Fifty years ago, the Freedom Riders arrived in Montgomery, Ala., and were viciously beaten by a violent mob because they dared test federal laws designed to end segregation at bus terminals. On Saturday, a bus of college students retracing the steps of the Freedom Riders arrived in Montgomery, where they visited the Civil Rights Memorial Center.
Protecting students from anti-LGBT bullying requires school-wide efforts that include specific anti-bullying policies as well as a focus on nurturing school climates where respect for differences is an integral part of school life, the SPLC told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in written testimony submitted for a public briefing today.
Georgia fell into a costly trap by following the ill-fated footsteps of Arizona when Governor Deal signed harsh anti-immigrant legislation. The bill, H.B. 87, will not only set the state back years of progress in civil rights but will also add to Georgia’s already burgeoning deficit.
The public school system of Mobile County, Ala., violated the constitutional rights of students by suspending them for months at a time over minor misbehavior without giving parents and guardians an opportunity to defend them. The SPLC filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of six students suspended for apparent minor misbehavior such as un-tucked shirts, tardiness or failing to carry a school ID.
