A woman who fought tirelessly to ensure everyone has equal access to housing now has nowhere to call home.
Dorothy “Dottie” Mulkey’s house was filled with donations to charitable organizations when it caught fire on Dec. 14. Mulkey — the plaintiff in the Reitman vs. Mulkey case that challenged and defeated housing discrimination in California in 1967 — was at church at the time of the fire, and lost most of the belongings inside her Santa Ana, California, home.
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Despite her circumstances, Mulkey — who said she’s fortunate to not have been at home during the fire because “it would have been devastating” — told the Orange County Register she’s keeping her head held high.
“I know I should be in despair, but I’m not because I was not in that burning house,” Mukley said. “That gives me joy … The sun’s going to shine tomorrow, joy or no joy. I know this house is going to be restored. I know that, and for that reason I can’t be down.”
