Hopewatch
Hopewatch amplifies the unwavering commitment of people who tirelessly advocate for racial and social justice.
Get the latest investigative reporting from Hopewatch
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Cigar Factory Strike: Celebrating Southern heritage — not the Confederacy
Since 1994, several Southern states each year have observed “Confederate Heritage Month” in April. From the first shots at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender on April 9, 1865, Confederate leaders stated explicitly and repeatedly that they fought to protect slavery and to further white supremacy. That is…
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- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
Federal court ruling in Alabama case a victory for reproductive rights
A federal district court in Alabama last month issued a pivotal opinion prohibiting the Alabama attorney general from carrying out his threats to criminally prosecute people who help pregnant Alabamians leave the state to access abortion where it is legal. The court held that the threats violated the Yellowhammer Fund’s right to free expression and…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Opposing President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting voting rights
The right to vote is a cornerstone of democracy; it safeguards all other rights. Yet recently we have witnessed systemic assaults to voting on several fronts. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that unilaterally aims to upend voting as we know it. If implemented by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the order…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Victory in Georgia! State Senate authorizes rights restoration study committee
The Southern Poverty Law Center is honored to stand alongside the Rights Restoration Coalition of Georgia to celebrate a meaningful step forward: the Georgia State Senate’s passage of SR 429. This resolution establishes a study committee to examine the criminal legal system’s impact on the disenfranchisement of Georgians. The lieutenant governor will appoint six state…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Alabama civil rights symposium strives for ‘Building the Beloved Community’
Growing up as the eldest child of civil rights pioneers the Rev. Robert S. Graetz Jr. and Jean Graetz was a unique experience. Although I was only a child, I vividly remember my years in Montgomery, Alabama, during the bus boycott that my parents supported. Those memories include: But there were also joyful memories, like…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
New LFJ resource lays out why the US Department of Education is important
On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education. This action threatens a critical federal agency that safeguards education and holds states accountable for ensuring equal opportunities for all students. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice program (LFJ) published a new resource on the…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Voting rights bill for a fair democracy at the heart of Alabama’s Lobby Day 2025
Hope has always been the foundation of change. It has carried generations of Alabamians through struggles for justice, propelled movements forward and kept communities united, even in the face of overwhelming barriers. Today, that same hope fuels the fight for a more inclusive democracy in which every voice is heard, every ballot is counted and…
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On Cesar Chavez Day, let’s remember those who make it possible for us to eat
Today, March 31 is Cesar Chavez Day, and for those of us in the Latino community, this day and year are more significant than others. As Latinos, we are in a political quagmire like we have never experienced before. Latinos are the targets of a xenophobic, anti-immigrant wave that is washing over our nation simply…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Black. Jewish. Divided by Hate. Stronger Together
In 1915, an armed mob abducted and lynched Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager in Georgia, in one of the most infamous acts of antisemitic violence. His murder followed a trial marred by antisemitism, fueled by conspiracy theories and exploited by a rising Ku Klux Klan. But Frank’s lynching wasn’t just about antisemitism — it…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Recognizing International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (today, March 21) celebrates the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), a human rights treaty the United States has ratified along with 181 other nations. U.S. compliance with the treaty has always been a…
