To order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess ny time. We welcome everyone to todays hearing on the department of justice Civil Rights Division. With that, we will have the pledge of allegiance. ■m arizona lead us in the pledge of allegiance . Our colleague, mr. Biggs marzano will be able to participate in the hearing today for the purpose of questioning the witness. If a member yields him time for that purpose, i will now recognize myself for an opening statement. Thank our witness for being here today. The Civil Rights Division is responsible for the enforcement of civil rights statutes enacted by congress and related constitutional guarantees. Rt. I too, in a previous life served in the department of justice, having served as special assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of texas. My job there as the witness and my colleaguekn was the chief of police in sweetwater texas. His job was to equally enforce the law. My grandmother was the fi
In audible conversations for thank you everyone for being here today. We know that its busy with many things happening tha but it is incredibly important that we be voting on basic and talk about voting and the basic tenets of our democracy in terms of Voting Rights. Every citizen who wants to vote is able to cast a vote must be at the top of congress agenda. At the local level many of us have heard stories about how difficult voting can be. Registering to vote in a place where they go to school or even functioning Voting Machines that lead to long lines and voters that need to get back to work, so they have to get up and leave their lives. Weve seen that over and over again. 2015 was the first president ial election and half century or the full Voting Rights act was not in effect. While some states and local communities have improved access to voting, others have restricted it often by targeting poor people and minority communities. The Supreme Court refused to hear on North Carolinas
In audible conversations for thank you everyone for being here today. We know that its busy with many things happening tha but it is incredibly important that we be voting on basic and talk about voting and the basic tenets of our democracy in terms of Voting Rights. Every citizen who wants to vote is able to cast a vote must be at the top of congress agenda. At the local level many of us have heard stories about how difficult voting can be. Registering to vote in a place where they go to school or even functioning Voting Machines that lead to long lines and voters that need to get back to work, so they have to get up and leave their lives. Weve seen that over and over again. 2015 was the first president ial election and half century or the full Voting Rights act was not in effect. While some states and local communities have improved access to voting, others have restricted it often by targeting poor people and minority communities. The Supreme Court refused to hear on North Carolinas
For the naacp Legal Defense fund. The organization that i am proud to say i work for and that is responsible for brown and fisher. And so i want to give a little bit of hello . I want to give sorry. I want to give a little bit of background about myself. I am ive been with the Legal Defense fund since march of this year. But worked in the Obama Administration and on the hill for quite some time. But this issue and the reason i am happy to be here with all of you today is personal to me. I am originally from new orleans but also went to school in selma, alabama. Which im sure all of you are familiar with. My father, dr. Norwood russo was the first black school sup superintendent in selma, alabama [ applause ] thank you. In 1987. When he arrived, selma was a very integrated School System. The selma city schools were incredibly integrated. They had, though, what is called inSchool Segregation. They had a tracking system where the majority of africanamerican students were in level three or
Watch afterwards tonight at 9 00 p. M. On cspan2s book tv. September marks the 50th anniversary of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, signed into law by president Dwight Eisenhower. Up next on American History tv, director of the eisenhower president ial library and offered David Nichols talk about president eisenhowers role in getting the legislation through congress. They also challenge myths around president eisenhowers civil rights legacy, the u. S. Commission on civil rights posted this event. It is 45 minutes. Presentation scheduled for today. President eisenhowers civil rights legacy and a creation of the u. S. Commission on civil rights. 1957,tember 9, president Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1957, establishing the u. S. Commission on civil rights. This legislation was the first major civil rights legislation since the reconstruction era, creating but this commission and United States department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The law was a testament to the