Promoting Diversity
As our nation’s demographics profile continues to change, civil rights and social justice activists face the challenge of bringing minority populations together around a common agenda and vision.
Tomorrow Students Will Participate in National Day of Silence to End BullyingApril 16, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference  Tomorrow is the National Day of Silence, the largest student-run action to end bullying and create safer schools for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Participants across the country take a vow of silence and only speak when necessary during the day to raise awareness about the problem of anti-LGBT bullying. The first Day of Silence was organized in 1996 by students at the University of Virginia. A year later, nearly 100 colleges and universities participated. Last year, more than 8,000 middle schools, high schools, and universities participated nationwide. This year students are choosing different ways to spread the word about the Day of Silence. Some are using Twitter to encourage people to participate. Others are wearing face masks with an "X" over the mouth to represent their silence or t-shirts with messages like, "Gay? Fine by me." According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, almost 30 percent of youth in the U.S. are involved in bullying, either as a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In recent years, numerous incidents of children committing suicide because of being bullied have made the news. On April 6, an 11-year-old boy named Carl Walker-Hoover hanged himself after enduring daily taunts of being gay and tormented by his peers. Hoover, who did not identify as gay, would have turned 12 today. Celebrate International Women's DayMarch 6, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference .JPG) Women in Dhaka, Bangladesh at an International Women's Day rally, organized by Jatiyo Nari Shramik Trade Union Kendra (National Women Workers Trade Union Centre). March 8 is International Women's Day, a holiday to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Though many countries celebrate the holiday differently, the United Nations' theme this year is "women and men united to end violence against women and girls." According to the U.N. Development Fund for Women, violence against women has reached "pandemic proportions," as at least one in every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused at some point in her life. The International Trade Union Confederation released a report yesterday that found that the global pay gap between men and women rose from 16.5 percent to 22 percent since March 2008. International Women's Day is an official holiday in several countries around the world including Australia, China, Vietnam, Russia and Kazakhstan, but not in the United States. The holiday has its roots in the women's labor movement in the U.S. and around the world. The first National Women's Day was held in the U.S. in 1909 to commemorate the 1908 garment workers strike in New York, where 15,000 women workers marched and rallied for better working conditions, equal pay and voting rights. Briefing Highlights Positive Relationships between Arab-American Community and Law EnforcementFebruary 8, 2011 - Posted by The Leadership Conference Last Thursday, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to publicize the positive relationship between Arab-American communities and law enforcement. Diverse ‘One Nation’ March Highlights Need for Bold Solutions, Voter Turnout in NovemberOctober 4, 2010 - Posted by Avril Lighty Nearly 200,000 people from across America came together Saturday to rally for "jobs, justice, and education" at the "One Nation Working Together" march on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The march was designed to spur elected officials to enact a bold agenda to move our country forward, and to urge voters to take part in the mid-term elections on November 2. Mexican-American Leader Mario Obledo Dies at 78August 20, 2010 - Posted by Avril Lighty Mario Obledo, co-founder of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and president of the National Coalition of Hispanic Organizations, has died. He was 78 years old. Faith Leaders Celebrate MLK's Legacy and Make Renewed Call to Action for Civil and Human RightsAugust 26, 2010 - Posted by Avril Lighty On Saturday, August 28, faith leaders and civil and human rights advocates will gather at Shiloh Baptist Church to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and commit themselves to renewed activism for social justice. Justice Department Clarifies State Courts’ Obligation to Provide Language Interpreters and TranslatorsAugust 18, 2010 - Posted by Avril Lighty The Department of Justice sent a letter to state courts on Monday clarifying the courts' obligation to provide language assistance to those who are not English proficient so that all people have fair access to the courts. Civil Rights Community Mourns the Loss of Percy SuttonDecember 28, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference  New York Mayor John V. Lindsay stands with Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and family. (Photograph from New York Department of Records) Percy Sutton, a prominent civil rights lawyer, politician, and successful businessman, died this past weekend. He was 89. |
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