US congressman John Lewis, famed civil rights activist, rose to the floor of the House of Representatives to call on his colleagues to ban the flying of the Confederate flag on federal grounds.
A descendant of Confederate President Jefferson Davis made a tearful plea for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol. Rep. Jenny Horne asked South Carolina lawmakers to do something “meaningful.” After more than 13 hours of debate, the body voted to take the flag down and place it with other Civil War relics. Read and watch here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/09/south-carolina-rep-jenny-horne-on-her-historic-and-surprisingly-personal-speech-it-needed-to-be-done/ Let’s hope and watch for other meaningful legislative actions that make the lives of South Carolinans safer and better.
The challenge to North Carolina’s restrictive voting rights law is set to begin next week. Many believe that the decision could have vast implications for other states. However, what is most likely to happen after the trial is an appeal and we could be a year or more away from an impactful decision. Read more here: http://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2015/07/09/local/naacp-nc-square-off-on-voting-rights-with-national-implications/ Continue reading
Five Families filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Latino students were excluded from a Sacremento Elementary school’s Gifted and Talented program and were referred to as the “ghetto class.”
Congress moves to restore the Voting Rights Act (VRA). 50th Anniversary of the VRA in August 2015. Stay tuned. http://www.thenation.com/article/210673/congressional-democrats-introduce-ambitious-new-bill-restore-voting-rights-act#
“If anybody thinks there’s not racial discrimination in voting today, they’re not really paying attention,” Senator Leahy said.
Judicial Watch files a lawsuit challenging Maryland’s Congressional districts in federal court http://jwatch.us/8zBSQL
Baltimore’s involvement with the Justice Department’s COPS program may keep the city out of civil rights litigation.
Dr. MLKing on riots. There is nothing new under the sun. Go to the 24 minute mark. http://ow.ly/Meyrp
The settlement maintains a uniform statewide voting schedule in Ohio, but extends the hours and days in the schedule. This will likely lead to a larger voter turnout, allowing people to vote in the evening and on weekends. The settlement also protects the new schedule from being legally challenged.
This week marks some significant events in the history of civil rights in the US. Many of the occurrences are sad, such as the funeral for civil rights worker, Viola Liuzzo, fifty years ago following the march from Selma to Montgomery, AL and the April 4, 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said that the quest for justice was eternal. As the quest continues, universities, such as Michigan, are hosting discussions that link the struggles of the past to our current state of equal rights.
The 50th Anniversary of the March on Selma, Alabama is fast approaching. On March 7, 1965, approximately 600 people embarked on a journey that changed our nation. The New York Times has posted a wonderful array of photos from “inside” the movement.
Here’s a link to my TEDx Baltimore Talk: From We Shall Overcome to We Are Overcome.
On March 2, 2015, the United States Supreme Court (USSC) heard arguments in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The USSC considered the power of the people versus the power of the legislature. You can find an analysis of today’s argument here. Arizona state legislators were not happy with the redistricting map that the Independent Commission drafted and implemented in 2012. The Court’s decision could have widespread implications on redistrictings across the country. In places like California, where an Independent Commission has successfully drawn and redrawn congressional and state legislative districts in a nonpartisan manner, the Court’s decision could cause a ripple effect that mandates re-redistricting. If the Arizona legislature gets its way, only elected officials, not nonpartisan citizens, will have the ability to draw the lines to get themselves reelected and continue the widespread polarization that currently exists.
Recently, Virginia and Kentucky took up the issue of restoring the right to vote to persons convicted of nonviolent felonies, with different results. In VA, the state house voted down a resolution that would allow for automatic restoration. In KY, state house members will need a super majority after public approval to provide restorative measures to nonviolent felons. The paradox of outcomes demonstrate that the road to restoration can be extremely difficult for the more than 5 million persons who have lost the right to vote because of former convictions.
Civil Rights Today 