Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | news
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded its investigation of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), finding that there is reasonable cause to believe that the LMPD has routinely violated the constitutional rights of residents of Louisville, Kentucky and unlawfully discriminated against Black people. Among these powerful findings, the investigation affirmed what the people […]
Friday, June 16, 2023 | news
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded its investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), and found that there is reasonable cause to believe that the MPD has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force; unlawful discrimination against Black and Native American people; First Amendment violations of protestors’ rights, including by retaliating […]
Thursday, September 16, 2021 | news
Today, the Department of Justice responded to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) call to cease funding law enforcement departments with discriminatory practices. DOJ will institute a process to prevent funds from being provided to these law enforcement departments. In response, Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF, issued the following statement: “The […]
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 | news
(New York, NY) — Today, for the second time, a federal court in Washington, D.C. upheld the constitutionality of the heart of the 2006 reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. The case, Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, involved a challenge to the Section 5 “preclearance” provision of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states and jurisdictions […]
Monday, February 6, 2023 | news
Today, lawmakers in Connecticut took a crucial procedural step toward considering and enacting strong, state-level protections against discrimination in voting. By voting unanimously to raise the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut (CTVRA), the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly paved the way for a public hearing on […]
Monday, March 27, 2023 | news
Today, state lawmakers in Connecticut passed out of committee Senate Bill No. 1226 (“S.B. 1226”), an Act Concerning State Voting Rights in Recognition of John R. Lewis. S.B. 1226 is a comprehensive state-level Voting Rights Act that seeks to protect access to the freedom to vote and empower voters of color throughout the state to […]
Thursday, February 16, 2023 | news
Today, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order to “Strengthen Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Across the Federal Government,” building upon the E.O. he signed on his first day in office. It adds several new requirements to advance racial equity, while also strengthening or changing several parts of the original E.O. to codify […]
Friday, November 10, 2023 | news
On November 7, 2023, the United States Senate confirmed the 150th judicial nominee of the Biden administration, marking another historic achievement in filling vacancies on the federal bench. The judges appointed by President Biden represent a diverse breadth of candidates, with a record number of people of color, women, and women of color, including Black […]
Saturday, April 1, 2017 | news
See a pdf version of this article here. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) mourns the loss of William T. Coleman, Jr., a key member of the legal team that litigated Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark desegregation case in which the Supreme Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for African American […]
Thursday, July 17, 2025 | news
Read a PDF of our statement here. Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) honors the tremendous legacy of celebrated civil rights leader and former Georgia Congressman John Lewis. July 17 marks the fifth anniversary of his passing. As many celebrate this John Lewis National Day of Action, LDF urges legislators to take meaningful steps to […]
