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Equal opportunity to access education is foundational to our public schools’ mission and purpose.
In May 2023, the US Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit issued a decision recognizing the importance of protecting race-neutral admission policies that increase diversity, build a more equitable and inclusive school community, and remove barriers to fair educational opportunities at Thomas Jefferson HS in Northern Virginia.
We filed an amicus brief in support of considering student diversity and inclusion in TJ admissions with a coalition of education equity organizations.
Read about the decision and our amicus here.
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What's Coming Down the Pike?
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📅Thursday, June 15th @ 9:30AM EST
Watch the DC Council hearing on the “Reparations Foundation Fund and Task Force Establishment Act of 2023.” The main provisions of the bill include establishing:
- A reparations taskforce to study and develop reparations proposals for African-Americans directly wronged and traumatized by the ills of slavery, Jim Crow, and structural and institutional racism.
- A slavery era database of records related to slaveholding; and,
- A Reparations Foundation Fund for the payment of reparations.
If passed, this legislation could have a direct impact on the racial wealth gap, and other critical issues, in the District.
Watch the hearing to hear testimony from community members and organizations, including our new Executive Director, Joanne Lin. Read our testimony here.
Learn more about the bill here and tune in this Thursday, June 15th.
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Lewis S. Wiener
2023 Wiley A. Branton Awardee
We are honored to recognize Lew Wiener, former WLC co-chair, with the 2023 Wiley A. Branton Award! His decades of pro bono work have made a huge impact for people with disabilities.
Read about our Branton Awardee & the Luncheon here!
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Tell Congress to fund fair housing now!
Local fair housing enforcement agencies are the first responders to millions of housing discrimination incidents every year.
Act Now! Help ensure Congress increases funding for local fair housing enforcement to address the housing crisis.
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In Memory of
Peter J. Connell
On June 6, 2023, the WLC family lost a founding member and stalwart leader in our civil rights work. In the 1960's, Peter Connell served as the deputy director at the national Lawyers' Committee. He later opened the Mississippi office with Jim Robertson and was involved in the first years of our Washington, DC work. Peter was also a founding member of the DC Prisoners' Legal Services, which later merged with the Committee and we continue this important work today. For more information about Peter Connell, a dedicated civil rights advocate, read here. |
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Kaitlin Banner ✉ Disability Rights / Education Justice
Catherine Cone ✉ Housing Justice
Jacqueline Kutnik-Bauder ✉ Prisoners' Rights / Police Abuse
Joanna Wasik ✉ Workers' Rights
Joanne Lin ✉ All Other Matters
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