The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate reauthorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), expanding coverage to include an additional four million uninsured children.

President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law this morning, making it easier for employees to challenge pay discrimination in court.

A national poll conducted for Half in Ten after the November 2008 election shows strong support for the fundamental goal of the Half in Ten campaign – cutting poverty in the United States in half within 10 years.

The poll also shows a strong consensus across ideological, age, and race divides that "the negative consequences of poverty" affect everyone rather than "mostly those living in poor neighborhoods." A full 52 percent of respondents said that either they or someone in their immediate family was poor, up from 36 percent who answered that way in a 2001 poll from Pew Research Center.

These numbers show that solving the problem of poverty is a vital part of economic recovery and a matter of core importance to the nation – and not just about solving economic problems for low-income Americans.

Tim Geithner was sworn in as treasury secretary yesterday evening having been confirmed earlier that day by the Senate in a 60 to 34 vote. As treasury secretary, Geithner will serve as the principle economic advisor to President Obama, advising him on how best to manage the federal government's economic policy, at a time when the nation is dealing with a mortgage crisis and a recession.

A January 2009 report from the Civil Rights Project at UCLA shows that amid the current national climate of anticipation and hope, the U.S. is sliding backward toward segregated and highly unequal schools.

Professor Gary Orfield, the author of "Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge," commented that "it would be a tragedy if the country assumed from the Obama election that the problems of race have been solved, when many inequalities are actually deepening."

Just hours after being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, President Barack Obama signed an executive order directing military prosecutors to seek a 120-day delay of all military tribunals at a U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

According to a court document (PDF), Obama will use that time to "undertake a thorough review" of both pending Guantanamo cases and the process for trying enemy combatants. Approximately 245 detainees are currently held at Guantanamo.

On Saturday morning, several hundred parishioners and guests gathered at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., for bacon, eggs, and celebration.  

The prayer breakfast, organized by the Brotherhood of Shiloh Men, is an annual event held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year, the cause for celebration was extended to the imminent inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

As Inauguration Day approaches, we are reminded that social justice activism has been integral in helping us reach this historical moment. But our work is not done; we urge you to renew your commitment to social justice by working in your own community to address inequity.