Press Release

WASHINGTON – Citing our nation’s longstanding need to address state-sponsored violence targeting Black people, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights joined over 200 organizations on this National Day of Mourning in demanding full transparency from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the findings from its criminal investigation into George Floyd’s death. In a second letter, more than 200 organizations also urged DOJ to pursue a federal civil rights investigation into the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

WASHINGTON – Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign Director at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance the nomination of Justin Walker to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit:

WASHINGTON – In a Washington Post opinion piece, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under President Obama, outlined steps Attorney General Barr should take to address the killing of George Floyd by police officers.

NEW YORK (June 1, 2020) -- The leaders of the nation’s leading civil rights and racial justice organizations have issued a joint statement in response to the unrest ravaging America’s cities. These leaders and their organizations are:

WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 400 other civil rights organizations today called on congressional leadership to swiftly rectify the legacy of white supremacy and anti-black racism that has led to police violence against Black people across our country. The group requested a meeting with congressional leadership to discuss urgently needed reforms that ensure police officers live up to their oath to protect and serve all people in the United States.

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on Trump’s response to the protests in Minneapolis:

WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and leading civil rights groups today called on the mayor of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department chief to keep communities safe and restore trust between police and the communities they serve. The letter was sparked by the recent police killing of George Floyd and subsequent militarized response to local demonstrations, with the groups urging leaders to use this moment as an opportunity to grapple with the ongoing legacy of white supremacy and police violence in communities of color and to re-examine their approach to public safety.

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on content moderation by social media companies: