Table of Contents
Executive Branch
On the Hill
- The Americans With Disabilities Act, Act Two
- As Home Foreclosures Climb, Efforts to Help Troubled Homeowners Continue
- The Year in Judicial and Executive Nominations
- Advocating for Federal Leadership on Education
- Facing New Challenges with the 2010 Census
- Modernizing the Federal Poverty Measure
- Piecemeal Legislation, Raids Take Place of Immigration Overhaul
- Below the Surface
- Interview with Kathryn Kolbert
In the Courts
In the States
Leadership Conference Activities
32nd Annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner
On May 14, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), along with its coalition of nearly 200 civil and human rights organizations, came together to honor and celebrate three civil rights leaders: Representative John Conyers, D. Mich.; housing advocate Patricia Rouse; and journalist Soledad O'Brien.
The three leaders received the civil rights community's highest honor, the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award. The award was named for the former United States vice president, senator, and civil rights pioneer whose years of public service, leadership, and dedication to equal opportunity changed the face of America.
The annual dinner brings together people from all walks of life — members of both houses of Congress and the executive branch, business leaders, educators, civil rights leaders and community activists, and young people who are the next generation of civil and human rights advocates.
This year, for the first time, the awardees were introduced by young activists in the civil rights community.
"I was flattered Wade actually called me when I was on work-related travel just so he could personally ask me to present at the dinner. It was truly an honor to be able to co-present Soledad O'Brien and recognize her tremendous journalism," said Preetmohan Singh, director of legislative affairs for the Interfaith Alliance.
Besides Singh, the presenters included Erica Williams, issue campaigns manager for Campus Progress and former LCCR field associate; Gabriel Pendas, president of the United States Students Association; and Kim Borowicz, project coordinator for the Progress Center for Independent Living's Aging and Disability Resource Center, and a former LCCR intern.
The Awardees
Rep. John Conyers Jr.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. was honored for the indelible mark he has made on civil rights. Rep. Conyers, who was elected to Congress in 1964, is the highest ranking Black congressman and the first Black chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
Rep. John Conyers Jr., the highest-ranking Black congressman and one of the original founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, gives his acceptance speech at the 32nd Annual Herbert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner.
In addition, Rep. Conyers is one of the original founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was created to achieve greater equity for Black Americans.
During his 40 years in Congress, Rep. Conyers has been an advocate for the civil rights of all Americans. He championed major civil rights legislation, including the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Martin Luther King Holiday Act of 1983, the Motor Voter Act of 1993, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
"Rep. Conyers ... has been a leader on civil rights for decades, using his position in Congress to achieve greater equity for African Americans and all Americans," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of LCCR.
Patricia Rouse
LCCR honored Patricia Rouse for her many years of work in support of fair housing.
In 1982, Rouse co-founded the housing advocacy organization Enterprise Community Partners with her husband, builder James Rouse. The Maryland-based organization helps low-income families find affordable and decent housing by providing financing and expertise to community and housing developers.
Award recipients Soledad O'Brien and Patricia Rouse with presenter Edward Norton.
Through public-private partnerships, Enterprise works to create mixed-income communities, combining grants, technical expertise, low-interest loans, and equity investments with low-income housing tax credits to increase the supply of supportive housing. Supportive housing is designed to support individuals with social services such as job training, alcohol and drug abuse programs and case management.
"Her commitment to affordable housing for all Americans is an inspiration to all of us who want to see the promise of fair housing fulfilled," said Henderson.
Rouse's award was presented by her step-grandson, actor Edward Norton.
Soledad O'Brien
Soledad O'Brien was honored for her "pivotal role in telling the stories of Katrina's homeless," according to Henderson.
As a journalist for CNN, O'Brien has put a human face on major news events, contributing to the dialogue over civil and human rights issues. O'Brien's work on CNN's coverage of the thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina helped win the network a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. Her documentary, "Children of the Storm," put cameras in the hands of young Hurricane Katrina survivors so they could tell their own stories of life after the hurricane.
O'Brien also covered the London terrorist attacks in July 2005 and the aftermath of the tsunami in Thailand, which won CNN the Alfred I. duPont Award for broadcast journalism.
Recently, O'Brien participated in "CNN Presents: Black in America," which chronicled the current state of Black America 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Civil Rights Monitor is an annual publication that reports on civil rights issues pending before the three branches of government. The Monitor also provides a historical context within which to assess current civil rights issues. Previous issues of the Monitor are available online. Browse or search the archives
