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Wow. As many times as we’ve heard Dr. Martin Luther King’s message the last few days, I’m wondering if we’re all really hearing the same words! Among the tributes and the calls to action, it’s really disturbing to hear and see some of the following: “Back when civil rights was still an issue...” “Realistically, Dr. King’s dream has been realized by anyone who has wanted to take part in it.” And this particularly disheartening comment from the Rocky Mountain News website: “MLK is strictly for blacks , so as a White American it is completely irrelevant to me.”
You and I have work to do. Not only do these comments miss the point of Dr. King’s message and the holiday itself; they serve as stark reminders of how much work still needs to be done. We both know that the best way to overcome ignorance is through education, and I aim to do just that.
When I wrote to you last week, my organization, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF), had just released its Civil Rights Monitor - a publication that provides you with in-depth analysis on social justice, allowing you to make informed decisions on issues that affect your life. I urge you to download your free copy and to share it with your family, friends, and colleagues: http://www.civilrights.org/publications/tyicr-2007.html
The Monitor is just one example of the work we do to educate the general public. And we have more work to do when celebrating Dr. King’s Dream because far too many people think it’s a nostalgic look at the past or it’s something that concerns only certain segments of the population. A cutting edge look at how civil rights struggles relate to our daily lives is what LCCREF publications are all about. Would you please make a donation in support of our work today?
https://secure.ga1.org/05/support_lccref/
Our publications offer unbiased and credible research and reporting on civil rights issues such as employment, housing, health, education, immigration, and hate crimes - topics that touch each of our lives.
How do civil rights issues affect you? How are we connected in this struggle? Take employment, for example. In today’s America, there are factory workers losing jobs and being told they’re not getting the back pay that is owed them. There are women still earning less than their male counterparts, and, even worse, these women are unable to remedy the problem in the courts. Take a look at the policies covered in a range of LCCREF publications, and you’ll see that not only have we not fulfilled Dr. King’s Dream, we’re losing ground on hard-fought civil rights gains.
Still think it’s not your fight? Think again! Although the government has passed laws that protect us from employment discrimination, these laws have no teeth. For years now, weak enforcement and lack of oversight have rendered existing laws virtually powerless – ordinary Americans have lost access to the courts. Because of the takeover of the courts by those on the extreme right, decisions happen virtually under the radar, yet their impact is enormous and devastating to our rights and protections as we know them.
We’re determined to keep Martin Luther King’s Dream alive all year. And we can’t do it without your help. The Ed Fund needs your donation -- large or small -- to help us promote public awareness of critical issues and our ongoing programs to advance social justice.
At the Ed Fund we provide training and activist tool kits to students, parents, teachers, policymakers, and the press to assist in building a country that really fulfills its promise of equality and equal opportunity.
Read our publications. Spread the word. And, please help us continue to fund and provide our publications by making your tax-deductible donation now.
Through your contribution, we can get more people informed and involved in this discussion. Let’s give civil rights the attention it deserves throughout 2008. Our civil rights are precious and fragile, and we need to work constantly to protect them. I know you understand this. Can I count on you to help?
Gratefully,
Karen McGill Lawson
President and CEO
As the nation’s leading expert on civil rights education and research, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) promotes an understanding of the need for national policies that support civil rights and social and economic justice, and encourages an appreciation of the nation's diversity. LCCREF provides information to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the national civil rights coalition, which is made up of 193 organizations representing people of color, women, children, older Americans, persons with disabilities, gays and lesbians, labor unions, major religious groups, and civil and human rights groups. LCCREF is a 501(c)(3) organization, and contributions are tax-deductible.
Click on the link below to share this message with your friends!
Tell-a-friend: http://civilrightscoalition.org/civilrights/join-forward.tcl?domain=civilrights
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Civilrights.org Network: http://civilrightscoalition.org/civilrights/join.html?r=41snaes1ahfkE
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