NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

Today we celebrate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Disability rights are civil rights. From voting to parking, the ADA is a law that protects people with disabilities in many areas of public life.

Today, we honor the life and legacy of activist Bob Moses. Bob Moses was a voting rights crusader who was fearlessly committed to advancing civil rights, even in the face of relentless violence. Mr. Moses served as a principal organizer for 1964’s Freedom Summer, during which he mentored many young people in the origins of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee’s Black radical tradition. Freedom Summer and his voter education work with SNCC brought significant public attention to voting rights and Black disenfranchisement — struggles that LDF continues to fight today in the example of his and other freedom fighters’ leadership.

The Freedom Summer Project of 1964 was a 10-week-long voter registration and education campaign in Mississippi. The project was meant to draw national attention to the persistent voter intimidation and dilution happening in Mississippi and to pointedly counter the false narrative that Black people in the South did not want to vote. Honor 60 years of Freedom Summer with us and learn about the youth-led movement's goals with LDF Archivist Kim Barzola.

LDF mourns the loss of Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas’ 18th Congressional district, lawyer, and staunch civil rights advocate, who influenced countless issues of critical importance to the Black community with grace, intellect and power. https://lnkd.in/e6ZGs5_H

Fannie Lou Hamer, who lived with the long-term effects of Polio and other disabilities, was a legendary activist. Born to sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta, she was an organizing force and worked with groups like SNCC on voting rights registration and education efforts. During the Freedom Summer Project of 1964, Hamer saw value in an integrated movement and convinced many organizers to abandon their objections. She traveled to Oxford, Ohio, to train the volunteers who would be teaching classes and registering voters – and to sing the spirituals and movement songs she was known for. Her efforts to give voice to marginalized groups were foundational to the civil rights, women’s rights, and disability rights movements.

On the 80th anniversary of that devastating disaster, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro exonerated the Port Chicago sailors. The story of the Port Chicago 50 remains one of the most egregious examples of the racism and discrimination faced by Black soldiers in the history of the American military. LDF recognizes this exoneration as a long overdue acknowledgment of the bravery of these men who challenged a system that did not honor their humanity. This exoneration provides resolution, but it is part of American history that should not be forgotten. Our nation must recognize the story of the Chicago 50’s struggle and triumphs. Their fortitude and Thurgood Marshall’s unrelenting advocacy paved the way for better opportunities and treatment for Black Americans in the military and marked a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights. https://lnkd.in/edcGzkSt

On the fourth anniversary of his death, we honor Representative John R. Lewis, a leader whose immense impact on civil and voting rights in this country is undeniable. In 1963, Representative Lewis became the national chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). A year later, he spearheaded “Freedom Summer” – or “Mississippi Summer” – a 1964 voter registration campaign for Black Americans in Mississippi. He went on to help organize the March on Washington that same summer, and the Selma March a year later. All these critical civil rights campaigns helped pass the Voting Rights of 1965. As a member of Congress, Mr. Lewis was instrumental in securing the repeated reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and, after the Supreme Court’s decision in 2013 by Shelby v. Holder struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, he fought tirelessly to attempt to restore the protections of this historic legislation. We continue his fight to protect and expand the right to vote for Black Americans.

The right to receive a truthful and inclusive education at public colleges and universities across Texas is under attack. Antonio L. Ingram II, Esq. dives deeper into tactics for pursuing potential litigation to combat anti-democracy bills in legislative bodies across the U.S. https://lnkd.in/eVT_aB6f

A peaceful transcontinental trek for Native American justice, which had begun with a few hundred people departing Alcatraz Island, California, the "Longest Walk" ended when thousands of marchers arrived in Washington, D.C. on July 15, 1978. The Longest Walk protested 11 pieces of legislation that would violate various treaty rights, particularly concerning land, fishing, and mineral rights. The demonstrations were also an opportunity to educate non-Native Americans about Indigenous cultural and spiritual life. Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act just days after the march, followed a few months later by the Indian Child Welfare Act, both critical laws in protecting Native American rights and freedoms. And of the eleven pieces of legislation that the demonstrators had come to protest, not one passed.

To achieve true equality and justice, it is imperative to address the issues facing people of color with disabilities. This requires a multifaceted approach that includes policy reforms, community engagement, and intersectional advocacy. https://lnkd.in/gSDdxAGc