Civil Rights in the 21st Century

Hans von Spakovsky / September 15, 2010

In the midst of election primaries, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a day-long conference yesterday in Washington at the National Press Club titled “A New Era – Defining Civil Rights in the 21st Century.” There was a remarkably wide breadth of speakers, including columnist William Raspberry, Clarence B. Jones (former counsel and speechwriter for Martin Luther King), Roger Clegg (Center for Equal Opportunity), and Heather MacDonald (Manhattan Institute).

Considering the conference topic — discrimination and racial disparities — the civility and intelligence of the discussions and debates was remarkable. It showcased individuals who have divergent views of how serious a problem we still have with discrimination in this country and what steps we need to take to solve our remaining problems. This is seldom the case in the area of civil rights, where the so-called “traditional” civil rights establishment all too often labels those who disagree with their views as racists. For example, anyone who opposes the type of discrimination represented by racial preferences is automatically condemned as wanting to bring back Jim Crow. (more…)