Henderson to Presidential Commission: We Need a Supreme Court that Works For All of Us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rafael Medina, [email protected], 202.869.0390

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will testify today at the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States’ public meeting panel entitled “Perspectives from Supreme Court Practitioners and Views on the Confirmation Process.” In his written testimony, Henderson emphasizes the Court’s history on civil and human rights and the sweeping role it plays in our lives. He urges the Commission to center the people most impacted by the Court as it considers the ways in which we must act to strengthen our democracy.

“The discussion about the future of the Supreme Court — and all our federal courts — is not an academic or theoretical one. Rather, it is fundamentally about humanity and dignity. It is about who our courts serve and recognize as worthy of having their rights protected. And it is imperative that members of this commission approach their inquiry by centering the people whose lives and civil rights are most impacted by the Supreme Court, and by considering the very real consequences that Court decisions have in people’s lives,” said Henderson in his written testimony. “That is why institutions like the judiciary that we entrust to safeguard our democracy must work for everyone. We are now at an inflection point. Our nation must reconcile what we say we are as a democracy, and what we actually are.”

Henderson continued: “When the system fails to work for the people, it fails our democracy. We urge the commission to seriously consider all ways in which people most impacted by the Court’s decisions could be better served by the institution that is tasked with administering justice. In addition to our work to ensure future justices are fair-minded, committed to the civil and human rights of all people, and possess diverse backgrounds and experiences that will inform their role on the bench, we must not only reimagine the system, but create one that fulfills the promise of equal justice for all.”

To read the written testimony, click here.

To watch the panel, click here. Mr. Henderson will speak at the first panel from 8:45am to 10am ET.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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