Press Release Archives     249 articles   3/19/06 MALDEF To United States Supreme Court: States May Not Purposefully Dilute Minority Voting Strength Washington, D.C. – Today the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in GI Forum v Perry, regarding the Texas congressional redistricting which passed in 2003. The case challenges a redistricting plan that discriminates against Latino voters. The Court consolidated four appeals from a three-judge federal district court’s ruling that had upheld the map against all challenges. Nina Perales, MALDEF's Southwestern Regional Counsel, was one of two attorneys arguing against the Texas congressional district map. MALDEF represented the American GI Forum of Texas. MALDEF NAACP Salutes the Life of Anne Braden-Staunch civil rights activist and journalist dies at 81 The NAACP salutes the life of Anne Braden, a steadfast civil rights supporter and activist. Braden died Monday at the age of 81 at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky. Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, said, “Anne Braden was a 'righteous Caucasian'; she understood the necessity of black leadership in an interracial civil rights movement, she understood the necessity of the movements for civil rights, peace of labor rights and marching in solidarity, and she put her understanding into action almost every day of her life. She will be much missed." NAACP Attorney General Gonzales Fails Civil Rights Test, Voters Displaced by Katrina-PFAW Foundation joins NAACP in protest of Justice Department U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced today that the Justice Department has granted pre-clearance under the Voting Rights Act for procedures established by Louisiana officials for an April 22 election in New Orleans. People For the American Way Foundation President Ralph G. Neas called the decision "one more injustice for the people of New Orleans, one more abdication of responsibility by the federal government." civilrights.org     2/24/06 Latino Civil Rights Organizations File Legal Action to Improve Bilingual Education Programs in Texas San Antonio – MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and META, the Multicultural Training, Education and Advocacy, Inc., filed a motion on behalf of LULAC and the American GI Forum seeking to require Texas to monitor, enforce, and supervise the State’s bilingual education and ESL program for English Language Learner (ELL) students in Texas public schools. MALDEF NCLR TO RELEASE REPORT ON KATRINA AND THE LATINO COMMMUNITY Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 28, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will hold a news briefing with the heads of several national Latino organizations to release In the Eye of the Storm: How the Government and Private Response to Hurricane Katrina Failed Latinos, a new report on the response to Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the Latino community. The briefing will be held in Room 2220 of the Rayburn House Office Building beginning at 2:45 p.m. NCLR Justice Department Urged to Reject or Improve New Orleans Voting Plan-NAACP is Considering a Lawsuit to Block the Election Until There is a Plan that Assures Displaced Voters Will be Given Equal Chance to Vote in Spring Elections The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to block a Louisiana state election plan for New Orleans that will place a severe burden on black voters displaced by Hurricane Katrina.  The Justice Department must review the plan to insure that minority voting rights are protected.  NAACP President and CEO Bruce Gordon spoke with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday, February 14, and expressed the Association’s strong desire to require the state to meet the burden of approving a plan that will not disenfranchise displaced African American citizens.   NAACP     1/30/06 More Than Half of the 109th Congress Receives a Failing Grade on Mid-Term NAACP Civil Rights Legislative Report Card-Majority of U.S. House and Senate continue to vote against ‘bread & butter’ key civil rights issues The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) reported this week that over 50% of the members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives were graded "F" on the NAACP’s key civil rights agenda reflected in votes taken during the first session of the 109th Congress. The voting session ran from January 4 through December 22, 2005.  The legislative report card cites 233 of the 435 voting House Members and 52 of the 100 Senators received an "F" grade.  NAACP     1/20/06 Carlos Santana to Be Inducted Into NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame Legendary musician and guitarist extraordinaire Carlos Santana will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, NAACP Image Awards Executive Producer Vicangelo Bulluck announced today. The prestigious Hall of Fame Award will be presented during the February 25th taping of the 37th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. The awards ceremony will air Friday, March 3 (8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. NAACP     1/11/06 MALDEF Opposed to Alito Nomination MALDEF Opposes Samuel Alito's Nomination to U.S. Supreme Court. Ann Marie Tallman, President and General Counsel, releases statement. MALDEF Chairman Bond Says Alito Confirmation Would Jeopardize Civil Rights for All Americans-Alito criticized for opposing legal remedies for racial discrimination Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP National Board of Directors, today said that if Judge Samuel A. Alito is confirmed by the Senate for a seat on the United States Supreme Court, “the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans will be in immediate jeopardy.” The NAACP opposes the confirmation of Alito because of his past indifference to the impact race and racism have on American society. B NAACP     1/9/06 Community Rights Counsel Report: Alito Nomination Raises Fundamental Concerns About the Future of Environmental Law Today, Community Rights Counsel (CRC) released a detailed report raising serious concerns over Judge Samuel A. Alito's record on constitutional issues relating to environmental protection. In particular, the report highlights three areas of concerns: First, Alito's record indicates he has a very narrow view of the role of the federal government and that his policy views in this area can infect his judicial decision making on issues such as the appropriate interpretation of the Constitution's Commerce Clause - the authority used by Congress to pass all of this nation's major environmental statutes. civilrights.org Asian Law Caucus and Asian American Leaders Launch Campaign to Oppose Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito The Asian Law Caucus, the nation's oldest legal and civil rights organization serving Asian Pacific Americans, along with Asian American community leaders, today announced their opposition to President Bush's nomination of Samuel Alito, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that his conservative judicial philosophy would adversely affect Asian Americans. The group released an open letter on its website, www.asianlawcaucus.org/alito, signed by a broad array of Asian American organizations, attorneys, scholars and leaders, including the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, the National Immigrant Solidarity Network; law professors Mari Matsuda, Natsu Saito, Eric Yamamoto, Lorraine Bannai and Angelo Ancheta; members of the legal team that successfully reopened Fred Korematsu's wartime conviction, Dale Minami and Don Tamaki; and community leaders Jon Osaki of the Japanese Community Youth Council and John Fong of Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership. civilrights.org NAACP Mourns the Death of Lou Rawls The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) mourns the death of rhythm and blues icon and actor Lou Rawls who passed away today in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. Bruce S. Gordon, NAACP President and CEO, said, “Lou Rawls was a special human being whose contributions to our community went well beyond his musical talents. He is one of a kind and cannot be replaced.” NAACP     12/12/05 NCLR TO RELEASE A REPORT SHOWING THAT FINANCIAL EDUCATION EFFORTS TARGETING LATINOS ARE FAILING Washington, DC – On Thursday, December 15, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will hold a telephonic press conference to discuss the findings of Financial Counseling: A Meaningful Strategy For Building Wealth in the Latino Community, which concludes that recent policy efforts to improve financial knowledge and build wealth have failed to adequately reach Hispanic families. The telephonic press conference will take place on Thursday, December 15, starting at 12:00 noon EST [see below for call-in information]. NCLR NCLR HAILS APPOINTMENT OF MENENDEZ TO U.S. SENATE Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today hailed the appointment of Representative Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to succeed Senator Jon Corzine in the U.S. Senate. Menendez’ appointment brings the total of Hispanic U.S. senators to three, the largest number in U.S. history. NCLR     12/2/05 Alito Memo Called for Denying Constitutional Protections to Non-U.S. Citizens, Causes Alarm Among Hispanic Leaders Documents released this week by the Justice Department from 1986 show Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, as then Deputy Assistant Attorney General under the Reagan Administration, arguing strongly against constitutional protections being afforded to undocumented immigrants and foreign nationals residing in the U.S. Alliance for Justice New Post-Katrina Poll: Ending Poverty Should Be Number One Priority Alleviating poverty in the country should be the country's number one priority according to a new multilingual national poll. Poverty emerged as a higher priority than fighting terrorism and establishing democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan for a majority of African Americans (58 percent), as well as pluralities of Hispanics (43 percent), Asian Americans (40 percent) and Non-Hispanic Whites (36 percent), according to poll results. civilrights.org     11/25/05 REINTRODUCTION OF “DREAM ACT” RENEWS HOPE OF IMMIGRANT AND LATINO STUDENTS Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., applauds Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) for introducing the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2005,” S. 2075. This bill will ensure that every student in the U.S. who excels academically and graduates from high school in this country has the opportunity – regardless of immigration status – to pursue higher education and live the American Dream. NCLR REINTRODUCTION OF “DREAM ACT” RENEWS HOPE OF IMMIGRANT AND LATINO STUDENTS Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., applauds Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) for introducing the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2005,” S. 2075. This bill will ensure that every student in the U.S. who excels academically and graduates from high school in this country has the opportunity – regardless of immigration status – to pursue higher education and live the American Dream. NCLR REINTRODUCTION OF “DREAM ACT” RENEWS HOPE OF IMMIGRANT AND LATINO STUDENTS Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., applauds Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) for introducing the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2005,” S. 2075. This bill will ensure that every student in the U.S. who excels academically and graduates from high school in this country has the opportunity – regardless of immigration status – to pursue higher education and live the American Dream. NCLR NCLR CALLS ON STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TO ENFORCE LABOR LAWS IN HURRICANE KATRINA REBUILDING PROCESS Washington, DC – Last Friday, November 18, Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), visited a “tent city” in Gulfport, Mississippi where Latino workers involved in the rebuilding effort have been living while awaiting payment from contractors who have abandoned them and committed other abuses. As President and CEO of the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., Murguia joined local civil rights leaders to call for greater enforcement of Mississippi state and federal labor laws and for long-term solutions to the mistreatment of workers in the area. NCLR     11/14/05 Compelling ACLU Report Exposes Deeply Compromised Lead Testing of Vulnerable Children in New Jersey IRVINGTON, NJ – Thousands of New Jersey children are at risk of lead poisoning, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Association for Children of New Jersey and a coalition of advocates, and blame for the tragic state of affairs rests solidly with the lack of leadership exhibited by the state government.  Yet a groundbreaking pilot study shows that there are things that can be done to increase testing and treatment.   ACLU ACLU Disappointed by Supreme Court’s Decision Not to Review Florida’s System of Lifetime Felon Disenfranchisement MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review a state law that bars citizens with felony convictions from voting, even after they have completed their term of prison, probation and parole. ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard L. Simon issued the following statement in response to the Court’s decision: “We are bitterly disappointed by today’s decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the challenge to Florida’s system of lifetime felon disenfranchisement.” ACLU ACLU Calls on Congress to Correct Provision in Voting Rights Act: Court Decision on Redistricting Undermines Intent of Historic Civil Rights Law WASHINGTON -The American Civil Liberties Union today urged lawmakers to restore a section of the Voting Rights Act that protects the right of Americans to elect candidates of their choice. Section 5 of the act prevents voting discrimination by requiring new voting laws and practices to be evaluated and precleared before they can take effect. A Supreme Court ruling in 2003, though, eroded that safeguard. The ACLU testified today before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution that Section 5, which is undergoing Congressional review, must be restored to its intended meaning and reauthorized along with several other provisions that are set to expire in 2007. ACLU     10/25/05 NAACP Mourns the Death of Rosa Parks, Longtime Alabama NAACP Worker and Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement Bruce Gordon, President and CEO, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, today said the death of Rosa Park, 92, on Monday marked the sad end of an era. “Rosa Parks served as an inspiration to generations of African Americans and all people of good will,” said Gordon. “More than an icon, Mrs. Parks is symbolic of the thousands of courageous NAACP workers who fight for civil rights in their communities.” Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP Board of Directors, said: “Rosa Parks was truly the mother of the modern civil rights movement. She was NAACP Secretary in Montgomery when she sat down in order to stand up for civil rights, and her quiet example demonstrated to millions new ways to confront the evil of segregation.” NAACP     10/18/05 NCLR, NUL, NAACP, AAJC, AND LCCR CALL FOR UNITY AND FAIRNESS IN THE HURRICANE KATRINA REBUILDING EFFORT Washington, DC – [Today Janet Murguia, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza (NCLR); Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League (NUL); Bruce Gordon, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Karen Narasaki, President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center (AAJC); and Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) released the following statement on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.] NCLR     10/5/05 Bennett Should Apologize for Racial Remarks-Racist Comments Hurt all Americans, Regardless of their thnicity Bruce S. Gordon, President & CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today said former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett should apologize for racist comments made yesterday on his call-in radio show. NAACP MALDEF Outraged By Hateful Remarks Made By Former U.S. Education Secretary Bill Bennett (LOS ANGELES) In response to a statement made by radio show host and former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett: “If you wanted to reduce crime... if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down,” MALDEF President and General Counsel Ann Marie Tallman, stated the following: MALDEF MALDEF Disappointed By President Bush’s Failure To Nominate A Latino To The U.S. Supreme Court (LOS ANGELES) MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) today expressed disappointment that President Bush failed to nominate a well-qualified Latino to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. MALDEF     9/22/05 Leading Civil Rights Groups Denounce Proposition 77: Voting Rights Advocates Join Together in Calling Upon Californians to Vote No on Redistricting Initiative in Favor of True Redistricting Reform Los Angeles and Sacramento, California – The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), the League of Women Voters of California (LWVC), and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) announced today their joint opposition to Proposition 77, the redistricting initiative that calls for mid-decade redistricting, shifts the responsibility for drawing legislative district boundaries from the state legislature to a panel of three retired judges, and requires passage of a statewide ballot measure before new district lines can become permanent every decade. MALDEF     9/21/05 LATINO ORGANIZATIONS BLAST CHERTOFF FOR DETAINING KATRINA VICTIMS Washington, DC – Alarmed by reports that immigration authorities have detained immigrant evacuees in West Virginia and Texas, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) have called on Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to suspend deportation proceedings against immigrants who approach the government for help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. NCLR     9/20/05 Coalition of African American Leaders Call for a Proactive and Inclusive Agenda to Address Problems Caused By Katrina A coalition of African American leaders, including Bruce S. Gordon, President & CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today urged President Bush and Congress to set an inclusive and proactive agenda in addressing problems caused by Hurricane Katrina. The group said relief efforts should also take into consideration the growing poverty crisis in the Gulf region and other parts of the United States. Gordon said: “We want to make sure that going forward there are safeguards to assure that people displaced by Hurricane Katrina will be the first in line to get jobs rebuilding the affected areas. In addition, we want President Bush to see that there are safeguards to assure equity in the distribution of rebuilding funds and that minority contractors have a fair chance to be awarded some of the work that will be necessary to rebuild New Orleans and other affected communities.” NAACP     9/3/05 NCLR EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN FOR COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today extended its profound sympathy and support to the people affected by Hurricane Katrina and expressed growing concern over the fate of many communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other areas along the Gulf Coast. NCLR     8/31/05 Women's Group Urges Senate Not to Confirm John Roberts-Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families "Good morning. I am Debra L. Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. We are a national advocacy organization that, for more than three decades, has been working on issues important to women and families. Once considered a blank slate, it is now clear that John Roberts' record is extensive and far outside the mainstream. He has a narrow and regressive view of laws protecting women's and civil rights. He has repeatedly advocated positions that would undermine women's access to jobs, education, and fair pay. He has questioned whether the Constitution can be interpreted to protect our right to privacy and our freedom from government intrusion into private family decisions. civilrights.org NAACP Legal Defense Fund Opposes Roberts Nomination New Report Details Role in Weakening Voting, Other Civil Rights Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) formally announced opposition to John G. Roberts, Jr.'s nomination to the U. S. Supreme Court. At a press conference in Washington, D.C., LDF released a report detailing what it called Roberts' "consistent and active advocacy" for weakening federal enforcement of voting rights, affirmative action, school desegregation, fair housing, and other civil rights protections. civilrights.org     8/26/05 African American Leaders Call Project 21's Comparison of John Roberts to Martin Luther King, Jr. 'Outrageous' Several prominent figures in the African American community today strongly rebuked Mychal Massie and other right-wing African Americans for comparing Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, who has a record of opposition to civil rights, to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a press release from the right-wing front group Project 21 announcing an event scheduled for this morning, Massie said Roberts "represents the beliefs of great Americans such as James Madison and Martin Luther King, Jr." civilrights.org     8/23/05 Affirmative Action Group Assails "Civil Rights Report" "Report" Overlooks Facts & Law in Favor of Ideology Washington, DC - Today Americans for a Fair Chance, a project of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF), issued a blistering rebuttal to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) "report" Federal Procurement After Adarand. The report claims to recommend methods by which government agencies can enforce settled law consistent with the Supreme Court's 1995 decision upholding equal opportunity in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena but, instead of suggesting ways to uphold the law, the Commission's report challenges the viability of enforcing equal opportunity. LCCR     8/22/05 Oklahomans Are Being Denied the Right to Vote Because of Misinformation, ACLU Charges Statewide Survey Shows Counties Fail to Provide Accurate Information on Felon Voting Regulations--OKLAHOMA CITY A preview released today of a recent survey conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, in connection with the national Right to Vote Campaign, reveals that many Oklahoma counties do not know the state law on felony disfranchisement and are spreading bad information to eligible voters. ACLU of Oklahoma staff attorney Tina Izadi called the results deeply troubling. “The state should move swiftly to correct this problem before more people are denied their legal right to vote,” she said, adding that a more comprehensive report detailing all the survey’s findings will be released at a later date. ACLU Federal Court Orders South Dakota to Comply with Voting Rights Act Ruling Protects Rights of Native American Voters, Says ACLU RAPID CITY, SD-The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that a federal court in South Dakota has issued a final ruling ordering the redrawing of legislative district lines to ensure there is no discrimination against Native American voters in 13 of the state’s 66 counties. The order came in a case originally brought by the ACLU on behalf of four Native American voters in December 2001, after the South Dakota legislature redrew the boundaries of the state's 35 legislative districts. ACLU NCLR ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LATINA WORKERS ON HISPANIC FAMILIES AND U.S. ECONOMY Low Wages and Lack of Benefits Continue to Limit Economic Gains of the Nearly 7.7 Million Hispanic Women Workers Houston, TX – Today, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., released its first statistical brief to examine the employment status of the nearly 20 million Latinas living in the U.S. The analysis, Hispanic Women at Work, released in conjunction with NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia's keynote address during the 30th Annual Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) Women’s Luncheon in Houston, TX, concludes that Hispanic women play a major role in the economic well-being of Hispanic households and are a growing influence in the nation’s overall workforce. NCLR Time to Stop Talking About Health Disparity and Take Action The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) today called on the health profession and the federal government to double their efforts to reduce disparities in health care among African Americans, women and other minorities. Bruce S. Gordon, President and CEO, NAACP, said, “This latest report about health disparities among African Americans is another sign that it is time to stop talking about unequal health treatment and to take steps to solve the problem. Equal access to health care is one of our most important civil rights.” NAACP     8/9/05 On 40th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, ACLU Says Law Still Needed; Renewal, Restoration Required to Protect Americans’ Fundamental Right WASHINGTON - On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, the American Civil Liberties Union warned that if portions of the act are not renewed and restored, the fundamental right to vote could be jeopardized for millions of Americans. Sections of the historic law will expire in 2007 unless Congress acts to renew them. "The Voting Rights Act has guaranteed millions of minority voters the equal opportunity to participate in elections and have their voices heard," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director. "Even though members of Congress have endorsed renewing the Voting Right Act, the true test of their commitment will be measured by their support of language to reinforce the original intent of the act. Congress must strengthen - not weaken - the expiring provisions of this important law." ACLU     8/3/05 Pro-Democracy March & Rally On August 6 2005, the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition will hold a march and rally Atlanta, Georgia to commemorate the signing of the Act and to call attention to the threats facing minorities and the poor as key provisions of the Act come up for renewal in 2007. Most Americans are not aware that the right to vote is not explicitly stated in the Constitution. The right to vote is a state right, and thus subject to differing laws and regulations as established by each individual state. This accounts for the various abuses that have been practiced at different times over the years including poll taxes, literacy tests, property ownership requirements, and the many abuses of the system we face today. NAACP NAACP and Others Say Georgia Voting Law Is a Form of Poll Tax Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP Board of Directors, has joined a coalition of civil rights activists in asking the U.S. Justice Department to deny pre-clearance of Georgia’s voting legislation that would require voters to present photo identification as a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Bond said Georgia House Bill 244 (H.B. 244) is “highly detrimental to the very rights that the Act was designed to protect.” Although supporters of the law claim it will prevent fraud, Bond said: “Beyond having no anti-fraud rationale, the photo identification requirements of H.B. 244 will pose a real burden to real people, especially the poor and elderly. Many do not have drivers’ licenses and cannot afford the fee for an identification card. Requiring a payment to secure the right to vote was declared unconstitutional decades ago, as you know. The cost requirements are reminiscent of the days when poll taxes were required, days which no American wishes to revisit.” NAACP     7/19/05 ACLU Calls for Full Examination of Roberts’ Positions; Notes Influence In Troubling Reagan, Bush I Administration Cases WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern about some of the civil liberties positions advocated by Judge John Roberts, President Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. While serving as principal deputy solicitor general from 1989-1993, he authored briefs calling for Roe v. Wade to be overruled, supporting graduation prayer, and seeking to criminalize flag burning as a form of political protest. "All these positions were rejected by the Supreme Court," said Steven Shapiro, the ACLU's National Legal Director. "But the Supreme Court remains closely divided on many of these questions." As a senior Justice Department official, Roberts was in a position to help shape the government's legal positions as well as represent them. At a minimum, the Senate should determine the extent to which the positions taken in these briefs also reflect Roberts's personal views. ACLU FBI Is Keeping Documents on ACLU and Other Peaceful Groups Government Has Amassed Thousands of Pages on National Peace and Civil Rights Organizations NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today revealed that the FBI has amassed more than 1,100 pages of documents on its organization since 2001, as well as documents concerning other non-violent groups including Greenpeace and United for Peace and Justice. "We now know that the government is keeping documents about the ACLU and other peaceful groups - the question is why," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. ACLU Congressional Hispanic Caucus Responds to Roberts Nomination to Supreme Court Washington, DC - Following reports that President George W. Bush will nominate Judge John G. Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) expressed disappointment that the President did not nominate a Latino to fill the seat to be vacated by Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The CHC previously called on the President to fill the vacancy with a qualified Hispanic dedicated to equal justice and a judicial system that is fair to the Latino community. civilrights.org/CHC Roberts: Justice Scalia in O'Connor's Robes? Senate Must Conduct Complete, Thorough and Probing Review Washington - The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition has serious concerns with President Bush's nomination of Judge John Roberts to fill the Supreme Court chair of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Wade Henderson, LCCR's executive director and the co-chair of the Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary, an alliance of the country's leading national public interest organizations, issued the following statement: "We are saddened that President Bush chose the politics of conflict and division over bipartisan consensus. While Judge Roberts may not have been on the Rev. James Dobson's short list of pre-approved nominees, let's be clear - John Roberts is no mainstream judge. civilrights.org Bush Nominates John Roberts foor Supreme Court: Nomination Raises Serious Concerns, Questions People for the American Way is extremely disappointed that the President did not choose a consensus nominee in the mold of Sandra Day O’Connor. John Roberts’ record raises serious concerns as well as questions about where he stands on crucial legal and constitutional issues – it will be extremely important for Senators and the American people to get answers to those questions. Replacing O’Connor with someone who is not committed to upholding Americans’ rights, liberties, and legal protections would be a constitutional catastrophe. People for the American Way     7/17/05 NAACP 2005 Industry Surveys Give Five Major Industries “C” and “D” Grades: Latest Survey of Lodging, Telecommunications, Financial Services, General Merchandising and Automotive Industries Shows Average to Minimal Progress Milwaukee - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) today released the 2005 Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) industry report cards grading major corporations in lodging, telecommunications, financial services, general merchandising and automotive for the year 2004. The five industries earned average and below average scores. The (C) and (D) grades, released during the NAACP’s 96th Annual Convention in Milwaukee, reflected for most industries a slip in 2004 within the areas of employment, vendor development, advertising/marketing, charitable giving and investing/ franchising. NAACP Interim President & CEO Dennis Courtland Hayes said: “The report cards are a good indicator for the NAACP to measure efforts or the lack thereof of major corporations in the areas of hiring, promotion, procurement, philanthropy and marketing. We will urge our members and partnering organizations to not patronize businesses and corporations that do not provide meaningful opportunities in the five industries mentioned. The main purpose for the report cards is to ensure a more enlightened consumer base.” NAACP Historic Voting Rights Conference Set for July 25-26 Elected officials, opinion makers, community leaders, and grassroots activists will gather in Washington later this month to discuss the role the Voting Rights Act has played and continues to play in transforming communities, including the importance of the Act's special provisions. The timing of the conference coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Act, widely considered to be one of the most successful civil rights laws in the nation's history. The Act prohibits discrimination in voting based on race, and requires certain jurisdictions to provide bilingual assistance to language minority voters. civilrights.org Three-Judge Panel Rules Unanimously in Favor of Native American Voters in South Dakota Federal Court Grants Injunction to Ensure Compliance with the Voting Rights Act RAPID CITY, SD -- The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that a panel of three federal court judges has issued an injunction against the state of South Dakota, ruling unanimously that state officials must comply with the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) and obtain prior approval from the Department of Justice before implementing a new law that the judges say "gives the appearance of a rushed attempt to circumvent the VRA." The ACLU called this ruling an important example of why Congress should reauthorize the Voting Rights Act in 2007, when temporary provisions of the Act are set to expire. ACLU Chairman Bond Accuses Civil Rights Opponents of Using Lies and Distortions: Enemies of Justice and Fair Play Promote Deeply Flawed Economic and Foreign Policies Milwaukee -- Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP National Board of Directors, told delegates to the 96th Annual NAACP National Convention that “today’s civil rights movement doesn’t suffer from its imagined excesses, but from the lies and distortions of its opponents.” Speaking at the convention’s opening public mass meeting, Bond outlined what he calls the “new racist ideology” used by opponents of civil rights. In recent years, Bond said “the enemies of justice and fair play have whittled away at the components of the progressive coalition” that includes the NAACP. He said: “They have successfully promoted deeply flawed economic and foreign policies. They have passed tax cuts that were not only unfair but unaffordable. Ideas of government that were marginal, even delusional, have moved to center stage. The wacky has become the reality; the unimaginable is now taken for everyday truth.” NAACP     7/1/05 Mexican Stamp Is Latest Racially Offensive Behavior By Mexican Government: Mexican Government Urged to Stop Distribution of Racist Stamp Dennis Courtland Hayes, NAACP Interim President and CEO, said the decision by the Mexican government to issue a blatantly racist postage stamp “is injurious to black people who live in the United States and in Mexico.” Hayes called on the Mexican government to immediately cease printing and distributing the stamp that bears an offensive cartoon character with black skin and thick lips known as Memin Pinguin and his mother, who resembles an early version of Aunt Jemima. NAACP     6/26/05 No Excuse for Senators Not to Sign Lynching Apology Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, said yesterday’s guilty verdict by a Mississippi jury in the lynching of three Mississippi civil rights workers in 1964 stands in stark contrast to 11 U.S. Senators who refuse to sign an apology for lynchings that killed more than 4,700 people, mostly African Americans. “The willingness of an interracial jury in Mississippi to convict Edgar Ray Killen in the 1964 triple lynching stands in contrast to the refusal of the state’s two senators to sign Senate Resolution 39, the senate’s apology for failing to condemn this hateful practice,” said Bond. NAACP Minority Students Nationwide are Caught in "School-to-Prison" Pipeline, ACLU Says WASHINGTON -- In a complaint filed today with the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of 14 Native American families, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Attorney General of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe charge that the public school district in Winner, South Dakota discriminates against Native American children in its disciplinary practices and denies these students their right to equal educational opportunities. "Through its discriminatory practices, the Winner School District systematically pushes Native American children out of its schools, often into the juvenile justice system," said Robin Dahlberg, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s National Legal Department. "To permit Winner schools to remain above the law will encourage other school districts to engage in the same illegal activities with the same impunity." ACLU     6/14/05 NCLR TO RELEASE REPORT ON LATINOS AND SOCIAL SECURITY Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will host a telephonic news conference to release its new report on Latinos and Social Security, The Social Security Program and Reform: A Latino Perspective. The news conference will be held on Wednesday, June 15 beginning at 1:00 p.m. [see toll-free call-in information below]. While the debate over the future of Social Security has been a major topic of discussion in the past several months, one key element – the perspective of the Latino community – has been missing. NCLR’s new report addresses the profound stake that Hispanics have in the debate, both as workers paying into the system and as beneficiaries. NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia and NCLR economic policy analysts will discuss the report’s findings on how Latinos are faring under the current Social Security system and provide recommendations for keeping the system solvent and expanding Social Security to include more Latino workers. NCLR.ORG NCLR APPLAUDS SOUND DEFEAT OF ANTI-IMMIGRANT NUTRITION LEGISLATION Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., praised the House of Representatives for overwhelmingly defeating an amendment to the “Agriculture Appropriations Act of FY 2006” targeting immigrant access to food stamps. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) was rejected by a vote of 169-258. “We applaud the many members of Congress, including Hispanic leaders Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), who stood in strong bipartisan opposition to this proposal,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia. NCLR.ORG     6/8/05 ACLU Disappointed with Patriot Act Expansion Bill Approved in Secret; Says "Administrative Subpoenas" Create End-Run Round Constitution WASHINGTON - Following reports that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today approved - behind closed doors - legislation designed to reauthorize and expand the Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed its disappointment with the secretive process and the end result that tramples on the Constitution. The following can be attributed to Lisa Graves, ACLU Senior Counsel for Legislative Strategy. "Today’s secret vote was a failure for the Fourth Amendment, the American people, and the very freedoms we hold dear. At a time when Americans from all walks of life are calling for the Patriot Act to be brought in line with the Constitution, the Senate Intelligence Committee went ahead with an unwarranted expansion of the Patriot Act’s already intrusive powers." ACLU In Wake of ACLU Civil Rights Lawsuit Settlement, African Americans Affected by Texas Drug Task Force Scandal Call for Reconciliation at Town Meeting HEARNE, TX -- At a community meeting tonight, African American residents in this rural community of 5,000, where the American Civil Liberties Union recently settled a major civil rights lawsuit against agents of a federally funded regional narcotics task force, will meet with local and state officials to discuss ways to work together to reform drug law enforcement in Robertson County, where Hearne is located. "These federally funded drug task forces are on their way out," said Will Harrell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Texas. "What happened in Hearne and in Tulia is happening all over Texas. Tonight’s meeting will be a chance for the community to seek out real solutions and alternatives to this problematic system of drug law enforcement." ACLU Iranian American “Know Your Rights” Campaign Launched By National Organizations LOS ANGELES -- At a breakfast briefing this morning the American Civil Liberties Union and leaders of the Iranian American community launched a "Know Your Rights" Campaign designed to address community-specific concerns. "The Iranian American community is an integral part of the fabric of America," said Dalia Hashad, the ACLU’s Arab, Muslim, South Asian Advocate. "When they are targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, it’s a disaster for every aspect of our country, including the government." There have been increased patterns of discrimination against Iranian Americans in the past six months, according to the organizations, including allegations of employment discrimination, FBI interrogation and surveillance, problems in getting security clearance and immigration discrimination. ACLU Women of Color Will Suffer the Consequences of Lifetime Appointment for Brown: Statement of NOW Action Vice President Olga Vives Email To A Friend Printer Friendly Related Links   NOW website   More on Janice Rogers Brown FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 7, 2005 Jenny  Thalheimer x 116 As a woman, as a Latina, and representing hundreds of thousands of members and supporters of NOW, I am here to speak against the confirmation of Janice Rogers Brown to the D. C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Janice Rogers Brown has a history of hostility toward affirmative action, reproductive rights, civil rights, disability rights and government programs, such as Social Security. Her court opinions reflect extremist ideologies, and her confirmation will make it harder for women and people of color to challenge discrimination. Her record is clear - she is out of the mainstream and feels no pain for people who are victims of discrimination. civilrights.org     5/24/05 Rainbow PUSH Coalition and MALDEF to Establish New Coalition to Address Critical Issues Impacting African Americans and Latinos: Group will Convene in Atlanta Today MALDEF NCLR TO RELEASE REPORT ON WIDESPREAD PREDATORY MORTGAGE LENDING TARGETED AT HISPANIC HOMEBUYERS NCLR.ORG Mexican President Vicente Fox Invited To Annual Convention NAACP     5/17/05 NJ Radio Hosts Mock Asian Americans Abstract civilrights.org     5/16/05 NAACP Chairman Calls Bush Judicial Nominees Anti-Civil Rights: Seating Conservative Judges could Roll back Civil Rights Gains NAACP.ORG Latino Groups Unite in Condemning REAL ID: Call on Congress and the Administration to Finally Fix the Broken Immigration System MALDEF.ORG ACLU of Michigan Argues in Supreme Court that the Poor Have a Right to Counsel ACLU.ORG Alliance for Justice Criticizes Senate Judiciary Committee Action on Pryor civilrights.org     4/29/05 ACLU Calls For Fixes to Surveillance Law Weakened By the Patriot Act, Says Congress Must Reinstate Safeguards Against Abuse ACLU.ORG NCLR Urges Lawmakers To Keep Real ID Act Off Iraqi Supplemaental Appropriations Bill NCLR.ORG     4/7/05 ACORN Calls on Fed to Remove Wells Fargo CEO From Council: New Study Finds Racial Inequality in Wells' Subprime Lending ACORN.ORG Students Talk of Racism At CU civilrights.org     4/3/05 OCA Statement on the Passing of Fred Korematsu civilrights.org     3/28/05 Drug Policies are Destroying Families, Groups Charge ACLU.ORG ACLU Welcomes Congressional Review of Sentencing Guidelines, Calls for Change in Policies to Reflect Fairness and Justice ACLU.ORG Growing Rate of Juvenile Life Sentences Examined in ACLU of Michigan Report ACLU.ORG California Judge Finalizes Historic Education Settlement in ACLU Lawsuit ACLU.ORG NCLR Joins Broad Coalition in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform NCLR.ORG NCLR Supports Diaz-Balart/Waxman Bill To Improve Latino Children's Health NCLR.ORG     3/27/05 Julian Bond, Jesse Jackson and Other Civil Rights Leaders Join Consumer Groups Opposing a New Bill That Opens the Door to Predatory Lending civilrights.org     3/13/05 MALDEF Files Civil Lawsuit On Behalf Of Migrants Detained And Assaulted By Border Vigilantes: Detained And Assaulted By Border Vigilantes MALDEF NCLR AND ITS AFFILIATES CALL ON CONGRESS TO INVEST WISELY IN PROGRAMS WITH REAL IMPACT: Key Programs Endangered by Bush Administration Budget, Analysis Finds NCLR.ORG Civil Rights Coalition Opposes Griffith: Cite His Hostility to Civil Rights Laws and Cavalier Approach to Ethics civilrights.org     2/22/05 Good Redistricting Plan Would Include Truly Fair Representation, Voting Rights Act Protections MALDEF NCLR DENOUNCES PASSAGE OF “REAL ID ACT”: Angered by White House Support of the Measure NCLR NCLR SUPPORTS AGJOBS LEGISLATION AND URGES SWIFT PASSAGE NCLR NAACP Outraged By Death Of 13-Year-Old At Hands Of LAPD NAACP President's Budget Promotes Twisted Priorities: Slashes Vital Services for Women & Families While Lavishing Tax Cuts on Millionaires and Corporations civilrights.org     2/9/05 Civil Rights Coalition Condemns Senate Refusal to Prevent Worker and Minority Abuse in Class Action Bill: Questions Why State's Rights Senators Won't Stick to Their Principles civilrights.org NCLR, LULAC, MALDEF, AND NALEO Send Letter Urging White House To Oppose "The Real ID Act" NCLR.ORG ACLU, Allies Oppose Sensenbrenner’s Anti-Immigrant Bill; Mean-Spirited Measure Would Hurt Persecuted, Undermine Privacy ACLU.ORG     2/3/05 Racial And Ethnic Intolerance Is Wrong In Every Community: New York Radio Station’s Tsunami Parody Went Beyond the Bounds of Decency NAACP.ORG     1/30/05 Nation's Largest Civil Rights Coalition Calls on Senators to Oppose Confirmation of Alberto R. Gonzales to U.S. Attorney General civilrights.org     1/13/05 MALDEF Mourns Passing Of California Congressman Robert T. Matsui MALDEF.ORG NAACP Mourns Passing Of Civil Rights Activist James Forman: A Leader Known for Pushing the South and the Nation Toward Change NAACP.ORG NAACP Opposes Planned Cuts In Pell Grant Program: Bush Administration Plan Will Eliminate Scholarships for an Estimated 90,000 Students NAACP.ORG NAACP Mourns Passing Of Rep. Shirley Chisholm: Rep. Robert T. Matsui, Congressman who Supported Civil Rights Legislation, Also Dies NAACP.ORG     1/3/05 The NAACP Calls For Investigation Of Excessive Force By Jacksonville Police Officers: Two Men Die in Police Custody After being Arrested for Misdemeanor Charges NAACP.ORG     12/27/04 Mississippi Airport Renamed to Honor Slain NAACP Leader NAACP.ORG     12/9/04 New NCLR Report Recommends Solutions to Latino Financial Education Disparity civilrights.org/NCLR     12/7/04 Serrano Succeeds in Retaining "Other" Race Option on Census Form, Hispanic Organizations Applaud Action civilrights.org     12/3/04 Cincinnati Police Failed to Reform Discriminatory Practices, ACLU Charges ACLU.ORG MALDEF Files Suit Against Proposition 200 ‘Pan’ Initiative: Wins Temporary Restraining Order Against Measure MALDEF.ORG MALDEF Wins Court Ruling for Fair School Funding MALDEF.ORG     11/23/04 Political Criticism Should Not Be Based On Ethnic Stereotypes And Racial Slurs NAACP.ORG NAACP Scores Another Victory In Florida Vouchers Case NAACP.ORG     11/16/04 ACLU Hails Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Rejecting Unfair Deportation of Legal Immigrants ACLU $40 Million Payment, Detailed Plan for Diversity in Employment Discrimination Suit Against Retail Giant Abercrombie & Fitch MALDEF     11/14/04 MALDEF Responds To Likely Nomination Of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales To The Position Of Attorney General MALDEF 2004 Election Information: Voting Problems MALDEF     11/4/04 ACLU Continues the Fight for Voting Rights ACLU.ORG     10/28/04 NCLR Denounces Un-American Actions Of Anti-Immigrant Groups civilrights.org     10/18/04 Young Asian Pacific Islander Americans Must Hurdle Voting Obstacles civilrights.org     10/15/04 Volusia County Florida Relents: Opens Additional Voting Sites In African American Community County, Officials Make Decision Following NAACP Lawsuit NAACP MALDEF ‘Welcomes’ N.M. Supreme Court Ruling On Voter I.D. Requirements MALDEF ACLU Urges Virginia Legislators Not To Put Radio Computer Chip in Driver’s Licenses ACLU ACLU Urges High Court to Reject Indefinite Detention of “Mariel” Cubans ACLU Dude, Where's My Ballot? Students Nationwide Fight Obstacles to Voting civilrights.org Civil Rights Coalition Sues Ashcroft Over Access to Election Fraud Policy Documents civilrights.org     9/28/04 Court Orders Attorney General Ashcroft to Disclose Secret Memo on Local Police Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws ACLU House 9/11 Commission Bill Includes Patriot II, National ID Card, Worst Anti-Immigration Measures in Decade ACLU Veto Of ‘Repatriation’ Act Inconsistent With Past State Legislation MALDEF     9/22/04 ACLU Testifies on Florida’s Voting Problems Before U.S. Commission on Civil Rights ACLU Federal Court Rules South Dakota Violated Voting Rights of Native Americans ACLU MALDEF Celebrates Victory For Equity In Texas School Finance Litigation MALDEF.ORG     9/2/04 NCLR Calls On Bush Administration To Eliminate Current Documentation Requirement In Medicare/Medicaid Proposal civilrights.org Measure Shedding Light on Shameful 1930s ‘Repatriation’ Program Is Approved by Legislature; MALDEF Urges Governor to Sign Bill MALDEF MALDEF Supports Driver’s License Bill MALDEF.ORG NAACP Chairman Julian Bond Calls For Election Protection To Defend Voting Rights Act NAACP.ORG NAACP DISPATCHES VOTER RAPID RESPONSE TEAM TO FLORIDA NAACP.ORG     8/26/04 MALDEF Criticizes DHS Expansion of Border Patrol Power MALDEF ACLU Presses Government for Information on Immigration Sweeps ACLU ACLU of New Jersey Sues Manalapan Police for Targeting African American Youths ACLU     8/16/04 Racial Discrimination Committee Continues To Discuss Follow-Up To World Conference Against Racism United Nations     8/13/04 NAACP Chairman Joins Call For Decisive Action To Halt Sudan Genocide NAACP.ORG NAACP Supports Findings Of Healthcare Disparities In African American Medicare Patients NAACP/ORG Emerging “Surveillance-Industrial Complex” Is Turbo-Charging Government Monitoring, ACLU Warns in New Report ACLU.ORG     8/9/04 ABA Report Finds Eroding Due Process, Two-Tiered Justice System for American Immigrants American Bar Association ADC Questions Apparent Double Standard in Arrest Announcements civilrights.org     7/25/04 Twenty-four Groups Launch Unprecedented, Simultaneous TV and Online Ads Exposing Radical Views of Administration Judicial Nominees civilrights.org At ACLU Membership Conference, Legal, Law Enforcement Experts See “War on Drugs” Tactic Becoming Tool in War on Terror ACLU.ORG Statement of Raul Yzaguirre, NCLR President in Strong Support of National Museum of the American Latino NCLR.ORG NCLR Slams Senate For Failure To Act On Farmworker Legislation NCLR.ORG     7/10/04 Texas Higher Education Lacks Racial Diversity, Report Finds:Civil Rights Groups and Law Faculty Urge 'Blend It, Don't End It?' MALDEF, Equal Justice Society, Society of American Law Teachers, Americans for a Fair Chance/LCCREF NCLR Slams Senate for Failure to Act on Farmworker Legislation civilrights.org/NCLR Freedom to Read Measure Narrowly Fails in House; In Chaotic Vote, Congressional Republicans Violate House Rules ACLU MALDEF Commends Bipartisan Support For School Lunch Programs MALDEF     6/30/04 Texas Higher Education Lacks Racial Diversity MALDEF ACLU Defends Immigrant Imprisoned for Three Years While Awaiting Deportation ACLU ACLU Defends Immigrant Imprisoned for Three Years While Awaiting Deportation ACLU ACLU Defends Immigrant Imprisoned for Three Years While Awaiting Deportation ACLU     6/25/04 Pelosi: 'U.S. and International Community Must Act Now to Stop the Kiling in Sudan Yahoo.news.com     6/18/04 Senate Approves Strengthened Hate Crimes Legislation civilrights.org Ward Connerly and Affirmative Action Foes in Michigan Concede, but Aim for 2006 civilrights.org     6/12/04 ACLU Nebraska Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Muslim Woman Barred from Public Pool Because She Refused to Wear a Swim Suit ACLU.ORG Ray Charles, Musical Icon Leaves Unfilled Shoes, Musical genius and Social activist Dies after Long Illness NAACP.ORG     6/9/04 NAACP Calls Catholic University Decision To Block NAACP Student Chapter Arbitrary And Racist NAACP.ORG     6/6/04 Mourning the Death, and Celebrating the Life, of Hector Barretto, Sr. NCLR Statement of Raul Yzaguirre, NCLR President on the Passing of Fernando Oaxaca NCLR     5/28/04 NAACP Mourns Loss Of Vernon Jarrett, ACT-SO Founder and Veteran Journalist NAACP.ORG     5/24/04 Texas Drug Task Force Violates Rights by Engaging in Unnecessary Searches, Racial Profiling, ACLU Charges ACLU.ORG Michigan School District Takes Action to Stop Racism After Black Student Is Attacked in “KKK Game” ACLU.ORG History Of Latino Desegregation Cases MALDEF     5/19/04 NCLR Applauds Major Defeat of Deadly Rohrbacher Bill civilrights.org     5/16/04 NAACP Commends Justice Department Decision To Reopen Emmett Till Case NAACP.ORG     5/9/04 MALDEF Applauds Introduction Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation:Urges Members Of Congress To Co-Sponsor MALDEF     5/4/04 ACLU Challenge to "National Security Letter" Authority ACLU.ORG ACLU of Georgia Challenges City and County Ordinances Restricting Free Speech During G-8 Summit ACLU.ORG     4/26/04 ACLU Says White House Is Engaged in Patriot Act Misinformation Campaign; Releases Point-By-Point Response to Bush Falsehoods ACLU     4/20/04 Bush to Promote Patriot Act in New York, Pennsylvania; ACLU Urges Congress to Resist Calls to Make Law's Problems Permanent ACLU.ORG ADC Praises New Immigration Detention Policies, Reiterates Additional Concerns American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee     4/19/04 NCLR Critical of Fee Increases For Immigration Services civilrights.org     4/7/04 ACLU Files First Nationwide Challenge to “No-Fly” List, Saying Government List Violates Passengers’ Rights ACLU.ORG ACLU Launches Spanish Language "Access to Justice" Campaign Featuring Former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso ACLU.ORG Third Muslim Business Torched in Texas, CAIR-San Antonio to Hold 'Community Solidarity' News Conference Council of American Islamic Relations     4/5/04 Providence Branch Secures Redistricting Voting Victory NAACP.ORG     3/30/04 MALDEF Applauds Bipartisan Improvement to School Lunch Programs that Help Latino and Migrant Students MALDEF Colorado Senate Defeats Anti-Affirmative Action Measure civilrights.org Michigan Judge Deals Blow to Ward Connerly civilrights.org     3/24/04 ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Right to Trial By Jury ACLU “Your Papers, Please:” ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Protect Right to Remain Anonymous ACLU     3/12/04 Trial Begins In INS Case MALDEF.ORG MALDEF, Civil Rights Groups, Sue Bexar County For Primary Election Polls MALDEF.ORG Colorado Legislators Introduce Bill to Eliminate Affirmative Action civilrights.org Civil Rights Advocates Address Voting Technology Issues civilrights.org     3/9/04 Midwest Conference On The Dropout Crisis:Assessing The Problem & Confronting The Challenge The Civil Rights Project, Harvard University     3/1/04 NAACP Rallies for Justice and Mercy in Marcus Dixon Case NAACP.ORG     2/23/04 TransAfrica Forum Newsletter—Current Trans Africa Forum NAACP Files Lawsuit Against Texas Officials To Prevent Reduction Of Voting Hours NAACP.ORG Miguel Estrada Judicial Nomination Placed on Hold MALDEF.ORG MALDEF Releases First-of-its-Kind Study on Latino 'Felony Disenfranchisement' MALDEF.ORG     2/1/04 More Than Half Of The 108th Congress Get Failing Grade On NAACP Report Card NAACP.ORG     1/24/04 ACLU Urges Congress to Reject Bush Call to Make Patriot Act Permanent ACLU.ORG President Invites Judges Controversy as New Session Begins www.civilrights.org California Organization Grades Lawmakers on Asian American Issues civilrights.org     1/12/04 Race Not Income Produces Segregation In Metro Boston The Civil Rights Project MALDEF Sues Cal Poly San Luis Obispo For Admissions Policies MALDEF.ORG MALDEF Analysis On Governor's Proposed Budget Cuts MALDEF It's Just Football Not Jihad CAIR     1/7/04 Constitution’s Protection Against Unreasonable Search and Seizure Applies to All Immigrants in the U.S., ACLU Argues ACLU.ORG Rutgers Law School and ACLU Challenge Denial of Voting Rights in Groundbreaking Lawsuit ACLU.ORG     12/22/03 MALDEF Opens Redistricting Case For Texas Latinos MALDEF Federal 9/11 Detainee Abuse Caught on Tape; Men Falsely Held as Terrorists Were Beaten, Humiliated ACLU California Immigrant Initiative Revived civilrights.org Shortsighted States Are Putting Health Care on the Chopping Block latimes.com     12/15/03 South Carolina Students Were Terrorized by Police Raid With Guns and Drug Dogs, ACLU Lawsuit Charges ACLU     12/8/03 Two Supreme Court Cases Confront Further Erosion of “Right to Remain Silent” ACLU Declassified FBI Documents Suggest Shoddy Management of “No Fly” List ACLU NAACP Welcomes Federal Probe Of Cincinnati Police NAACP.ORG Hotel Employee Removed by Secret Service before Bush Fundraiser on the Basis of Name Mohamed ADC.ORG MALDEF Witnesses To Defend Latino Congressional District MALDEF     12/1/03 ACLU Calls Changes to Immigrant Registration System Positive Step, But Criticizes Half-Measures and Continuing Confusion ACLU.ORG ACLU Slams Classified FBI Memorandum Directing Law Enforcement to Engage in Protest Suppression Tactics ACLU.ORG     11/24/03 NAACP Applauds Florida Supreme Court Decision NAACP     11/18/03 MALDEF Settles Police Abuse Case In Rogers, Arkansas MALDEF Stuart Ishimaru Confirmed as EEOC Commissioner civilrights.org Civil Rights Leader Receives Congressional Gold Medal civilrights.org     11/10/03 NAACP Calls For Senate Oppoition To Confirmation Of Janice Rogers Brown To DC Court of Appeals NAACP     11/5/03 FL Muslim Students Kicked off Bus 5 miles from Home CAIR     10/27/03 NAACP Ridicules Republican Election Day Intimidation NAACP.ORG Mfume Speaks At George Washington University About Resurging Student Activism NAACP.ORG NAACP Calls For Racial Impact Studies To Combat Overwhelming Presence Of Minorities In Maryland's Prison System NAACP.ORG     10/13/03 Students Converge on Pennsylvania's Capitol to Protest the Death Penalty aclu.org Higher Education Is Now More Affordable For California's Immigrant Students MALDEF Treasury Department Will Not Change the Rules on Matriculas MALDEF Activists Opposing Extreme Judges to Converge in D.C. civilrights.org The Facts On Judge Charles Pickering Sr. civilrights.org NAACP Calls For a Stop To Production Of Racist Game NAACP     10/6/03 Senate Committee Approves Pickering in Party-Line Vote civilrights.org Racial Segregation Persists for Elementary Students in the Boston Area The Civil Rights Project     9/28/03 NAACP Launches Two New Prison Branches in Central Ohio NAACP.ORG ADC Mourns Passing of Prof. Edward Said ADC.ORG MALDEF, Huizar Very Pleased With Gov. Davis For Signing AB560 MALDEF.ORG ACLU Welcomes Bi-partisan “True PATRIOT Act,” Measure Seeks to Restore Freedoms Lost Post 9/11 ACLU.ORG     9/24/03 Asian Pacific American Communities Rally Around 2003 Immigrant Worker Freedom Rides NAPALC     9/23/03 Report: Federal Agencies to Blame for Poor Treatment of American Indians civilrights.org Civil Rights Coalition Urges Senate to Oppose Class Action Fairness Act of 2003 civilrights.org     9/19/03 Ashcroft Yields: Declassifies Personal Records ACLU     9/15/03 Appeals Court Postpones California Recall Election Until State Can Correct "Punch Card" Voting Machines ACLU Students Sue Officials of Several Public Colleges and Universities for Denying Admission Based On Perceived Immigration Status MALDEF     9/7/03 ACLU Hails North Carolina Senate for Passing Death Penalty Moratorium Bill ACLU     9/6/03 Civilrights.org Gears Up for Prop. 54 Fight Civilrights.org     8/24/03 U.S. Civil Rights Commission Issues Report On Lack of Federal Funds for Indian Programs Civilrights.org Justice Department Kicks Off Patriot Act Road Show ACLU ADC Views Legal Challenge to Patriot Act As Necessary Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee     8/21/03 ADC Views Legal Challenge to USA Patriot Act as Necessary to Defend Arab American Civil Liberties Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee     8/19/03 Report Finds Significant Discrimination Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Housing Asian American Journalists Association