As managing attorney in the SPLC’s Mississippi office, Jody Owens has seen firsthand the devastation wrought by the “school-to-prison pipeline” that funnels vulnerable children into the harsh world of police, courts and prison cells. He explains this civil rights crisis and the path to reform.
Here’s why we urged U.S. senators to reject legislation that would restrict the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship.
An SPLC suit filed today accuses Judicial Correction Services, a for-profit company, of violating federal racketeering laws by extorting money from impoverished Alabamians by threatening them with jail when they fall behind on paying fines from traffic violations or other citations.
In a commentary published in today’s Tampa Tribune, the head of the SPLC’s Florida office argues in favor of pending legislation that would greatly reduce the number of the state’s children pushed into adult courts, a category in which Florida leads the nation.
A shrinking number of extremist groups has not translated into a drop in domestic terrorist attacks or racist violence as hatemongers move to online forums.
Marking the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, U.S. Rep. John Lewis and a gathering of congressional leaders and others laid a wreath on the Civil Rights Memorial at the SPLC in Montgomery, Alabama, to honor those who were killed during the movement.
Remembering the sacrifices of the past is important, but it’s not enough. We must address the racial and economic inequality that is so evident 50 years after the Voting Rights Act and 150 years after slavery was abolished.
The action comes amid a confrontation between the Alabama Supreme Court and the federal judiciary, which has struck down the state’s same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional.
The SPLC’s new classroom documentary, Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot, tells the story of the 1965 Selma voting rights struggle through the eyes of teachers and students who were at the forefront of the movement.
Destin Holmes was constantly bombarded with anti-gay slurs and insults by students and even teachers. Her principal said: “I don’t want a dyke in this school.” Now, the school district has agreed to adopt new policies to protect LGBT students from harassment.
