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IN THIS ISSUE

Front Page

Letter from the President

Notes on the Right: The Real “Unmentionable Secret”

Poll Shows Californians Think Race Discrimination Still a Problem

Unique Collaboration with Teachers’ Union Addresses Unconscious Bias in the Classroom

Dismantling the Intent Doctrine: an International View

Inequality in the Gene Age

Two New Books Focus on Rights Won and Lost

EJS Welcomes New Members; Motley Fellowship Launch

Staff/Board News & Notes

Newsletter Editors:
Elaine Elinson
Miguel Gavaldon

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Two New Books Focus on
Rights Won and Lost

By Keith Kamisugi

The National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights and the Equal Justice Society hosted a book discussion April 18 at Berkeley's Black Oak Books on Awakening from the Dream: Civil Rights under Siege and the New Struggle for Equal Justice.

The event, moderated by Kimberly Thomas Rapp of EJS, featured former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and Assistant Counsel Bill Lann Lee and Santa Clara University School of Law professor Lia Epperson, who wrote a chapter on the rollback of civil rights protections for African Americans.

Susan Lerner, director of the California Clean Money Campaign, authored a chapter on "Restoring the Balance of Power in the Federal Courts" on behalf of EJS.

Edited by the late Denise C. Morgan, Rachel D. Godsil and Joy Moses, with a forward by Erwin Chemerinsky, the book examines the Supreme Court's methodical dismantling of federal laws that advance inclusion, equal membership, political participation, and economic mobility in our diverse community. This important book weaves the plight of real people with incisive legal essays documenting the devastating impact of the Supreme Court's federalism revolution on our society.

The Berkeley book event honored the important work of book editor Denise Morgan, who unexpectedly passed away April 7 at the young age of 41. Professor Morgan was a professor of education policy and the law, federal courts, civil procedure, and a seminar on race and American history at New York Law School and noted advocate for fiscal equity in public education in New York.

Among her many accomplishments, Morgan wrote extensively about civil rights and equal educational opportunity, covering such topics as single-sex schools and desegregation law.

Click here to learn more and to purchase the book.

Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of
Voter Suppression

"With searing detail and the stories of real voters, Overton reveals a dirty little secret: our democratic system is crumbling and, with it, the legitimacy of our institutions," said Congressman John Conyers of a compelling new book by Spencer Overton, a law professor at George Washington University and an early collaborator with EJS. .

Published by W.W. Norton, Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, uses real-life stories to show how these seemingly insignificant practices channel political power and determine policies on war, schools, clean air, and other issues that shape our lives.

Overton also exposes the pressure points in this Orwellian system and provides strategies toward restoring self-government, such as making voting easier for all Americans, removing redistricting power from self-interested partisans, and renewing parts of the Voting Rights Act that expire in 2007.

Incumbent politicians maintain thousands of election practices and bureaucratic hurdles that determine who votes and how votes are counted--such as the location of election district boundaries, long lines at urban polling places, and English-only ballots.

National political strategist Donna Brazile calls Overton's exposé a "thorough, brilliant and impartial assessment of continuing problems at the ballot box."

Visit www.spenceroverton.com to learn more about the book.

Clearinghouse Review:“What the Federal Government Must Do to End Poverty”

EJS is focusing on the importance of the role of government as a force for good, particularly in light of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where the government abandoned its responsibilities, and the continuing attempts of the Bush Administration to dismantle government policies and agencies that enhance the public good.

The latest special issue of the Clearinghouse Review, “What the Federal Government Must Do to End Poverty” provides an excellent analysis and a key resource for those who believe our government has a special (but neglected) responsibility to address social justice issues.

May-June 2006 Special Issue of Clearinghouse Review: What the Federal Government Must Do to End Poverty

The May-June issue of Clearinghouse Review is a blueprint for an effective federal strategy to end poverty in America. Articles by prominent policy experts and specialists in poverty law analyze the factors keeping persons in poverty and offer solutions for the federal government to apply to eliminate poverty.

Visit www.povertylaw.org for more information.