WASHINGTON BUREAU


NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE


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STATEMENT BY HILARY 0. SHELTON


DIRECTOR


NAACP WASHINGTON BUREAU


HEARING BEFORE THE


SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION


 


 


 


OVERSIGHT OF THE U.S. COMMISSION


ON CIVIL RIGHTS


                                                                          


April 11, 2002


Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I come to you today on behalf of the more than 500,000 card-carrying members of the NAACP, who comprise more than 1700 branches across the nation and in Europe and Asia. The NAACP is the oldest, largest and most widely-recognized civil rights organization in the United States, and since it’s founding in 1909, the NAACP has been a leading voice for the civil rights of all Americans.  Whether in the classroom, the community, or the workplace, the NAACP has fought for equal rights before the courts, in the states, and here in our nation’s capitol. I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the work of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.


 


Let me say from the outset that I am somewhat disappointed in this hearing so far in that it appears that the Subcommittee’s primary interest is not the substance of the Commission’s works but rather the day-to-day details of the Commission’s internal management.


 


Given the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction and its long history of helping to construct some of he most important civil rights laws in the history of our nation, I had hoped to come here today to share with you a mutual admiration for the work of the Commission.  I had also hoped to hear representatives of the Commission and the Subcommittee pledge to continue to work together to address some of the more pressing problems that continue to plague our nation.


 


The NAACP deeply appreciates and often relies upon the important work of the Civil Rights Commission. The investigations and reports produced by the Commission, and the recommendations that have come from its work, have been of vital importance to the continued efforts by my association and by this nation to make good on the promise of equality and freedom for all.


 


Like every important civil rights battle that we have fought over the years, the founding of the US Commission on Civil Rights in 1957 was not without controversy.   It was established thanks to the persistence of President Eisenhower and the courage of members of the Congress. The Commission was founded at a time when lynchings and church bombings were still very much a part of American life, and it was the object of at least one proposed bill to “meet the funeral expenses for members of the Civil Rights Commission ....” 


 


As the members of the NAACP know all too well, it is perhaps an occupational hazard of those who choose to speak truth to power that they will become the objects of scorn, ridicule, harassment and persistent efforts to silence them.  The Commission has a long track record in the field of civil rights and of taking positions that are sometimes neither popular with the public nor with the existing political powers.  Yet time and again, the commission has persisted.  Their findings have withstood the test of time and their recommendations have proven to be accurate, if not essential, for helping to mend some of the serious flaws that continue to plague our nation.


 


Many members of this committee are aware of the long record of important issues that the Commission has tackled during its tenure.  Many of the commission’s reports, from the first one in 1959 on the protection of Voting Rights, have led to landmark pieces of legislation that have improved the plight of millions of Americans.


 


While I am probably repeating a history that most Members of this subcommittee are familiar with, I think that the strength of the work of the US Commission on Civil Rights bears repeating again and again.  Due to time constraints, I will highlight only a few of the works of the Commission. I am sorry that I cannot adequately even begin to summarize the depth and breadth of the work of the Commission, and I hope that the Subcommittee will schedule another hearing in the near future to focus on the substance of the work of the Civil Rights Commission.


 


During its tenure, the Commission has investigated and reported on issues affecting native Hawaiians; age discrimination; the education, employment and administrative concerns of native Alaskans; the funding of civil rights enforcement by the federal government; efforts to eradicate employment discrimination in state and local governments; racial and ethnic tensions in American communities; implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; ways of strengthening relations between racial and ethnic minorities and local law enforcement; and environmental justice issues in low-income, racial and ethnic minority communities.


 


Often, the reports issued by the Commission have directly resulted in legislative action by Congress, the states, and local governments.  Often this legislation closely follows many of the recommendations issued by the Commission.


 


As I have mentioned, the commission’s reports have also been of significant assistance to the NAACP.  In the late 1990's, the Commission issued a compilation of essays on the crisis of young, inner city African American men.  This report has been used extensively by the NAACP in our efforts to address many of the issues raised.


 


Lastly, true to its roots, in June 2001 the Commission issued a report on problems that surfaced in the 2000 Presidential election.  As the Subcommittee may be aware, the NAACP was and continues to be very involved in the problems that were brought to light in the 2000 election, and in trying to implement changes at the state and federal level to see that these problems are corrected.  Like the first report issued by the Commission in 1959, the most recent report on voting rights violations is having an impact on election reform legislation currently moving through Congress.


 


And so I would like to thank the members of this subcommittee for allowing me to reemphasize the crucial works of the Commission.  I hope that after your careful examination of the Commission and all that it has done and all that it still has to do, this Subcommittee will become one of its biggest champions, providing it with the resources necessary to be effective in its pursuit of equality and fairness for all Americans. 


 


The Commission serves as the conscience of the nation.  The Commission’s reports allow us to sift fact from fiction, and serves as a barometer to let us know how we as a nation are doing in our promise to provide every American, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or gender with the opportunities to pursue life, liberty and happiness.


 


Our country needs the US Commission on Civil Rights, as it is one of our primary defenses against allowing the forces of racism and bigotry to continue to hold us back from reaching our full potential.