RACE-BASED SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT (2007)
The Supreme Court issued a sharply divided decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District and its companion case Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Public Education, a pair of cases that placed at issue the race-conscious K-12 student assignment policies of school districts in Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Kentucky. While a majority of the Justices recognized the importance of community efforts to promote diverse local schools, a plurality struck down aspects of the Seattle and Louisville student assignment plans as unconstitutional race-based assignments. This ruling limited the ability of local school districts to take account of race to promote diversity and address racial isolation in their schools. However, the Court did not ban all consideration of race in student assignments, leaving opportunities for school districts to take limited race-conscious measures to promote diversity and avoid racial isolation in schools.
JENA SIX (2007)
A group of African-American high school students was accused of assaulting a white classmate on a school campus after a series of racially-charged incidents unfolded at their school. In the small town called Jena in the northern part of Louisiana, events escalated with a documented noose-hanging on the school campus, previous fights between black and white students, and a perceived threat of intimidation by the local district attorney. The cause of these young men, referred to as the Jena Six, gained notoriety when they were charged in early 2007 with crimes as serious as attempted murder for allegedly participating in the fight. Meanwhile, the white students involved in previous incidents faced little or no criminal sanction. The incident and the criminal charges drew outrage from people throughout the country, especially from other young African-Americans. Many observers saw the situation as a particularly gross manifestation of the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” crisis gripping many communities throughout the nation. Through blogs and continued discussions on African-American radio programs, word of mass action spread, and in September 2007, thousands of protesters marched through Jena in one of the largest demonstrations of the decade.
CHANGE WE BELIEVE IN (2008)
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president in the history of the United States. When the election was called in his favor, people huddled around televisions, shed tears of joy and erupted in spontaneously celebrations throughout the country. Running his campaign on themes of change and hope, Obama inspired a nation and galvanized support from people all of over the world.
HISTORIC SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENT (2009)
Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina U.S. Supreme Court Justice and only the third woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. After being nominated by President Obama in a decidedly bold and historic move, Justice Sotomayor endured a withering attack by conservatives, based largely upon statements she made in the past about her judicial philosophy and the unique role she plays as a Latina federal judge. Ultimately, she was confirmed by the Senate with notable bipartisan support.
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The first decade of the new century has been marked by incredible triumphs, ongoing challenges, and a number of historic moments. Here, we review some (though certainly not all) of the most significant civil rights moments in the last 10 years. These events make clear that while we have made great progress, there is still significant work to be done to overcome contemporary forms of discrimination and to achieve equality.
We encourage you to leave your thoughts and comments on other significant moments of the last decade.