Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Transportation Department Agenda for Equity and Opportunity

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx’s initiative to redirect the nation’s transportation agenda toward greater equity and opportunity for all communities:

“For generations, our nation’s transportation policy has destroyed low-income communities, razed neighborhoods, and has deprived people of economic mobility and opportunity.

As our nation sought to connect its most privileged people and institutions to one another, it bulldozed a path through vibrant communities of African Americans, Latinos, and working class Whites, leaving them cut off from access to jobs, schools, hospitals, grocery stores and more. 

We applaud Secretary Foxx’s acknowledgment of the damage this has caused and using the power of his office to advance a transportation agenda that revitalizes communities, provides opportunities to thrive in life and in work, and encourages people to connect with one another. 

We will continue to support Secretary Foxx and the Transportation Department’s work to reset and redirect our nation’s transportation policies toward equity and opportunity for all.”

Wade Henderson is 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.