The march was a high point in the U.S. black civil-rights movement. Civil rights are the freedoms and rights that a person has as a member of a community, state, or nation. In the U.S., these rights are guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution and acts of Congress. Since the 1960s, many laws have been passed to guarantee civil rights to all Americans. But the struggle continues.
Most people agree that decent housing is a basic right.
Many African-Americans fit into one or both of those categories. Housing that poor people can afford is often in terrible condition. Many landlords with low-income tenants neglect their property, not bothering to make even the most basic repairs. Few poor tenants can afford the time or money to fight back. Buildings owned by city or federal agencies may be no better.