DEI COMMITTEE
Veronica Gillette
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee members are excited, looking ahead at our second year as a committee as we continue to focus on educating REALTORS® and presenting opportunities about different lifestyles, cultures, and environments, as a tool to strengthen our community.
March marks Women’s History Month. Each year we use this month to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of women and their contributions to history, culture, and society.
Did you know it wasn’t until the early 1950s that most real estate boards dropped their gender-discriminatory laws?
A Timeline of Women in Real Estate
1794 – U.S real estate industry is created
1838 – Mississippi became the first state to allow women to own property
1908 – the National Association of REALTORS® was established
1910 – the first woman is accepted into NAR
1938 – the Women’s Council of REALTORS® was created
1978 – women become the majority in NAR
1992 – Dorcas Helfant becomes the first woman president of NAR
2023 – 66% of agents are women
This April marks 55 years since the Fair Housing Act was signed into law which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.
Join us on April 11th at 9:00am for the City of Wichita’s City Council meeting as Mayor Whipple proclaims April as Fair Housing Month in Wichita. If you’d like more details reach out to Gentry Thiesen.
How can you be an advocate for Fair Housing?
- Educate your clients on their rights and how to file a complaint with FHEO
- If you witness a housing professional discriminate, file a complaint
- Learn about the history of discrimination and segregation in our area
- Ensure advertising and marketing materials do not indicate a preference, limitation, or discrimination
- As managing brokers, require your agents and staff to take DEI-related training
If you attended our Food and Facts event last November with Kitty Amaya, Chief of Programs and Compliance at HUD’s regional office in KC, she shared that most complaints filed were from broker staff.
You’re not the problem, you’re the solution!
Veronica Gillette
