Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Foundation Leaders’ Ban the Box Initiative

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color’s announcement that more than 40 foundation leaders have banned the box and adopted fair chance hiring policies:

“We applaud the Executives’ Alliance and their members and allies for leading the way in the philanthropic sector to ensure that an arrest or conviction record doesn’t mean a lifetime of unemployment.

One in three American adults has a criminal record that will show up on a routine background check, which creates substantial barriers to securing employment and being able to provide for themselves and their families. By banning the box and implementing fair chance hiring policies, these foundations will give millions of Americans a fair chance at employment and becoming the productive members of society we say we want them to be. We urge the rest of the philanthropic sector to follow suit and adopt policies that give everyone a chance at opportunity.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

###