Because February is Black History Month, it is always a good time to reflect on where we are and where we’ve come from. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs was founded in 1968, one of the most tumultuous years in modern American history. This was the year that saw the assassinations of two civil rights icons and more than 100 cities burn in the midst of racial unrest. The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act had only recently been signed into law. Only in April of that year did it finally become unlawful for landlords to discriminate against Black tenants. We have come a long way in the intervening 57 years, but there is still much to do. Black men and women continue to be arrested, convicted, and incarcerated at vastly disproportionate rates. Black children are much more likely to face hurdles to getting a quality education and a decent job. In DC, Black people—who are less than half the population—make up more than 75% of residents experiencing poverty. And in the nation as a whole, we continue to fight a growing backlash to racial progress. At the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, we work with our community partners to combat poverty and systemic racism. Since 1968, we've worked to improve the lives of low-income communities of color in the DC, MD, VA (DMV) region. We pursue systemic litigation to reduce poverty, promote economic security and dismantle racial barriers in our community. This work has never been more critical. That’s why I’ve chosen to serve in my current role, and it’s why I’m so committed to our mission. Less than two weeks ago, a federal judge ruled that our case in Shenandoah County, Virginia challenging the school board’s decision to change the names of two schools to celebrate Confederate generals could proceed. In early January, we filed suit against Maryland state officials for their practice of jailing criminal defendants adjudicated incompetent to stand trial, who, by operation of state law, should be receiving mental health treatment. And just a few days ago, we filed a challenge to President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship, a blatantly unlawful order steeped in a history of racism and xenophobia. With your support, we will continue to move forward, even as some fight to take us backwards. We are your community’s civil rights lawyers.
