didn’t have a problem with interracial couples, claiming his actions are based on what the neighbors and others want. But the Department of Justice should have a problem with Baker. The Fair Housing Act “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race" and. "authorizes the Department to bring suits where investigations yield evidence of a pattern or practice of illegal housing discrimination."
Sign this petition to ask for a DOJ investigation of RV owner Gene Baker.
To the US Department of Justice;
As someone who cares about equality, I am writing today to urge the Department of Justice to investigate reported housing discrimination at the RV park near Tupelo, Mississippi, that is owned by Gene Baker.
[Your comments]
As your division is certainly aware, the U.S. Supreme Court determined in 1967 that Mississippi laws prohibiting interracial marriage are illegal, and the following year, according to the Clarion-Ledger, “the Fair Housing Act made it illegal to refuse to rent to people on the basis of their "race, color, religion, sex or national origin."
Your website explains that your division has a number of times discovered patterns in FHA violations by using its Testing Program, and, as a result, it has recovered millions in penalties and damages.
Based on reported statements made by the owner of the MS RV park discussed in this petition, there seems little if any doubt of a blatant FHA violation and little question of the DOJ’s responsibility to investigate and file charges.
Furthermore, reported statements made by the RV park owner also indicate a systemic problem within the community where the park is located. Therefore I, the undersigned, and others who join me by signing this petition, request that the DOJ investigate this case and the entire community outside of Tupelo where the park is located and take appropriate legal action to send a clear message that acts of discrimination such as this one will not be tolerated.
Thanks for your time.
[Your name]
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