The story behind the landmark 1948 supreme court decision shelley v kraemer which struck down racially based housing restrictions and opened the door to fair housing regulations in the united states told through the voice of an african american teacher one of the participantsmany battles have been fought through the years to gain dignity justice and equality for all in america. It is the story of a remarkable woman olivia merriweather perkins who came together with four other social pioneers to help build the foundation for one of the most important legal decisions in the history of this land. The story of the landmark 1948 supreme court decision shelley v kraemer told through the voice of one of the participants an african american teacher in the st louis schools many battles have been fought through the years to gain dignity justice and equality for all in america. Olivia her friends and neighbors took considerable risk to right a wrong that was happening all over the city of st louis restricting where african americans could buy homes set in the late 1940s olivias story shines a light on the use of housing covenants that were in force then that are still impacting housing patterns today in st louis