In December 1950, Woody Guthrie signed a lease to Brooklyn's "Beach Haven" Apartments, a residence developed by Fred Trump.

Guthrie wrote that Fred Trump would not rent Beach Haven apartments to African-Americans, which 1970s court records "confirmed that applications sent to the central [Trump] office for acceptance or rejection were coded by race. Another rental agent said that Fred Trump had instructed him not to rent to blacks." Guthrie's loathing for his landlord inspired some of his angriest lyrics and he moved out 2 years later.

Bruce Gilden journeys to Brooklyn to revisit the apartments...