Civilrights.org Latest Posts

President Obama Commits to Greater Cooperation Between Federal Government and Tribal Nations

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:23 -0500

Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Obama held a historic White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 5 and made it clear that he is committed to ensuring that the needs and concerns of Tribal Nations are addressed by the federal government.

At the conference, the president signed a directive to every cabinet agency asking them to provide a detailed plan — within 90 days — on how to implement Executive Order 13175 — "Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments."

"In the final years of his administration, President Clinton issued an executive order [13175] establishing regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration between your nations and the federal government. But over the past nine years, only a few agencies have made an effort to implement that executive order — and it's time for that to change," said Obama upon signing the directive.

Civil Rights Book Club: 'Let's Get Free' by Paul Butler

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:10:31 -0500

After years as a federal prosecutor, Paul Butler became convinced that American criminal justice system is fundamentally broken, ruining more lives than it protects. In his book, "Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice," Butler offers a lively and interesting analysis of crime and punishment in the United States and provides a powerful new vision of justice.

He explores the limitations of working within a "corrupt" system and discusses a variety of provocative proposals for how ordinary citizens protest a system that is unjust.

The Civil Rights Book Club aims to provide context and provoke discussion about today's top social justice concerns. Each week, we profile a book, a movie, or other media that represent the diversity of the contemporary social justice movement. You can help support The Leadership Conference by purchasing Book Club selections through the Amazon.com link on our website.

Higher Achievement-Baltimore Launches First After School Program

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:40:25 -0500

This week, Higher Achievement-Baltimore held a commencement ceremony in honor of its very first class of After School Academy scholars.

Higher Achievement is a non-profit organization that provides middle school youth with academic enrichment programs and high schoool prep. It has been operating in the Washington, D.C., area for nearly 35 years and has helped thousands of school children improve their grades, test scores, school attendance, and confidence. The opening of programs in Baltimore is part of Higher Achievement's national expansion.

In this video Erin Hodge-Williams, executive director of Higher Achievement-Baltimore, and a few of the Baltimore scholars explain the importance of the program and how it works:

Visit the Higher Achievement-Baltimore website to learn more or to volunteer.

Unjust Census Amendment Dropped

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:18:32 -0500

The U.S. Senate blocked a controversial amendment today that would have required the Census Bureau to belatedly add a citizenship question to the 2010 Census questionnaire.

In voting for cloture on the Commerce Justice and Science (CJS) FY10 Appropriations bill, a majority of senators effectively stopped the amendment from coming up for a vote. If approved, the amendment would have asked respondents to identify if they are a U.S. citizen and would have required the reprinting of Census questionnaires at an estimated cost of $1 billion.

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) welcomed the decision. "The civil rights community won an important battle today in the fight for a fair and accurate 2010 census that counts every person in the United States as required by the U.S. Constitution," said LCCR President and CEO Wade Henderson.

Today in Civil Rights History: Shirley Chisholm’s becomes First Black Woman Elected to Congress

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:09 -0500

Today marks the anniversary of Shirley Chisholm's election to Congress in 1968. Chisholm, a Democrat who represented New York's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983, was the first Black woman elected to Congress. In 1972, Chisholm became the first Black woman from a major political party to run for president.

Before her political career, Chisholm earned a BA from Brooklyn College and an MA from Columbia University in elementary education and became known as an expert on early childhood education. She worked as a nursery school teacher, a director of a nursery and a child care center, and an educational consultant. She also volunteered with organizations like the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League and the League of Women Voters, which eventually led to her political career.

Chisholm first ran for the New York State Assembly, where she served from 1964 to 1968. When asked why she became involved in politics, she said, "The people wanted me." She then decided to run for Congress in 1968 with the slogan "unbought and unbossed," which accurately reflected her strong personality. She won the congressional seat in an upset victory over Independent candidate James Farmer and Republican candidate Ralph Carrano.

Civil Rights Groups Urge Sen. Reid Hold Vote on Dawn Johnsen

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:42:47 -0500

Nearly 40 national civil rights organizations recently sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D. Nev., stating their concern over the obstructionist tactics used to stall Dawn Johnsen's nomination and urged him to bring the nomination to a vote quickly.

President Obama nominated Dawn Johnsen to head the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in February. Her nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19 and has been pending ever since.

The OLC is a critical agency that advises the executive branch on the constitutionality of proposed policies, legislation, and executive orders. Johnsen is well qualified for this position, having served in the OLC as a deputy assistant attorney general from 1993 to 1996 and as the acting assistant attorney general from 1997 to 1998. She is currently a professor of constitutional law at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University.

"Professor Johnsen has the experience, the integrity, and the intellect to head this critical office. She should be confirmed without further delay…We urge you to use the full force of your office to bring this nomination to a vote at the earliest possible date," the letter states.

Read the letter (PDF)

Economy Track Shows How the Recession Hits Communities Differently

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:01:46 -0500

The economic hardships caused by current recession reach far and wide, but some communities are experiencing the negative effects of the recession more acutely than national averages reveal, according to data available through a new online tool from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank.

EPI's new Economy Track website allows you to see how the recession affects different industries and states, and also people of different races, gender, and education level.

For instance, though the overall U.S. unemployment rate is 9.8 percent, it is 15.4 percent for African Americans and 12.7 percent for Hispanics. And while the 9.6 percent unemployment for workers in service industries is near the national average, the situation for blue-collar workers – 15.3 percent unemployment – is even more dire.

You can find a broad range of comparative statistics on Economy Track –and all of the data is downloadable and updated on a regular basis.

Civil Rights Link Roundup: Maryland Dropouts, Jerry Miller, Enforcing the New Hate Crimes Law

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:41:46 -0500

Here are a few interesting civil rights related items:

Editorial: Maryland should make it harder to dropout by raising the dropout age to 18 - The Washington Post
Jerry Miller's journalism has helped to bring justice in civil rights-era murder cases - Editor & Publisher
Memo urges all U.S. attorneys to enforce the recently passed hate crimes law - U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

Civil Rights Book Club: 'Gang Leader for a Day' by Sudhir Venkatesh

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:02:22 -0400

"Gang Leader for a Day" is a fascinating story of how young sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh spent seven years documenting gang life and culture in Chicago after meeting and befriending a gang leader named JT.

Venkatesh's story of his complicated relationship with JT and his unique access to the inner workings of the gang provides the reader with an unvarnished, often surprising, portrait that destroys many popular assumptions about gangs and gang members.

Bernice King Elected to Head SCLC

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:50:27 -0400

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) announced today that it elected Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., to be the organization's next president. She is the first woman and the second King child to head the organization, which was co-founded by Dr. King in 1957.

King, the youngest child of Martin Luther King, Jr., is a longtime activist, minister, and lawyer who has spoken around the world. She is an elder at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia.

She inherits an organization that has expanded considerably since her father's time. There are about 10,000 members and 80 chapters residing in 17 states. In addition to a conflict resolution site already opened in Israel, the SCLC has plans in place to open other international sites over the next 10 years.

The SCLC was founded to coordinate and support nonviolent protests of segregation and played a key role in many of the most famous demonstration of the civil rights movement. Dr. King served as its first president until his death in 1968.

Sen. Edward Brooke Receives Congressional Gold Medal

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:06:24 -0400

Former Sen. Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts received the Congressional Gold Medal yesterday for his lifelong and historic service to the nation.

Brooke, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and served in the U.S. military, was the nation's first African-American senator elected by popular vote and the last Republican African-American senator. He was elected in 1966 and served for two terms until 1979.

Brooke was a champion of civil rights, fighting for strong enforcement in the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which he co-authored with former Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota, and voting rights for the District of Columbia. For his commitment to civil rights, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights honored Brooke in 1978 with the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award, the civil rights community's highest honor.

The Congressional Gold Medal is, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. It was first awarded in 1776 to then-General George Washington and John Paul Jones. It has since been awarded to a wide array of notable figures, including Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, and Jackie Robinson.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act Is Now Law

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:27:51 -0400

President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law yesterday, October 28.

The following slide show features photographs of President Obama and the families of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., at the White House signing ceremony and a reception at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in Washington, D.C., for activists who worked more than a decade to pass this landmark legislation.

Photo Credits: Jenna Wandres of LCCR and Sammie Moshenberg of National Council of Jewish Women

Henderson Condemns Vitter Amendment, Calls for Inclusive Census Count

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:29:52 -0400

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is calling on the Senate to reject a proposed amendment that would require the Census Bureau to add a question on citizenship and immigration status to the 2010 census form less than six months before the census takes place on April 1.

In a guest blog on The Huffington Post yesterday, Henderson said the divisive amendment, sponsored by Sens. David Vitter, R. La., and Robert Bennett, R. Utah, would disrupt the census after years of careful planning, delaying the apportionment of Congressional and state legislative districts the allocation of federal funds, and the availability of data essential to corporate decision-making.

"At a time when the political process is mired in partisanship, public trust in government is at an all-time low, and the economy is stuck in a recession, the last thing the nation needs is a delayed and dysfunctional census," Henderson said.

HUD Combats LGBT Housing Discrimination

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:18:45 -0400

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently proposed new regulations to ensure that its housing programs are open to all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The regulations clarify that the term "family" as HUD uses it includes LGBT individuals and couples and requires HUD grantees and participants in HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity. The regulations specify that any mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration must be based only on credit-worthiness and not on unrelated identity factors.

The department also plans to authorize the first national study of discrimination of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Although there have been no national studies of housing discrimination against LGBT people, state and local studies show significant evidence of discrimination.

"The evidence is clear that some are denied the opportunity to make housing choices in our nation based on who they are and that must end. President Obama and I are determined that a qualified individual and family will not be denied housing choice based on sexual orientation or gender identity," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said.

‘Labor Day’ Shows SEIU’s Impact on 2008 Election

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:58:02 -0400

The new documentary film "Labor Day" explores the role that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) played in the election of Barack Obama last year.

The film begins in early 2007 and follows the SEIU and its members' work through November 2008 to elect a Democrat to the White House. Director Glenn Silber, a two-time Oscar nominee, uses campaign footage, footage of SEIU members canvassing around the country, and interviews with politicians, musicians, and journalists to show how SEIU inspired thousands of activists to help turn "Election Day into Labor Day."

"Labor Day" will premiere on Wednesday, October 28, at the Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisc. It will be screened in New York and Chicago on Friday, October 30. For more information, visit the film's website.

Civil Rights Link Roundup: Judicial Nominations, Financial Reform, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and John Payton on Race in America

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:59:22 -0400

Here are a few interesting civil rights related items:

Republican obstruction of judicial nominees takes new turn - Slate
Editorial: Examining proposed consumer financial protection agency and regulations on executive pay and derivatives - The New York Times
Myrlie Evers-Williams will receive the National Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis - The Bulletin
Listen to an interview with John Payton of the NAACP LDF on race in America - WBFO News 88.7

Proposed Bipartisan Commission Would Examine the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:43:26 -0400

The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a bill introduced by Sen. Jim Webb, D. Va., that would establish a bipartisan commission to examine the nation's criminal justice system and figure out how to make it more effective and fair.

The commission would be tasked with identifying the system's strengths and weaknesses and making recommendations to Congress about reducing the incarceration rate, lowering crime rates, restructuring our approach to drug policy, improving the treatment of mental illnesses, and other reforms.

Civil Rights Book Club: 'Suburban Sweatshops' by Jennifer Gordon

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:00:29 -0400

It is difficult to imagine that there are people in the United States still being grossly underpaid at 30 cents an hour, or, worse yet, not even being paid for their labor at all. But some immigrant laborers endure such circumstances.

In "Suburban Sweatshops: The Fight for Immigrant Rights," author Jennifer Gordon examines the contemporary challenges facing the growing workers' rights and immigrant rights movements. Through her own experience in founding the Workplace Project, Gordon offers an insightful discussion of the legal and organizing strategies and the lessons learned in trying to create a space where workers can unite to improve their conditions and fight for minimum wage, health care benefits, and better safety standards.

The Civil Rights Book Club aims to provide context and provoke discussion about today's top social justice concerns. Each week, we profile a book, a movie, or other media that represent the diversity of the contemporary social justice movement. You can help support The Leadership Conference by purchasing Book Club selections through the Amazon.com link on our website.

Senate Sends Landmark Hate Crimes Bill to President Obama

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:24:03 -0400

UPDATE: On October 28, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.

Today, the Senate gave final congressional approval 68-29 to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expands the definition of federal hate crimes and removes unnecessary obstacles to federal prosecution.

With President Obama likely to sign the Act into law soon, civil rights groups are celebrating a historic achievement following more than a decade of advocacy.

"We applaud lawmakers for recognizing the fundamental right of all Americans to be protected from violence because of their race, the way they worship, their sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Congress' decision to pass this bill sends a clear message to these victims of violence and their families – individuals like Stephen Tyrone Johns of Washington, D.C., Sean Kennedy of South Carolina, Angie Zapata of Colorado, Luis Ramirez of Pennsylvania, and Matthew Shepard of Wyoming – that we value every American's basic civil and human right to be safe and free from physical harm," Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said.

Wade Henderson among NELP Honorees for Workers’ Rights Advocacy

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:09:31 -0400

Last night, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) celebrated 40 years of working to protect the employment rights of low-wage workers. NELP presented a moving tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy for his leadership in fighting for workplace equality and honored several workers' rights allies, including Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

"Workers' rights have always been civil and human rights," Henderson said. "Sixty years ago, A. Philip Randolph, a labor leader and one of the founders of the Leadership Conference said, 'the two tickets to a better life are a voter registration card and a union card.' That lesson still holds true today."

NELP also honored the work of Jon Hiatt, AFL-CIO general counsel; Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network; and the National Employment Lawyers Association and its executive director, Terisa Chaw.

Christine Owens, executive director of NELP, celebrated the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act earlier this year and emphasized the importance of passing the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would restore workers' right to organize.

"As long as there are workers who need a voice and a place at the table, NELP will be there to fight for them," Owens said.