MORGANTOWN — On Monday, Morgantown High School senior Casey Merrill was presented with a $100 check for his winning poster entry in the 2018 Fair Housing Month Poster Contest.
The contest, sponsored by the Morgantown Human Rights Commission and Morgantown Board of Realtors, was themed “Equal Rights. Equal Housing. Equal Opportunity.”
“We’re happy to be a part of this endeavor to raise awareness of the Fair Housing Act,” said Gayla Adrian, president of the Morgantown Board of Realtors. “Fair Housing helps build inclusive communities and provides opportunity for all and Casey did a fantastic job showing this in his design.”
April marked the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, religion or national origin. Throughout the month, students from the Morgantown High School Art Department worked on poster designs that depicted what the Fair Housing Act meant to them.
“Ensuring that housing is accessible, affordable and available for a diverse population of families is critical to the city’s goal of being a truly welcoming and inclusive community,” said Jan Derry, chair of the Morgantown Human Rights Commission. “Educating our future leaders on the principles of the Fair Housing Act will create a strong foundation for all to live, participate and contribute to this great city.”
The entries were judged by a committee made up of Morgantown Mayor Bill Kawecki and representatives from the Morgantown Human Rights Commission, Morgantown Board of Realtors, and the local arts community.
Merrill received the award following a brief ceremony in City Council Chambers. Thomas Ambrusico was awarded second place and received $75. Andrew Riley was awarded third place and received $25. The Morgantown High School Art Department was also awarded $100 for participating in the contest. All three posters will be on display at Morgantown City Hall and on the Morgantown Human Rights Commission webpage at morgantownwv.gov/humanrights.
