February 22, 2022 – Today, the New York Voting Rights Consortium, a non-partisan group of civil rights organizations, reiterated its support for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA). The consortium, which includes the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, LatinoJustice […]
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
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Civil Rights Groups: Electoral Count Act Is Insufficient, Protecting the Right to Vote Is Essential
WASHINGTON, January 31, 2022 — Leading civil rights organizations released the following joint statement urging Congress to remain focused on federal voting rights protections and the core issue of racial discrimination addressed in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, as the Electoral Count Act is grossly insufficient: “The […]
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LDF Issues Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Grant Cert in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC
January 24, 2022 – Today, the United States Supreme Court granted writs of certiorari in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC. From its inception, SFFA, led by Ed Blum, has sought to end the limited consideration of race within a holistic admissions process that fosters the educational benefits of diversity, […]
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National Civil Rights Groups Issue Statement on Anniversary of Jan. 6 Insurrection
Today marks one year since a mob of insurrectionists attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election through a violent breach of the U.S. Capitol. In recognition of this anniversary, the leaders of the nation’s top legacy civil rights organizations released the following joint statement: “One year ago, the violent attack on the […]
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Sherrilyn Ifill: LDF Statement on the Acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse
November 19, 2021 – Today, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on three counts of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon for the respective killings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, as well as the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz in August 2020. […]
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LDF Statement on Oklahoma Governor Stitt Granting Clemency to Julius Jones
November 18, 2021 – Today, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt granted clemency to Julius Jones, a Black man who was scheduled to be executed by the state this afternoon for a murder conviction that is riddled with doubt. While Gov. Stitt halted Mr. Jones’ execution, he did so by commuting Mr. Jones’s sentence to life without […]
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Sherrilyn Ifill: LDF Issues Statement on Treatment of Haitian Asylum Seekers at U.S. Border
Over the last few days, Haitian migrants near the southern border of Texas have faced heightened and shocking abuse from U.S. Border Patrol agents while attempting to seek asylum in the United States. Photos show agents on horses chasing and whipping Haitian migrants. In addition, the Biden administration has started deporting the migrants to Haiti, […]
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Lawsuit Filed Challenging New Texas Law Targeting Voting Rights
Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), Reed Smith LLP, and The Arc filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Houston Area Urban League, Houston Justice, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Arc of Texas challenging S.B. 1, a new Texas law targeting voting rights. S.B. 1 includes a series […]
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LDF Issues Statement Calling for Federal Voting Rights Protections on the 56th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act
August 6, 2021 – Today marks the 56th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most critical civil rights laws ever passed. Since its founding in 1940 by Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) has been a leader in the fight to secure, protect, and advance the […]
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Nikole Hannah-Jones Issues Statement on Decision to Decline Tenure Offer at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and to Accept Knight Chair Appointment at Howard University
Today, award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones announced that she has declined an offer of tenure from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). In her first extensive comments since the UNC Board of Trustees voted on her tenure, Ms. Hannah-Jones released the following statement: “I have loved the University of North Carolina at Chapel […]
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Civil Rights Leaders Demand Results in George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Negotiations
June 28, 2021 – Statement from civil rights leaders/organizations: We appreciate the efforts of lawmakers leading the negotiations around the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. We were heartened to see the U.S. House of Representatives pass a strong version of the bill last year and again this year. Yet, more than a year after George Floyd […]
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LDF Files Lawsuit Against the State of Florida Over Suppressive Voting Law
Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee challenging Florida’s new law that greatly obstructs voting access. The lawsuit argues that SB 90 creates barriers and burdens that impact all Florida voters and disproportionately impacts the ability of Black voters, Latino voters, […]
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LDF Issues Statement on Police Killing of Children, Calls for the Department of Justice to Take Action
April 16, 2021 – Yesterday, body-worn camera footage was released depicting the fatal March 29 police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago. In response, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement: “The killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo is abhorrent and represents one of the bleakest […]
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LDF Issues Statement on Fatal Shooting of Daunte Wright
April 12, 2021 – In response to last night’s tragic killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement: “Last night, a police officer shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man outside Minneapolis after a traffic stop. […]
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NAACP Files Federal Lawsuit Accusing Trump and Giuliani of Inciting U.S. Capitol Riot
WASHINGTON D.C February 16, 2021 – Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson filed a federal lawsuit today accusing Donald J. Trump, Rudy Giuliani, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers of conspiring to incite a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, with the goal of preventing Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit […]
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LDF Issues Statement on Historic Georgia Runoff Election Results
January 6, 2020 – In response to the Georgia runoff election results, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill released the following statement: “LDF extends congratulations to Senator-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock on his historic election to the United States Senate. The election of the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist […]
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LDF Issues Statement on President Trump’s Attempts to Pressure Georgia Secretary of State to Overturn Election
January 3, 2020 – Today, Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s call on Sunday to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “President Trump’s last-ditch attempt to pressure the Georgia Secretary of State to overturn the unequivocal results […]
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LDF Files United States Supreme Court Cert Petition to Consider Jury Discrimination Issue in Death Penalty Case
December 10, 2020 – Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), along with co-counsel Cliff Gardner, filed a cert petition on behalf of Johnny Duane Miles in the United States Supreme Court. The petition requests that a writ of certiorari be granted to review the California Supreme Court’s judgement in People v. Miles, […]
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NAACP Mourns the loss of former Congressman John Conyers
October 28, 2019 – The NAACP has lost a life-long friend, and the nation has lost a fervent champion for equal justice with the passing of former Congressman John Conyers. A pioneering member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the longest-serving African American House member in congressional history, Rep. Conyers was an unmovable force […]
Posted inOp-Ed
NAACP: Mississippi ICE Raids will sow fear, pain and discord across our already wounded country
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2019 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America’s foremost civil rights organization, and the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP released the following statement in response to the recent ICE raids in Mississippi ordered by President Donald Trump: The Trump Administration’s decision to separate nearly 700 parents who […]