The federal government needs leaders committed to the protection of civil rights
As President-elect Donald Trump names Cabinet picks, it’s crucial that he chooses officials who will uphold the federal government’s important role of ensuring that all Americans enjoy equal rights under the law — especially for Black and Brown communities.
In a commentary on the Daily Kos, Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang calls on the president-elect to ensure that the individuals he nominates to oversee our government agencies meet the highest bar for leadership, ethics and a dedication to protecting and enforcing civil rights.
As a civil rights organization based in Alabama, the SPLC understands that a strong federal government is necessary to hold bad actors accountable when states cannot or will not do so. In fact, as Huang notes, the federal government has repeatedly needed to intervene when states have denied their residents of color justice by allowing discrimination to persist in voting, housing, education and more.
All appointed officials must respect the role that the federal government plays in safeguarding every American’s rights.
“We stand ready to champion those who demonstrate this commitment and to oppose those who do not meet the high bar required for these appointments,” Huang writes.
Picture at top: People gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26, 2023, for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. (Credit: Bryan Olin Dozier/NurPhoto via AP)
