Hopewatch
Hopewatch amplifies the unwavering commitment of people who tirelessly advocate for racial and social justice.
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Hopewatch
‘The march continues, and apathy is not an option’
In an op-ed published today in Daily Kos, Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang reflects on 60 years of struggle, marching and sacrifices for civil, voting and human rights for all Americans. She cites the path of Sheyann Webb-Christburg, one of the youngest marchers attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Hopewatch
Beyond Bloody Sunday’s 60th anniversary: Be a foot soldier for our future rights
Black Alabamians in Selma stiffened their spines and marched resolutely across the Edmund Pettus Bridge 60 years ago today. The brave foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement knew the risks that lay ahead of them. They marched anyway, propelled by their belief that, in a democracy, all people must be afforded the right to…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Hopewatch
Books on protest movements of the civil rights era for adults and children
Protest movements played a decisive role in shaping the history of our rebellion-born nation. In the 20th century alone, mass protest movements led to women’s suffrage, the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s and the end of the Vietnam War. This list includes groundbreaking nonfiction books for adults and thought-provoking books for young readers…
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- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
Hopewatch
Some traveled west: Altadena residents draw on Black community strength
In 1963, my maternal grandfather left his homeland in the Mississippi Delta, fleeing a white mob trying to kill him for fighting to protect his family’s farmland. At the time, my mom was only 9 years old. Instead of fleeing north, he headed west to Pasadena, California, where some of his family members had migrated…
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- Ending Unjust Imprisonment
Hopewatch
A call for justice and compassion: Louisianans must reject Act 3 on March 29
As Louisiana’s policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, I work to ensure our state’s policies bring fairness and justice for all, especially the most vulnerable people. But I write this not just as an advocate for civil rights, but as a father. When I think of not only my children, but all children…
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- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
Hopewatch
Zora! Festival celebrates culture, preservation wins for historic Black community
Every January for more than a quarter century, the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C.) has called thousands of people together from across the globe to celebrate the extraordinary writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston in the place that raised her, the town of Eatonville, Florida — the first self-governing, all-Black municipality in the…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Hopewatch
Learning for Justice resource explains what presidents do … and your part in it
The flurry of executive orders, lawsuits, rescinded orders and information overload that has marked the first two weeks of the second Trump administration has been staggering. It’s easy to become overwhelmed. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice program is offering the Civics for Democracy series to develop the civic knowledge and skills…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Hopewatch
Black church’s win against Proud Boys offers hope in the fight against racism
I was proud to learn this week that the historically Black church where I was christened as a baby, where I attended Sunday school and where I received the spiritual foundation for my life had won a $2.8 million judgment against a racist hate group that attacked it. Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington,…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Hopewatch
Why is it wrong to teach students about diversity, equity and inclusion?
The college where I teach had always been very progressive. It encouraged faculty and staff to exercise freedom of speech and welcomed inclusive speakers, lessons and events. Texas Senate Bill 17 was passed in May 2023, and almost overnight things changed. This law, similar to ones in two of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s focus states…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
Hopewatch
On Inauguration Day, remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for economic justice
With Inauguration Day falling on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s understandable that this year’s King holiday does not feel like a moment of celebration. Today ushers in a new era in Washington “in which those with power have pledged to dismantle efforts that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, while the assault on our civil…
