Supreme Court blocks Louisville racial zoning in Buchanan v. Warley

The Supreme Court rules in Buchanan v. Warley on November 5, 1917, striking down a Louisville ordinance that barred Black people from buying homes on majority-white blocks and white people from buying homes on majority-Black blocks. The Court frames the issue largely as a property-rights violation, but the decision blocks one form of explicit racial zoning. Cities and private actors later turn to restrictive covenants, redlining, and other tools to maintain segregation. The ruling shows both the limits and adaptability of housing segregation after courts reject one direct racial zoning method.