Statement by President Joe Biden On Black History Month

President Joe Biden released the following statement on Black History Month:

This February, during Black History Month, I call on the American people to honor the history and achievements of Black Americans and to reflect on the centuries of struggle that have brought us to this time of reckoning, redemption, and hope.

We have never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation that all people are created equal and have the right to be treated equally throughout their lives. We know that it is long past time to confront deep racial inequities and the systemic racism that continue to plague our nation.

A knee to the neck of justice opened the eyes of millions of Americans and launched a summer of protest and stirred the nation’s conscience.

A pandemic has further ripped a path of destruction through every community in America, but we see its acute devastation among Black Americans who are dying, losing jobs, and closing businesses at disproportionate rates in the dual pandemic and economic crises.

We are also less than a month after the attack on the Capitol by a mob of insurrectionists and white supremacists that shows that we are very much in a battle for the soul of America.

In the Biden-Harris Administration, we are committed to finishing the work left undone and fulfilling the promise of America for Black families and communities and for all Americans.

We bring to our work a seriousness of purpose and urgency to contain the pandemic, deliver economic relief to tens of millions of Americans, and advance racial justice and equity across the board in health care, education, housing, our economy, our environment, our justice system, and in our electoral process.

We do so not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do and benefits all of us in this nation.

Vermont bill would require college course in African American history for teachers

A bill that is proposed in Vermont would require public school teachers to take a college-level course in African American history.

The bill, H.79, sponsored by state representative Maida Townsend, (D) D-7 Chittenden, would require teachers to take a college level course in African American history before they could receive or renew a teaching license.

"I firmly believe that this bill, though it's tiny, one little course in African American history could serve as a building block across the various subject matter disciplines to help all teachers address the issues of bias," Rep. Townsend said.

The bill as introduced reads in part, "This bill proposes to require each applicant seeking to obtain or renew a license to teach in a public elementary or secondary school in Vermont to have completed at least one three-credit course in African American history at an accredited college or university, covering the period from the European colonization of North America through the end of the 20th century."

[SOURCE: MYNBC5]

Deborah Archer To Become First African American To Lead ACLU Board of Directors

The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that its national board elected Deborah Archer as its new president. Archer replaces Susan Herman, who stepped down after serving 12 years leading the organization’s board through watershed moments, including the Trump administration and the emergence of civil liberties and privacy concerns in the digital age.

An established civil rights lawyer, scholar, and teacher, Archer began her career as the Marvin M. Karpatkin Legal Fellow at the ACLU. She has been a member of the ACLU board since 2009, and a general counsel and member of the executive committee of the board since 2017. She also serves on the board of directors of the New York Civil Liberties Union. In this new role, she brings with her a wealth of experience on racial justice and constitutional matters. The election of Deborah Archer marks the first time a Black person will lead the ACLU’s board of directors.

“After beginning my career as an ACLU fellow, it is an honor to come full circle and now lead the organization as board president,” said Deborah Archer. “The ACLU has proven itself as an invaluable voice in the fight for civil rights in the last four years of the Trump era, and we are better positioned than ever to face the work ahead. This organization has been part of every important battle for civil liberties during our first century, and we are committed to continuing that legacy as we enter our second. I could not be more excited to get to work.”

The board met virtually on Saturday to cast the vote for its next president. The ACLU National Board is made up of 69 members, including 51 directly elected by ACLU affiliate boards as their representatives, and 18 elected by all affiliate and national board members. The ACLU National Board votes to set matters of organizational policy and substantive civil liberties policies. It also oversees issues related to general financial management and the relationship between the national ACLU and its affiliates, including the provision of resources and support to the affiliates, as well as other responsibilities.

“As the country enters the post-Trump era, it is essential that those in leadership intimately understand the history that brought us to this inflection point, and the work ahead,” said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU. “There is no one better equipped, who best personifies or is more capable to helm the future battles for civil rights, civil liberties, and systemic equality than Deborah Archer.”

For both the country as a whole and the ACLU, 2020 was a watershed year. The country struggled with its history of white supremacy and racism, a protest movement that rivaled only by the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s, the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the highest turnout elections in history. The ACLU celebrated its centennial year, filed its 413th legal action against the Trump administration, took over 100 legal actions in response to the pandemic, continued its work to protect protestors, and filed more than 37 lawsuits to ensure access to the polls.

Deborah Archer is a tenured professor of clinical law and director of the Civil Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law, and co-faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU Law. Professor Archer previously served as the inaugural dean of diversity and inclusion and as associate dean for academic affairs and student engagement at New York Law School. She has served as chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, and on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Legal Aid Society and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. In recognition of her work, the New York Law Journal named her one of its 2016 Top Women in Law. Previously, Archer was assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Stacey Abrams nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. voting rights activist and Democratic Party politician Stacey Abrams has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote nonviolent change via the ballot box, a Norwegian lawmaker said on Monday.

“Abrams’ work follows in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights,” said Lars Haltbrekken, a Socialist Party member of Norway’s parliament.

“Abrams’ efforts to complete King’s work are crucial if the United States of America shall succeed in its effort to create fraternity between all its peoples and a peaceful and just society,” Haltbrekken said.

Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates, and a nomination does not imply endorsement from the Nobel committee in Oslo.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides who wins the award, does not comment on nominations, but nominators can choose to reveal their picks.

The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.

[SOURCE: REUTERS]

Jackie Taylor Holsten: First African-American woman to receive Medal of Excellence from Loyola School of Law

Jackie Taylor Holsten has been awarded the Medal of Excellence by the Law School of Loyola University, Chicago. She is the 5th woman to receive the award since it was first introduced in 1964, and is the first African-American female to receive this award. The Medal of Excellence is given annually by the Law Alumni Association to an alumnus/a or faculty member for distinguished service to the legal profession and for loyalty and service to the School of Law. Award winners have demonstrated privately and professionally the quality of character, intellect, and social or professional responsibility that the School of Law nurtures. Ms. Holsten is a longtime member of the board of trustees of Loyola University -- Chicago.

Jackie Taylor Holsten is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation, where she spearheads its property management and administration divisions. She also is Board Chair and Executive Director of HHCD, a not-for-profit social service agency providing social services to over 3,000 residents of twelve sites throughout Metropolitan Chicago. It is through her commitments to Holsten and Loyola University as a trustee, that she has found her purpose in serving people and building communities.

[SOURCE: DAILY HERALD]