Ethel Robinson Lawrence
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Ethel Robinson Lawrence was a civil rights activist. She was the lead plaintiff in the Mount Laurel, New Jersey litigation, in which she accused the township of using its zoning laws to discriminate against poor residents. This case and the following lawsuits eventually led to the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), and the Mount Laurel doctrine. In 1986, Lawrence was one of the co-founders of the non-profit organization Fair Share Housing Development Inc., which built over 200 units for moderate-to-low-income tenants in Mount Laurel, NJ. FSHD continues to build affordable housing today.
Ethel Robinson Lawrence was a civil rights activist. She was the lead plaintiff in the Mount Laurel, New Jersey litigation, in which she accused the township of using its zoning laws to discriminate against poor residents. This case and the following lawsuits eventually led to the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), and the Mount Laurel doctrine. In 1986, Lawrence was one of the co-founders of the non-profit organization Fair Share Housing Development Inc., which built over 200 units for moderate-to-low-income tenants in Mount Laurel, NJ. FSHD continues to build affordable housing today.
BORN
1926
1926
DESCENT
American / African American
DISCIPLINE
Housing Activist