After over ten years of activists pushing for an expanded definition of what ‘hate crimes’ covers, yesterday President Barack Obama signed into law a provision that does just that.  Attached to a defense authorization bill, the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, is named after Matthew Shepard, a gay college student tortured and killed in 1998, and James Byrd Jr., a black man who was dragged to death after being chained to a pickup truck that same year.

Judy Shepard, mother of slain Matthew Shepard, and President Obama

The signing of the measure by the President was attended by many, including Shepard’s parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as members of the family of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, to whom the measure was always clearly a priority.  Speaking about the new law, Obama articulated the following, that was greeted by applause:

“We’ve passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray, or who they are.”

The law broadens the scope of the statute passed in the 1968 aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which previously used language that made hate crimes those crimes that were committed against people  because of their race, religion or national origin.  The new legislation expands hate crimes to included those attacked based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

This also allows that the U.S. Justice Department has expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don’t.

While Sojourn to the Past focuses our educational trip on the Civil Rights Movement activities that happened decades ago, we agree that any day where progress is made to protect the rights of all Americans is a victory in line with our efforts.

A group called ‘Legacy & Lessons’ has partnered with a list of very large national organizations (National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, ASCD – formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council for the Social Studies, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation), and is coordinating a Civil Rights-themed essay competition, with winners to be announced February 1, 2010.

The description of the contest cites the following: “The Legacy Essay Contest is about revealing the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in contemporary experience and current events.  It is about comparing the experiences of the Civil Rights generation with those of the younger generation today in order to clarify the lessons for achieving genuine racial equality.”  Students who have participated in the Sojourn to the Past educational trip are extremely qualified to speak about their personal experiences and the knowledge gained through Sojourn.  [Note: Students eligible for the contest are current high school juniors and seniors.]

The winning essayist receives $3,000 in cash AND a laptop computer, with each of the five finalists also receiving $500 cash and a laptop.  Students, be aware that one caveat is that submissions have to be submitted through a certified high school teacher – so let your teacher know that this is something you’re interested in entering so that you can verify their ability to submit your response.  The deadline for submission is December 15, 2009.

For more information about the essay contest, visit The National Gallery of Writing site.  Good luck to all of our students, make us proud!

Friday, prominent Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers – who was murdered in 1963 in his own driveway after meeting with NAACP lawyers – was honored with the naming of a Navy Supply Ship after him. This follows a Navy tradition of giving ships in the support fleet names of honored pioneers, explorers, and other notables.

Medgar Evers, Civil Rights Activist and Honoree

The announcement was made during former Mississippi governor and current Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’s speech at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.

Evers, who was the NAACP’s first field secretary for the state of Mississippi, was integral during the Civil Rights Movement in MS, in organizing nonviolent protests, voter registration drives, and boycotts. And, his tragic death was the impetus that prompted President John F. Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.

An administration statement that was released in conjunction with the Navy’s announcement said the following of Evers:

“At a time when our country was wrestling with finally ending segregation and racial injustice, Evers lead civil rights efforts to secure the right to vote for all African-Americans and to integrate public facilities, schools and restaurants.”

Medgar Evers was thirty-seven years old when he was shot, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Sojourn to the Past remembers, recognizes, and honors Civil Rights activists who came before us like Mr. Evers. We hope to continue his legacy of nonviolent, educated actions in the fight for equality for all.

Thomas Perez

Earlier today, the Senate voted 72-22 to confirm President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the Civil Rights Division within the Justice Department. Civil Rights attorney Thomas E. Perez was named Assistant Attorney General, Head of the Civil Rights Division. Once announced as the nominee, confirmation hearings were held back in April; however, debate between party lines kept him in the holding pattern until recently.

Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, had the following to say about the confirmation:

“There are no questions about the qualifications of Tom Perez. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Perez made clear his commitment that the Justice Department would enforce the law. In the arena of civil rights, living up to those assurances is particularly important. Given that Tom Perez has a distinguished record of public service and a long career advancing civil rights, I have full confidence that he is the right person to restore the Civil Rights Division to its finest traditions of independent law enforcement.”

To learn more about Thomas Perez, visit his page in Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, where he served as Secretary of the Department.

How World Peace Starts, by Getty Images

Truman Capote once said, “A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue.”  Dialogue – by definition – is an exchange of ideas or opinions between two or more persons.  However, as Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, writer, and activist points out, “In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.”  It makes one stop and think: How often are people, specifically Americans, having true discussions about anything at all – let alone in the context of the topic of race.

There was no shortage of people, who, when Barack Obama was elected 44th President of the United States proclaimed that the benchmark of selecting a non-white President meant that we were living in a ‘post-racial era’.  What we’ve seen in the months since – from the commentary surrounding a Newsweek cover asking ‘Is Your Baby Racist?’ to the sentiments that former President Jimmy Carter shared about much of the country not being ready for an African-American President – is that the nation is not living in a post-racial anything.  For better or for worse, racially-rooted issues are now just as prevalent as ever.  What more realistically has arrived through ushering in the Obama administration is that with the amount of coverage our media-savvy President receives, the idea of race weaves itself into more and more conversations.  It allows race (and racism) to be addressed, rather than something many people would prefer not to talk about.  It challenges parents and companies alike to answer questions they avoided before.  And it stirs minds – both young and old – to perhaps consider something they hadn’t before.

In introducing these fresh dialogues, Slate magazine online provides an interest-piquing commentary about racism – and how its meaning has been diluted by its somewhat over-use this year.  It has become a convenient political insult [from both sides of the aisle], instead of describing intentional disparities in equality that are race-based.

At the end of the day, it’s clear that true racism and racial discrimination still exist in a country that was founded on the freedoms that are the polar opposite of those hateful sentiments.  The answer is not simple, and won’t happen over-night because of any political or cultural event.  But, organizations like Sojourn to the Past and others who share our vision, know that inciting intelligent, non-threatening conversation and education – especially among young people – are a big step in the process.  We believe strongly that empowering America’s youth to understand the past, and to inspire others to positive action for the future is our best chance and biggest influence in the fight to equality for all.