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Neomi Rao Showed Us Who She Was in College – Believe Her

February 27, 2019

Neomi Rao Showed Us Who She Was in College – Believe Her By Todd A. Cox, Policy Director at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. Given the sexual assault allegations that dominated Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings, it’s not surprising that the conversation surrounding the woman nominated to replace him on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has zeroed in on her alarming college writings about date rape. Neomi’s op-eds from her time at Yale have rightfully drawn condemnation for their offensive takes, like when she suggested that, “a good way to avoid a potential date rape is

LDF Remembers Jean Fairfax

February 20, 2019

LDF Remembers Jean Fairfax Click here for a pdf of this tribute. Ms. Jean Fairfax, who for twenty years, was widely regarded as one of among the most influential and innovative visionaries on the LDF staff, passed away last week in Phoenix, Arizona. She was 98 years old. Fairfax founded and served as the Director of LDF’s Division of Legal Information and Community Services from 1965 to 1984. Jean Fairfax: A Pioneering Organizer Over the course of her 40-year career, Jean was a pioneering organizer, a professor, a religious scholar, a missionary, and an unparalleled strategist and policy advocate.

The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 14, 2019

The enduring image of Dr. King for most Americans is of the great leader standing before a microphone and speaking soul-shaking, transformational words of truth. His speeches—whether “Give Us the Ballot” or “I Have a Dream”—powerfully examine the state of American democracy and call this nation to its highest self. His “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is among the most powerful messages of social justice ever delivered from behind bars. “…I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice

The Nomination of William P. Barr to Serve as Attorney General

January 14, 2019

The Position of Extraordinary Public Trust and Commitment to the Constitutional Principles of Fairness, Equality, and the Rule of Law On December 7, 2018, President Trump announced William P. Barr as his nominee for Attorney General of the United States, following the forced resignation of Jefferson (“Jeff”) Beauregard Sessions III. As head of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the nation’s top law enforcement official, the position of Attorney General is one of unparalleled power within the Executive Branch and has profound implications for civil rights. The Attorney General must work to advance the full mission of DOJ which

Why is LDF opposing Thomas Farr?

November 29, 2018

President Trump nominated Thomas Farr to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina in 2017. Since his nomination and re-nomination, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., alongside other national civil rights groups, has vigorously opposed him because we believe he is not fit to serve on the federal bench. Here’s why: Farr has dedicated his career to two missions: disenfranchising voters of color and attacking workers’ rights. Farr has connections to one of the most influential hate groups of the 20th century. Farr helped draft, then defended the North Carolina voter restriction law that

The Justice Department’s cynical stand against police reform in Chicago

November 1, 2018

It’s No Secret That Trust Between the CPD and the City’s Residents is Broken by Monique Dixon, Former LDF Deputy Director of Policy and Senior Counsel It is no secret that trust between the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the city’s residents, especially residents of color, is broken. The U.S. Department of Justice shared this conclusion on the first page of its 2017 report on the CPD, an exhaustive document that described a decades-long history of unconstitutional practices that violated residents’ civil rights, undermined public safety, and eroded morale within CPD. The report left