To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and our founding, the Lawyers’ Committee has published a special series of blog posts centered around our three pillars:
By Chavis Jones
Pushing Back on Efforts to Silence Black Voices and Other Voices of Color
Today, there is a unilateral strategy to erase Black history and books in schools; to erase Black and Brown bodies and experiences from colleges and universities; and to erase tools like critical race theory (CRT) that allow us to better understand and confront the history of race and systemic racism in America.
W.E.B DuBois famously said, “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.”
Likewise, one of the emerging problems of the twenty-first century is the strategic erasure of color and group identity from American public life—a dangerous twist on MLK’s ideal to respect both color and character.
Opponents of equality want to erase the consideration of race and other marginalized identities from American classrooms, workplaces, and positions of power. Once bedrock principles of a thriving multiracial democracy, the opposition has vilified terms like diversity and inclusion.
Make no mistake, this is not about patriotism or individual freedoms. This is all about preserving power and privilege for the few.
In 2020, America was reckoning with the hyper-visible killing of George Floyd and anti-racism initiatives were spawning across that nation to deal with what we all saw and what continued to go unsaid about race.
For generations, despite the volume of their discontent, the voices of the marginalized were intentionally muffled. In the post-George Floyd moment, those voices were speaking loudly on the insidious and systemic nature of racism in America, and they were seemingly being heard by the powerful and the privileged.
That moment of racial reckoning was surprisingly refreshing and unsurprisingly short-lived.
Shortly after Mr. Floyd’s killing, the Trump Administration issued an executive order banning certain diversity trainings in federal offices. During that time and since, 18 states adopted anti-CRT measures and several states across the nation adopted history-bending book bans, anti-“woke” bills, and other efforts to erase the uglier chapters of American history.
Cornel West says, “We must tell the truth and a condition of the truth is to allow suffering to speak.”
Since JFK first convened the Lawyers’ Committee in the East Wing of the White House in 1963, the organization has been comprised of truth-tellers who have fought to make equal justice a reality for all.
Now in our 60th year, the Lawyers’ Committee and those who believe in freedom, must work harder than ever to ensure that the muffle never again quiets the voices of the marginalized masses. As we are doing in places like Oklahoma and Florida, we must continue to fight these efforts to distort American history.
We must be a voice for those whose voices are strained from telling the truth for generations and for those whose stories are being strategically erased in this moment.
May we never return to a day when power rests with a bigotry-filled few, but may we continue to fight to create a time when the voices in the chorus of truth, justice, and equality are heard and respected by all who hear them.
Opportunity:
By Katy Youker
Creating Pathways to Economic Opportunity
Many people overlook that the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom centered economic justice in the struggle for equality. Four of the ten demands sought to directly advance workers’ rights and employment opportunities: (1) a federal training and employment program for all workers that provides access to meaningful and dignified jobs; (2) the enactment of a minimum wage that provides a decent standard of living; (3) an end to industry carve-outs under the federal minimum wage law; and (4) a federal prohibition barring discrimination in employment.
Most of these demands were unfulfilled and the racial economic disparities in America are worse now than they were in 1963. If we take steps to meaningfully fulfill the marchers’ demands, we can ensure fair and equal opportunity for Black workers and other workers of color, a thriving and inclusive economy, and the best talent is applied toward advancing our nation’s goals.
Jobs with Opportunity for Growth
Jobs with growth potential provide adequate, equitable wages and supportive benefits, including stable scheduling, health insurance, paid family and sick leave, and retirement options that help support long-term financial stability and wealth creation.
Much of the civil rights movement was concerned with improving labor conditions for Black workers, so they could achieve equality with white workers and so they could better organize with their white co-workers to improve working conditions. Research has shown that when there are organizing and unionization efforts, Black workers gain the most – they are more likely to be covered by collective bargaining, get a larger wage boost from a union contract compared to the average wage boost overall, and are more likely than nonunion workers to have employer-provided health insurance and retirement plans.
Collective bargaining and organizing can help reduce racial economic disparities and improve labor conditions. Our outdated system of labor laws, which allows far too many unfair barriers to organizing, should be updated to restore balance and voice to working people.
A Minimum Wage that Meets the Cost of Living
In 1963, the marchers called for a national minimum wage of no less than $2.19 in order to provide a decent standard of living – what would be $19 per hour in 2023. But today, nearly half of all working Black and Latino workers earn less than $15, compared to about a quarter of white workers. It has been 14 years since the last time Congress raised the federal minimum wage – the longest time in the history of the minimum wage act. While many states and cities have raised their minimum wages, in 20 states, the minimum wage is still stuck at the federal rate of $7.25. A full-time worker earning the minimum wage with no days off makes a shockingly low $15,000 per year.
Raising the minimum wage is one of the most powerful tools for addressing racial disparities in income.
Expanding the Minimum Wage and Overtime Laws to Reach All Workers
At the time it was first passed in 1938, the federal minimum wage law carved out the occupations in which the majority of Black Americans in the South were employed, like agricultural, tipped, and domestic work. Today, people of color, women, and immigrants are still overrepresented in these jobs. While some changes have been won after hard-fought organizing efforts, many of these racist exclusions remain in the law. Continuing to deny critical rights to these essential workers follows the shameful history of slavery and racial oppression in the United States.
The misclassification of employees as independent contractors is another form of occupational exclusion which is growing exponentially across many industries, particularly in those that employ large numbers of Black and Brown workers (e.g., construction, caretaking, and digital labor platforms). When workers are treated as independent contractors, they lose the rights to minimum wage, overtime, employment benefits, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, medical leave, or any of the anti-discrimination protections, and they pay more in taxes. In addition, non-employees are not entitled to the protections to form and join unions. This is a threat to the economic stability of our country’s working class and our democracy.
All employees deserve the right to the minimum wage and overtime pay.
Prohibition Against Employment Discrimination
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed the marchers’ demand for comprehensive civil rights legislation and a federal prohibition against discrimination by employers, employment agencies, and trade unions.
In the 60 years since the Civil Rights Act’s passage, courts have erected near-impossible hurdles that rob many victims of discrimination of their day in court, much less relief to cause a large company to change its ways. We must reform and strengthen our civil rights laws so that they can be meaningful vehicles for change.
More recently, conservative activists have sought to undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs which are designed to tackle racial inequality. Contrary to what they argue, DEIA measures are effective and lawful tools employers can use to remove barriers to equal employment opportunity. We must continue to advance equal opportunity in the workplace to the full extent allowed under the law.
Power:
By Armani Eady
Protecting the Right to Shape Our Democracy
In the tapestry of our democracy, the power to vote is the thread that weaves our aspirations into the fabric of our shared future. For many of us, casting a ballot goes beyond just a mere action, but a resounding declaration that our voices matter. Yet, even as we seek to amplify our voices through voting, a disheartening reality persists: concerted efforts to suppress the Black vote.
The memory of my colleagues’ expressions and the collective spirit lingers in my mind when news broke that the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act had been unsuccessful in passing through the Senate. This legislation was designed to eliminate obstacles and prejudiced tactics that have systematically silenced voters, particularly those from marginalized communities. The outcome served as a stark reminder that our journey was far from complete, raising doubts about the extent of our progress. We had come off from a wind of losses, both on the ground and in the courts. We witnessed the reversal of legislation aimed at making voting more accessible, a response to the global pandemic. Our path was obstructed from various directions. In Georgia, Senate Bill 202 emerged, encompassing provisions that tightened voter ID requirements, curtailed the availability of drop boxes, enabled one voter to challenge the eligibility of another, and remarkably, even prohibited the distribution of food and water to sustain those waiting in line. State by state, we saw similar measures begin to take place.
For many on the outside looking in, they’d consider this defeat. However, for those of us who have been engaged in this work, we understood that this was in response to our collective power. This was a response to the amazing work of grassroots organizers, advocates, legal professionals, and more importantly, community members.
Amidst the ongoing challenges to our electoral process, the Lawyers’ Committee has been engaged in championing voters through grassroots organizing and legal advocacy. We proudly administer 866-OUR-VOTE, a hotline for voters seeking assistance, ensuring every voice is heard. As co-conveners of the Election Protection coalition, we collaborate shoulder-to-shoulder with partners to spread voter education, encourage mobilization, and when needed, engage in legal battles. With each fight against discriminatory voting laws, we don’t just advocate for justice; we carve a determined path toward it. By working closely with grassroots organizations, we amplify the voices of marginalized communities, reshaping the electoral landscape into one that’s inclusive and equitable. Our commitment to educating individuals about their rights is just a glimpse into the broader impact our coalition strives for—a democracy where every citizen’s voice matters and resonates.
Reflecting on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, I think about our enduring strength over the years. It serves as a resounding reminder that we must persist until America’s promise becomes reality—until we truly embody the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the countless unnamed individuals whose sacrifices have propelled us closer to justice. As the chant goes: “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it’s done.”