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Bipartisan Brief Filed in Support of Texas Death-Sentenced Prisoner, Duane Buck

Yesterday, Hon. Mark L. Earley, Hon. Timothy K. Lewis, Hon. Gregory B. Craig, and Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee filed a “friend of the court” brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the appeal of Texas death-sentenced prisoner, Duane Buck. Mr. Buck, an African-American man, was sentenced to death after his own attorneys introduced “expert” […]

Binghamton Parents Demand Justice for Daughters Illegally Strip Searched

Parents in Binghamton, New York are seeking a public apology and other redress from the Binghamton School District for the mistreatment of their daughters (the “girls”) who were subjected to an illegal strip search at East Middle School on January 15, 2019.  The school principal, Tim Simonds, sent the girls to the nurse’s office accusing […]

Billye Suber Aaron

Big Civil Rights Court Day — TX Photo ID Trial Opens and Detroit Water Hearings Start

LDF is fighting to stop water shutoffs in Detroit as we also challenge Texas’ discriminatory photo ID law.  Today, a two-week trial begins in United States v. Texas, a federal challenge to Texas’s discriminatory photo ID law, Senate Bill 14.  In this case with important national implications, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. […]

Beyond Learning Loss: Prioritizing the Needs of Black Students as Public Education Emerges From a Pandemic

Thurgood Marshall Institute Report Beyond Learning Loss Prioritizing the Needs of Black Students as Public Education Emerges From a Pandemic By Sandhya Kajeepeta, PhD | January 2024 The period of 2020 through 2022 was defined by several crises: of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting economic crisis, but also the increased visibility of racialized […]

Beyond Learning Loss: Prioritizing the Needs of Black Students as Public Education Emerges From a Pandemic

Thurgood Marshall Institute Report Beyond Learning Loss Prioritizing the Needs of Black Students as Public Education Emerges From a Pandemic By Sandhya Kajeepeta, PhD From 2020 to 2022, multiple crises reshaped the U.S. landscape, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. Empirical evidence indicates that Black Americans faced elevated age-adjusted rates of COVID-19 […]

Beth Caldwell

Beth Caldwell joined LDF as Assistant Counsel in 2024. Before joining LDF, Beth was an appellate public defender at the Center for Appellate Litigation in New York City, where she represented clients in their direct appeals from their criminal convictions in Manhattan and the Bronx. In People v. Garcia, 216 A.D.3d 438 (1st Dep’t 2023), […]

Barriers to Voting

“Democracy thrives when it is practiced, not prevented.”     – LDF President and Director-Counsel, John Payton LDF has a longstanding history of advocating for an inclusive democracy that represents all Americans. We believe voting is one of the most sacred means of political participation, and are dedicated to removing barriers between individuals and the polls. In […]

Barriers to Police Accountability Have Not Been Addressed at the Federal Level, Civil Rights Groups Urge Congress to Act

Prominent civil rights group leaders and the family of George Floyd demand that Congress address police accountability and police violence in the wake of the continued brutalization and killing of Black people. The following is a joint statement from leaders of those groups:  “Last year, millions of Americans in nearly every state came together to […]

Barriers Rooted in Race and Gender Bias Harm Educational Outcomes of African American Girls and Must Be Addressed, New Report Shows

Race and gender disparities in opportunity and academic achievement lead to high dropout rates, limited job opportunities, and increased risk of poverty  (Washington, D.C.)  Due to pervasive, systemic barriers in education rooted in racial and gender bias and stereotypes, African American girls are faring worse than the national average for girls on almost every measure […]