SPLC offices, Civil Rights Memorial Center close

As you are well aware, the coronavirus is dramatically impacting regions around the world and across the country, including states and cities in which the Southern Poverty Law Center works.

To protect the health and well-being of SPLC staff and the communities we serve, we have closed the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama and are closing our offices beginning Tuesday, March 17. We will transition to telework until further notice. We hope that each of you are taking necessary precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Our work continues with fervor and is needed more now than ever. We are only beginning to feel the rippling effects of the virus in our nation, but we already know that the communities we work alongside with to fight for justice — including low-income people, immigrants and people of color — will disproportionately be impacted.

School closures will affect millions of children who may not eat if not for free and reduced meals at school. Low-income families are less likely to be able to work from home, hurting their ability to pay bills. And millions of people across the U.S. do not have access to health insurance.

The pandemic will also have a significant impact on people who are incarcerated in prisons or immigrant detention centers who do not have the freedom to practice social distancing to protect themselves from the virus. Moreover, inadequate healthcare systems in these facilities, particularly in the South, are the least prepared to handle an outbreak.

While we must all exercise precautions during this time, SPLC is committed to our work, and we will continue to fight alongside communities to ensure equal access to justice. Be safe and thanks for your continued support.

Onward,

Karen Baynes-Dunning
Interim President