Time to Revive the US Civil Rights Commission

"Stand your ground" laws, racially skewed school discipline practices and the biased criminal-justice system all make the need for a revived, strengthened U.S. Commission on Civil Rights apparent, Jesse Jackson writes at the Chicago Sun-Times. Suggested Reading Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji’s Daughter in ‘Straw’ Was Dead the Whole Time The Unbelievable Reasons…

"Stand your ground" laws, racially skewed school discipline practices and the biased criminal-justice system all make the need for a revived, strengthened U.S. Commission on Civil Rights apparent, Jesse Jackson writes at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Fundamental questions need to be answered about โ€œstand and defend lawsโ€ โ€” more accurately, โ€œfree pass for murder lawsโ€ โ€” about racially skewed school-discipline practices (Trayvon had been suspended and was visiting his father when he was shot); about a criminal justice system still rife with bias, and about the dangers of โ€œwalking while blackโ€ in America. The man who shot Trayvon needs to be tried in court. But these broader issues require independent, forceful investigation.

So where is the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights? Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican president, created the bipartisan commission in 1957 to investigate the facts and issue credible reports on progress or challenges in our civil rights laws and practices. It was, as early director Theodore Hesburgh stated, to be the โ€œconscience of the nationโ€ on our progress in civil rights โ€ฆ

Today, the need for a revived commission is apparent. The commission should be investigating school-discipline policies and our biased criminal justice system. We need a clear look at the apparently coordinated effort of Republican governors to erect barriers to registration and voting that have a disproportionate effect on the young, the poor, the elderly and minorities. The apparently racially skewed efforts to direct African-American and Latino homebuyers into exotic, subprime mortgages needs to be probed as well.

Read Jesse Jackson's entire piece at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.