Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Representative Al Green (TX-9) today introduced a resolution honoring the 100^th anniversary of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  The resolution enjoys bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.   

“The NAACP has been instrumental in advancing the cause of civil rights throughout its rich history,” said Dodd.  “Last week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and witnessed the swearing in of the United States’ first African-American President.  This historic moment offers us the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come in one century, and everything the NAACP has done to make these advances possible.  As we mark this historic anniversary, I look forward to continue working with the NAACP to ensure all Americans have equal rights.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) praised yesterday’s enactment of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.  The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Dodd, will provide the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the authority needed to effectively investigate and prosecute unsolved Civil Rights Era-murders. The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act was named after Emmett Till, a teenager who was mutilated and murdered while on a summer vacation in Money, Mississippi in 1955. Public outrage surrounding the case helped to propel the inception of the modern-day Civil Rights movement in America.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) applauded Senate passage of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act today.  The legislation, authored by Dodd, will provide the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the authority needed to effectively investigate and prosecute unsolved Civil Rights Era-murders. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement commemorating the 44^th anniversary of the murders of three young civil rights workers – James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner – in Nashoba County, Mississippi.

“On June 21, 1964, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were brutally beaten and murdered by a gang of KKK members because of their work to register black voters in rural Mississippi. It took decades, but in 2005, the ringleader in these brutal killings was finally brought to justice and will live the rest of his life behind bars. But while Edgar Ray Killen was eventually convicted for the murder of these three young men, many of these heinous Civil Rights era crimes remain unsolved, and their perpetrators remain unpunished. 

Forty years ago, seven days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act of 1968 ("Civil Rights Act"). The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibits discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. After the act, neighborhoods could no longer be designated 'whites only' and restrictive racial covenants were outlawed. All Americans were given equal rights to the sale, rent, lease, and finance of their home in all housing markets. Senate Democrats are committed to safeguarding those rights. Senator Richard Durbin said, "If we're really going to strive for the kind of opportunity which is the hallmark of America, we really have to talk about economic opportunity. That means making certain that people have an opportunity for a job that gives them a chance to raise their family and a decent place to live in a safe neighborhood. That's why the Fair Housing Act is so important."

As a young man living under apartheid in South Africa, Mr. Mabaso was imprisoned for his beliefs alongside leaders such as Patrick Chamusso and Nelson Mandela.  During his time at the infamous Robben Island Prison, Mr. Mabaso was subjected to brutal acts of torture and forced to survive in harsh conditions.  Despite these hardships, Mr. Mabaso and his fellow political prisoners refuse to give up hope or abandon their calls for racial and economic equality. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement on the 40^th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.

“On this day, the fortieth anniversary of the tragic death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we recall how Dr. King captured America’s attention and helped guide a nation on the precipice of change.  His mission still holds as much importance today as it did forty years ago in its ability to inspire the hopes and dreams of all Americans.  While we take today to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and mourn a life taken far too early, let us dedicate ourselves to continuing Dr. King’s unfinished work by embracing his commitment to civil rights and equal opportunity for all Americans.”

Dodd is the author of The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, a bill that would give the Department of Justice and the FBI the ability to reopen Civil Rights-era criminal cases which have gone cold.  The bill was approved by the House of Representatives last year by a vote of 422 to 2 and is currently pending before the Senate. 

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Congressman John Lewis, along with more than a dozen Senate colleagues, introduced the Civil Rights Act of 2008, which will strengthen accountability when civil rights and workers’ rights are violated.

Recent court decisions have weakened America’s civil rights laws in ways that Congress never intended.  This legislation will ensure accountability for violations of our civil rights and fair labor laws and give individuals the right to challenge practices that have unjustified discriminatory effect based on race, color, national origin, disability, age or gender. It also gives students the same protection from harassment in school that workers have on the job, and holds employers fully accountable for age discrimination and discrimination against our men and women in the armed services.

Dr. Martin Luther King's leadership inspired equality, change and peace at a time when our nation was in grave need of a strong moral compass to guide us. While we take today to formally commemorate his contributions to our country and the world, Dr. King's legacy touches American lives each and every day and lives on in our continual effort to ensure that this nation is a land of liberty and opportunity for all. I hope that all Americans work to build upon this legacy in order to honor Dr. King's vision and dream for America.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published the following editorial on June 27, 2007 expressing support for the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

An estimated 5,000 lynchings took place during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras. Most went unsolved, but some of the people responsible for those and other horrific race murders are still alive. There is still time to hold them accountable.