Wade Henderson to Step Down as Head of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights at End of 2016

WASHINGTON – After 20 years as head of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Wade Henderson has announced his plan to step down at the end of 2016.

“This announcement is just one step on a very long path in ensuring the long-term health, integrity and effectiveness of The Leadership Conference and its coalition of more than 200 civil rights groups,” said Henderson. “There’s an unmistakable generational transition happening in the civil and human rights movement. The day-to-day work of civil rights advocacy is extremely important, but on its own, is not enough. Leaders also have the responsibility to cultivate, encourage and make paths for the next generation to lead and to thrive.”

Read the press release here.

Related content:

• Even in retirement, a civil rights leader plans to stay suited up for the fight (The Washington Post)
• A D.C. civil rights leader passes the baton (The Washington Post)
• Wade Henderson to step down as national civil rights leader (USA Today)
• Leader of civil rights movement's lobbying arm to step down (Associated Press)
• Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the Tenure of Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (U.S. Department of Education)
• Wade Henderson, Longtime Civil Rights Strategist, to Step Down (The National Law Journal)

43 Years after King Assassination the Fight for Civil Rights Continues

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights April 5, 2011 - Posted by Brianna Deitrich On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while in Memphis, Tenn., defending the fundamental rights to fair pay, safe working conditions, and an equal voice in solidarity with more than one thousand city sanitation workers on strike for better wages and benefits. This week, the civil and human rights community remembers and honors King’s sacrifice and commitment to economic justice and workers rights by uniting with union members, students, and other advocates for the “We Are One” campaign. “We Are One” grew organically out of the attacks on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states, and is made up of a diverse coalition of local, state and national community leaders, working people, activists and individuals whom are coming together to push back and to show unity in the face of attacks on collective bargaining rights, voting rights, women, immigrants, and public service programs. Full Story: http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2011/04/1185-king.html

Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Confirmation of EEOC Commissioners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 22, 2010
Contact: Scott Westbrook Simpson, 202.466.2061, Simpson@civilrights.org
Commissioners Berrien, Feldblum, and Lipnic Earn Bipartisan Support

Wade Henderson and Nancy Zirkin, president and executive vice president for policy of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the confirmation of the three commissioners to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):
“The Senate’s bipartisan confirmation of the EEOC’s three commissioners is a welcome development. Since their recess appointment in March, Chair Jacqueline Berrien and Commissioners Chai Feldblum and Victoria Lipnic have worked together successfully and skillfully to lead the EEOC.
Under Chair Berrien’s stewardship, the EEOC has significantly reduced the growth in backlogged cases and conducted the largest sustained training effort within the agency in more than a decade. It’s no wonder that their confirmation earned the support of a diverse range of stakeholders, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Management and a broad coalition of civil rights organizations.
We are confident that these nominees will continue to draw on their extensive experience and exercise their authority thoughtfully and effectively to provide the kind of leadership necessary to guide the federal government's enforcement of employment discrimination protections and equal employment opportunity programs.”
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Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Nancy Zirkin is the organization's executive vice president for policy. The Leadership Conference is charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org

Statement by Wade Henderson on the Death of Civil Rights Legend, Dr. Dorothy I. Height

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 20, 2010

Contact: Maggie Kao, 202.466.2735


Statement by Wade Henderson on the Death of Civil Rights Legend, Dr. Dorothy I. Height

“It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the passing of our chairperson, Dr. Dorothy I. Height. For the past seven decades, her work and her wisdom have enriched and ennobled the civil rights movement and our nation.

Dr. Height has been an extraordinary leader, a gifted organizer, a trusted adviser, and a shrewd strategist from the days of the New Deal to these times of the Raw Deal for so many Americans. She was at every important meeting, participated in every historic struggle, and advised major national leaders from Eleanor Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Indeed, her biography is intertwined with the most significant moments of the modern civil rights movement. If Rosa Parks is the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, then Dr. Height is its Queen.

On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Height for more than 20 years. Her wise counsel, political acumen, and pragmatic idealism were, quite simply, invaluable. She was active in the work of The Leadership Conference right up until it was just physically impossible for her to do so, most recently, serving as honorary co-chair of our campaign to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

If, as the saying goes, service is the rent we pay for living, then Dr. Height is paid in full, many times over – and she has paid the tab for many of us as well.

It is an honor and a blessing to have known her."


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Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

Rights Groups Urge Congress to Fix Broken Civil Rights Commission

civilrights.org
November 19, 2009 - Posted by Lara Awad

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has become harmfully politicized and has strayed from its mission to protect the civil rights of Americans. That was the message that the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the ACLU, and a coalition other civil and human rights groups presented at a November 18 congressional briefing.
The groups called for reforms that would broaden the commission's mandate so that it can better investigate and address civil rights issues and work to strengthen U.S. commitments on human rights. In particular, they are seeking a change in the way that members are appointed to the commission to ensure that commissioners remain independent. Currently, members are appointed by Congress and the president and are not required to undergo a confirmation process.

Full Story: http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2009/11/837-commission.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+civilrights%2Ffeatures+%28Civilrights.org+Latest+Posts%29&utm_content=FeedBurner

Report from Leadership Conference on Civil Rights on Key EO Updates

State Updates

Nebraska (NE)
On January 22, Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers ruled that Nebraskans United had not presented sufficient evidence around the claims of fraud, misinterpretation, or deception, in the petition-gathering process. For a variety of reasons, including resources, Nebraskans United decided not to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. The state and its agencies began implementation of Initiative 424 in December, once the Governor issued a proclamation for compliance around the initiative. The higher education community has been vocal in their support of equal opportunity. We expect they will continue to do so, in compliance with state and federal law. See the following link for more information: http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2009/01/23/news/state/60001913.txt

On a related note, we wanted to bring to your attention two pieces of legislation that have been introduced in the state legislature:
- On January 22, State Senator Brenda Council introduced LB440, which proposes revisions to the Student Diversity Scholarship Program. In compliance with state and federal law, the bill proposes changes to the diversity criteria. The bill reiterates the state’s compelling interest to provide access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds, who may also have financial challenges. We will keep you posted as we learn more. See the following link for the text of the bill: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Intro/LB440.pdf
- On January 21, State Senator Kent Rogert introduced LB575, which proposes that questionable practices regarding petition drives be resolved before voters consider an issue. See the following link for the text of the bill: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Intro/LB575.pdf
Missouri (MO)
Late last year, Ward Connerly and local ally Tim Asher proposed for the 2010 ballot, language for an initiative that would ban equal opportunity in public higher education, employment, and contracting. In December, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan approved the proposed initiative for circulation and proposed modified wording to include the term “affirmative action.” Connerly, Tim Asher, and the MO Civil Rights Initiative (MOCRI) along with the ACLU, and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, have filed separate lawsuits against the Secretary of State’s office challenging the language. Connerly and his allies have until May 2, 2010 to submit the requisite number of signatures. Please contact Reggie Shuford, ACLU (rshuford@aclu.org), with any questions. Also, see the following links for more information:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/news.asp?id=765
http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/aa/38152prs20081219.html?s_src=RSS
http://www.stlamerican.com/articles/2008/12/25/news/local_news/localnews02.txt

California (CA)
Assembly bill ACA 7 has been introduced by Assemblyman Ed Hernandez proposing to amend the provisions of Proposition 209 under the California Constitution to allow higher education institutions to conduct outreach to specific minority populations. The goal is for the legislature to pass the bill and then refer it to the ballot for the popular vote. The bill is in the preliminary stage of bill introduction, and as a result, discussions are taking place focused on the language of the bill. Please contact Sara Jackson, Equal Justice Society (sjackson@equaljusticesociety.org) with any questions about the bill or Impact 209 coalition discussions. Also, for more information, see the attached fact sheet and the text of the bill.

Ricci Supreme Court Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted cert to Ricci v. DeStefano, 07-1428, and Ricci v. DeStefano, 08-328, a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the City of New Haven, CT, which was filed by 20 white and Hispanic firefighters in New Haven. The issue at hand is the city government’s 2003 decision to throw out the results of a civil-service test for firefighters because no black, and few Hispanic firefighters, had scored well enough to qualify for promotions. The City and the two lower courts, agreed that the test had a disparate impact on minorities. The city is receiving pro-bono support from WilmerHale and the NAACP LDF is coordinating the amici strategy.

LCCR/LCCREF will work with the NAACP LDF to schedule a conference call during which this case, and amici strategy, can be discussed in greater detail with interested organizations. Please contact Mathew Colangelo, NAACP LDF (mcolangelo@naacpldf.org; 212-965-2268) if you have any questions about the amici strategy. Also, see the following link for more information: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/11/10/news/new_haven/a1_mon_nesupremes.txt
Please feel free to contact me or Ellen Buchman (buchman@civilrights.org) with any questions.