Post by bot on Mar 5, 2014 22:59:41 GMT -5
REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY ACTING ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION JOCELYN SAMUELS AT THE U.S.ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA’S 2014 CIVIL RIGHTS SYMPOSIUM
Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us today. As many of you know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over the past five decades, there is no doubt that we as a country have come a long way: many of the rights for which civil rights pioneers fought, bled, and gave their lives are now guaranteed by law. And during the past half century, we have seen tremendous progress not only legally but also in public attitudes and acceptance.
Yet for all that we have accomplished, much work remains. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the federal laws that prohibit discrimination and uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all who live in America. Our robust caseload is a stark reminder that too many in our nation continue to face barriers to equal opportunity.
Fifty years have passed since the height of the American Civil Rights Movement: 50 years since the March on Washington, since Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and nearly 50 years since the passage of the Voting Rights Act. As we contemplate a half-century of progress—and look to the work that remains—the Civil Rights Division takes very seriously our responsibility to address both longstanding and emerging civil rights challenges.
Fifty years ago, the March on Washington was held against the inescapable backdrop of Jim Crow. There were no effective federal protections against discrimination based on race. No effort to accommodate language minorities. No acknowledgement, much less protection of, LGBT individuals. Elite colleges and universities set quotas for the admission of women or prohibited them from attending altogether. Thankfully, over the past five decades, we have made significant progress on many of these issues.
I plan to focus my remarks today on the Division’s efforts to address the next generation of civil rights challenges—the civil rights challenges of the twenty-first century. To name but a few, these include addressing racial disparities in school discipline, defending the rights of LGBT Americans, combating discrimination in both housing and in lending, protecting women from sexual assault and harassment, ensuring the fair treatment of youth in the juvenile justice system, and defending the right to vote in the twenty-first century.
go.usa.gov/KrkY
Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us today. As many of you know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over the past five decades, there is no doubt that we as a country have come a long way: many of the rights for which civil rights pioneers fought, bled, and gave their lives are now guaranteed by law. And during the past half century, we have seen tremendous progress not only legally but also in public attitudes and acceptance.
Yet for all that we have accomplished, much work remains. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the federal laws that prohibit discrimination and uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all who live in America. Our robust caseload is a stark reminder that too many in our nation continue to face barriers to equal opportunity.
Fifty years have passed since the height of the American Civil Rights Movement: 50 years since the March on Washington, since Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and nearly 50 years since the passage of the Voting Rights Act. As we contemplate a half-century of progress—and look to the work that remains—the Civil Rights Division takes very seriously our responsibility to address both longstanding and emerging civil rights challenges.
Fifty years ago, the March on Washington was held against the inescapable backdrop of Jim Crow. There were no effective federal protections against discrimination based on race. No effort to accommodate language minorities. No acknowledgement, much less protection of, LGBT individuals. Elite colleges and universities set quotas for the admission of women or prohibited them from attending altogether. Thankfully, over the past five decades, we have made significant progress on many of these issues.
I plan to focus my remarks today on the Division’s efforts to address the next generation of civil rights challenges—the civil rights challenges of the twenty-first century. To name but a few, these include addressing racial disparities in school discipline, defending the rights of LGBT Americans, combating discrimination in both housing and in lending, protecting women from sexual assault and harassment, ensuring the fair treatment of youth in the juvenile justice system, and defending the right to vote in the twenty-first century.
go.usa.gov/KrkY
