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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Stephen Peters, peters@civilrights.org

Don Owens, dowens@lawyerscommittee.org

Marc Banks, dbanks@naacpnet.org

Rachel Noerdlinger, rnoerdlinger@mercuryllc.com

Angelo Greco, angelo@trillmulticultural.com

Tkeban X.T. Jahannes, tjahannes@ncnw.org

Teresa Candori, tcandori@nul.org

Readout of Civil Rights Leaders Meeting with Senator Joe Manchin

National civil rights leaders today issued a joint readout on their meeting with Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.):

"In a very constructive meeting today, national civil rights leaders met with Senator Manchin to share our policy priorities and concerns related to voting rights and police reform. Specifically, the groups expressed their collective views on the need for Congress to pass both the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

WASHINGTON

National civil rights leaders today issued a joint readout on their meeting with Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.):

"In a very constructive meeting today, national civil rights leaders met with Senator Manchin to share our policy priorities and concerns related to voting rights and police reform. Specifically, the groups expressed their collective views on the need for Congress to pass both the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

"The two voting rights bills are a top priority and essential to protect the freedom to vote. There continues to be an unprecedented partisan wave of state legislative proposals that are aimed at denying the right to vote -- particularly for Black and Brown people. The leaders also conveyed to Senator Manchin that a minority of senators must not be able to abuse the filibuster to impede much needed progress. Congress must act so all Americans have meaningful access to the ballot.

"The groups also urged the senator to support the Justice in Policing Act to provide meaningful changes that would restore trust in law enforcement by holding police accountable for misconduct and ensure the safety of all community members--including Black and Brown people who have disportionately experienced abuse at the hands of police.

"The leaders also shared their appreciation for Senator Manchin's support of nominees for the U.S. Department of Justice, Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke."

Meeting attendees included:

  • Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Convener, Black Women's Roundtable
  • Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Ph.D., National Chair, National Council of Negro Women
  • Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • Damon Hewitt, president and executive director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP
  • Marc H. Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League
  • Reverend Al Sharpton, president and founder, National Action Network

The Lawyers' Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to enlist the private bar's leadership and resources in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity - work that continues to be vital today.

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