4600 Labadie Avenue

The Shelley Home was occupied by an African American family in St. Louis during a time when restrictive covenants—legal agreements among homeowners—were used to prevent Black families from purchasing or renting property in many white neighborhoods. These covenants were widespread across the U.S. and served as a tool of systemic housing segregation.

In 1945, the Shelley family bought a home in a neighborhood that had such a covenant, sparking a legal battle that culminated in the 1948 Supreme Court case Shelley v. Kraemer. The Court ruled that while private parties could agree to such covenants, courts could not enforce them because doing so violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This ruling was a monumental step in dismantling legal housing discrimination, affirming the rights of African Americans to own property without racial restrictions. The Shelley Home thus stands as a symbol of resistance against segregation and a milestone in the fight for civil rights and fair housing.