Today marks the 93rd Birthday of civil rights activist and labor union organizer Dolores Huerta, a close friend and Board Member of the Feminist Majority Foundation who has advocated for labor rights and women’s liberation for decades. With an extensive knowledge of the injustices that farm workers faced, Huerta teamed up with César Cháves to launch […]
Today Marks the 55th Anniversary of the Landmark Voting Rights Act
August 6th marks the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). This momentous piece of legislation worked to ensure Black Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote by combating voter suppression tactics. “I have said this before, and I will say it again – the vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It […]
Supreme Court Rules Federal Civil Rights Law Protects LGBTQ+ Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that existing federal civil rights protections forbids job discrimination against LGBTQ+ workers. The decision said that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on a person’s sex, also covers sexual orientation. Twenty-two states plus the District of Columbia […]
Inclusion of Transgender Student Athletes Found to Violate Title IX
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has found that a Connecticut high school athletics policy that allows transgender students to participate in sports teams that match their gender identity violates federal law and could cost the state federal education funding. A 45-page letter, dated May 15, explained that the decision was based on the […]
U.S. Navy Grants Waiver to Transgender Service Member Despite Trump Ban
The U.S. Navy granted a waiver for a transgender service member to serve according to her gender identity last Friday, the first of its kind since the military enacted a ban on transgender troops. The waiver comes after the officer, publicly known only as Jane Doe, sued President Donald Trump over his ban on transgender […]
Historic Transgender Rights Supreme Court Case Plaintiff Aimee Stephens Has Died
Aimee Stephens died yesterday at age 59. She was unsure whether the Supreme Court will decide her case as planned on Thursday and if she would live to hear the decision. In 2013, Stephens told her employer that she was going to transition to female and was subsequently fired two weeks later from her job […]
Attorneys General File Landmark ERA Lawsuit
Three attorneys general that represent the last three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) have filed a lawsuit stating that according to Article V, the amendment must be added to the Constitution immediately. This lawsuit was brought forth by Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Nevada Attorney […]
White Male University Of Mississippi Students Posed with Guns in Front of Emmett Till Sign
***Warning: graphic topics of violence and racism*** On July 25, 2019 ProPublica unveiled an Instagram photo posted of three young white men in front of Emmett Till’s sign commemorating his brutal death and the ignition of the Civil Rights Movement. The students were suspended on Wednesday from their fraternity, Kappa Alpha, a historically racist institution, […]
House Subcommittee Convened for a Hearing on the “Threats to Reproductive Rights in America”
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties convened for a hearing on the “Threats to Reproductive Rights in America,” specifically focusing on abortion access in light of the abortion bans passed in Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama earlier this year, all of which severely restrict people’s ability to have safe […]
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Long Live the Queen: The Impact of Aretha Franklin
Music and civil rights activism were big influences in Aretha Franklin’s life since a young age: her father, C.L. Franklin, a minister known as “the Man with the Million Dollar Voice,” toured the nation giving sermons and was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Aretha herself started singing in her Detroit church’s choir and recorded her first album when she was only 14 before signing to RCA Records and Columbia Records. When she was 16, Aretha was touring with Dr. King.
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Trump Administration Rescinds Anti-discriminatory School Discipline Policies
Today the Trump Administration announced it would rescind parts of the Obama administration’s “Rethink Discipline” school policies, policies that ensured that minority students were not unfairly targeted for harsher punishments or disciplinary practices.
Remembering the Little Rock Nine
Although it has been 60 years since the Little Rock Nine entered Central High School, civil rights are still under attack.
Prominent North Carolina Civil Rights Center Banned from Engaging in Civil Rights Litigation
In a 24-3 vote last week, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors (BOG), which determines the rules and regulations for the University of North Carolina (UNC) system, barred the UNC Chapel Hill School of Law’s Center for Civil Rights from engaging in civil rights litigation for minority and low-income communities. The UNC Center […]
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Another Civil Rights Opponent Nominated for Job in Justice Department
President Trump has nominated attorney Eric Dreiband, a man who has spent his career opposing equality movements, to head the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The role of the Civil Rights Division is to hold corporations and states accountable for compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
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Civil Rights Coalition Demands Trump Administration Protect Civil Rights
Deeply troubled by the drastic cuts within Trump’s proposed budget, the coalition called upon the administration to, “reverse course, before more individuals and communities are harmed,” with a five point list of actions ensuring the protection of civil rights: enforce the law, preserve existing policies, nominate and appoint qualified individuals, prioritize data collection, and condemn bigotry and violence.
Trump Budget Proposal Aims to Reduce Civil Rights Enforcement Throughout Federal Agencies
According to the White House’s proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year, the Trump administration is set to disband the Labor Department division that has been tasked with policing discrimination among federal contractors for nearly forty years. Such budget cuts are not limited to the Labor Department, but are also seen in the budgets of a wide array of agencies as part of efforts to limit federal government programs that promote and protect civil rights.
The Feminist Majority Foundation Remembers Julian Bond
Civil rights iconic leader Julian Bond passed away this weekend, leaving behind a legacy of inclusion and activism.
Inverted Flags, a Blood Fountain, and a Fist: Reading the Symbols of #FergusonOctober
Ferguson October is our generation’s Freedom Summer, and the symbols and character of this movement are uniquely and distinctly ours to claim.
