Civilrights.org

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee passed 16-9 the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott, D. Va., which will eliminate the disparity between federal crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentencing.

Under current law, a person convicted of possessing five grams of crack receives a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  To receive the same sentence for powder cocaine, a person would have to possess 500 grams of powder – 100 times the amount of crack – even though both drugs are pharmacologically the same.

Both the Supreme Court and the U.S. Sentencing Commission have recognized the unfairness in this disparity and have acted to reduce it.  Only Congress is able to eliminate the disparity.

The Act sets the sentencing trigger at 500 grams for both types of cocaine.  In addition, it eliminates the mandatory minimum sentence of five years for simple possession of crack cocaine.

The Senate is expected to introduce bipartisan legislation to eliminate the disparity in cocaine sentencing soon.

This summer, I had the opportunity to become a part of the ongoing civil rights movement by interning for LCCR/EF.  Although I was not participating in a sit-in or a protest as people might think, my experiences with LCCR/EF still gave me the opportunity to work toward ending attacks on people's civil rights. 

I spent a lot of my time researching and writing about important civil rights legislation.  It was empowering to have the chance to learn more about the history of civil rights, meet and work with people who are passionate about social justice, and be a part of the continuing struggle for civil rights in which LCCR/EF is engaged.

I leave this internship with positive feelings about the future of civil rights advocacy, especially after witnessing the Senate formally apologize for slavery and Jim Crow laws. 

The Senate declared a "recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices and discrimination from our society." 

As a Black woman, the resolution was a symbolic step towards reconciliation and puts into words my outlook on the possibilities for the future of civil rights.

Learn more about LCCR/EF internships.

Here are a few interesting civil rights related items:  

• Editorial: Congress should eliminate the 100-to-1 disparity in federal cocaine sentencing - The Washington Post
• Health care reform is needed to fix the current health care system, which is hurting millions of women - National Women's Law Center
• Editorial: Congress should amend the juvenile justice act to keep children 13 and under out of adult criminal justice system - The New York Times
• American Apparel clothing stores in the Washington, D.C., area were vandalized for displaying shirts with the phrase, "Legalize Gay" - Washington City Paper

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 in favor of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate is expected to vote on confirmation before Congress leaves Washington, D.C., for the August recess next Friday.

"Judge Sotomayor has distinguished herself in every step of her life and legal career, including work as a prosecutor, a corporate litigator and a federal district and appellate judge. Her testimony before the Committee left no doubt about her qualifications for the Court as she demonstrated a keen intellectual ability, a first-rate professionalism, and a degree of common sense that reflects the trail she has blazed as a Latina and first-generation American.  The lessons that Judge Sotomayor has learned in her life will serve her and our country well in the years ahead," said Wade Henderson, LCCR president and CEO.

Judge Sotomayor's nomination has inspired millions of people across the country.  Watch this video in which people explain why they support the nomination:

In a recent column on BusinessWeek.com, Rob Randhava, LCCR counsel, debates the merits of eliminating birthright citizenship in the U.S. with immigration restrictionist Roy Beck.  The 14th Amendment grants U.S. citizenship to all children born in the U.S., which, in most cases, includes American territories like the Virgin Islands, except children of foreign diplomats.

But opponents claim that the 14th Amendment doesn't apply to illegal immigrants, and want to pass a law that would make kids of illegal immigrants not eligible for automatic citizenship.  Randhava explains why eliminating birthright citizenship would not help the U.S. deal with illegal immigration:

"The best way to reduce illegal immigration is by addressing both its supply and demand, through realistic enforcement and better legal channels that meet business needs without causing unfair wage competition. Ending birthright citizenship would just change the subject."

LCCR and other civil rights organizations have long argued that the modern system of mortgage lending is profoundly flawed, and keeps many people from sustainable homeownership.

Despite the gains made in civil rights and fair housing during the last several decades, many members of racial and ethnic minority communities still struggle to obtain fair and sustainable mortgages, with federal regulators doing little to prevent the predatory lending practices that heavily contributed to the nation's economic downturn.

Recently, LCCR's Nancy Zirkin testified before the House Financial Services Committee in support of legislation that will create a new agency responsible for the enforcement of most financial consumer protection laws.

Tonight CNN will air its second primetime investigative report on the current state of Black Americans with its documentary "Black in America 2." The special airs in two parts tonight and tomorrow night on CNN at 8:00 p.m. ET.  The first "Black in America" aired last summer.

The documentary will be hosted by award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien – who was honored by LCCR for her work covering Hurricane Katrina.  It will shine a light on Black Americans who are developing solutions to problems that plague Black communities like Dr. Lisa Newman, a surgeon at the University of Michigan, who is studying the role African ancestry might play in a certain kind of highly aggressive breast cancer, and Steve Perry, an Hartford, Conn., teacher who founded a magnet school that sends every single one of its graduates to college.

Looking for an internship for the fall semester in Washington, D.C.?

LCCR/EF offers an internship program that gives undergraduate and graduate students committed to social justice an opportunity to gain valuable experience working in D.C.'s fast-paced public policy sector. LCCR/EF is a coalition of more than 200 organizations, so interns are also exposed to the challenges and rewards of working in coalition with other organizations to influence public policy.

LCCR/EF interns regularly attend congressional hearings, inter-organizational strategy meetings, and policy briefings; organize educational events for interns from coalition member organizations; and write for this website, Civilrights.org.

The application deadline for Fall 2009 interns is Monday, August 3, and internships run for the length of one school semester.  Interested students should submit a cover letter describing their interest in LCCR/EF, a resume, and a writing sample no longer than three pages to to Maggie Kao, LCCR/EF intern coordinator, at kao@civilrights.org.

On Friday, the Senate passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense authorization bill.  But today, the Senate passed an amendment to the Act, offered by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R. Ala., that would allow the death penalty to be applied in hate crimes cases under some circumstances. 

LCCR and other civil and human rights groups that are supporting the Act do not support the Sessions amendment.  In a letter to the Senate, the groups said: "We strongly oppose this amendment...The death penalty is irreversible and highly controversial – with significant doubts about its deterrent effect and clear evidence of disproportionate application against poor people. Moreover, there are serious, well-documented concerns about unequal and racially biased application of the death penalty."

The Sessions amendment can still be removed from the bill by a House-Senate conference committee that will meet in September to reconcile the two versions of the legislation. The full House and Senate will vote on the final version of the bill before it is sent to President Obama.

The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act will authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.  Currently, the federal government can only investigate hate crimes motivated by the victim's race, color, religion, and national origin in limited cases.

It will also provide local authorities with more resources to combat hate crimes and give the federal government jurisdiction over prosecuting hate crimes in states where the current law is inadequate or when local authorities are unwilling or do not have the resources to do so themselves. 

The federal government's DTV Converter Box Coupon Program ends on July 31.  If you still need a converter box, apply for the $40 coupons now before it is too late.

An increasing number of struggling families are canceling their cable subscriptions in order to make ends meet.  Without cable, these families will need a converter box. It is important that these newly impacted families apply now for their converter box coupons.

To apply, call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit www.DTV2009.gov before the deadline.  The coupons are valid for 90 days after they are issued.  They are transferable, meaning they can be given to others. If you have questions about your coupon, please call 1-888-CALL-FCC.

You can also donate unused coupons to families that still need one.  LCCREF has partnered with nearly 100 community organizations to collect and distribute hundreds of coupons to needy families. If you don't know anyone in your neighborhood who needs a coupon, you can send them to us to distribute:

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
National DTV Coupon Exchange Program
P.O. Box 66081
Washington, D.C. 20035