Friend,
This year was rife with challenges, and there were too many notable
stories to count. However, as 2021 comes to a close, we're reflecting
on six standout moments that impacted our work. These moments were not
all victories - but nonetheless, they have shaped the year and
changed the course of our nation.
Now is the time to give to help us continue the fight for our shared
values of justice and human rights in the new year. Gifts made before
midnight on Dec. 31 will be MATCHED dollar for dollar!
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DONATE
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Voting Rights in Georgia and Florida
As a response to a heavy turnout, especially by people of color, in
the 2020 presidential election and the 2021 U.S. Senate elections,
Georgia's state legislators moved swiftly to pass an anti-voting
law, SB 202, that erects barriers for voters, especially those of
color. Many of its provisions are unconstitutional.
The SPLC and our allies sued
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Gov. Brian Kemp and several counties in Sixth District of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp. Co-counsels were American Civil
Liberties Union, ACLU of Georgia, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational
Fund Inc. and the law firms of Davis Wright Tremaine and WilmerHale.
The lawsuit represents many groups that are harmed by SB 202,
including Black voters, new U.S. citizens, religious organizations and
people whose English proficiency is limited.
In Florida, Fair Elections Center and the SPLC filed a lawsuit
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to challenge Florida Senate Bill 90, an omnibus voting rights bill
that, among other things, requires civic organizations engaged in
voter registration activities to provide misleading information to
voters that the organization "might not" submit their
registration application on time and to direct voters to the online
registration portal.
The Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol
A mob breached the halls of Congress on January 6 to prevent U.S.
lawmakers from certifying the Electoral College vote. Five people
died. About 140 police officers were assaulted during 187 chaotic
minutes.
The siege of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., pointed to a
troubling trend: While the Southern Poverty Law Center tracked a
variety of extremists and far-right and anti-government groups, such
as the Proud Boys
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and Oath Keepers, a large number of those arrested in the aftermath
were not affiliated with a specific hate or anti-government group.
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 700 people
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with violent crimes that range from conspiracy to destruction of
property.
Criminal Justice and COVID-19 Protections
In Fraihat, et al., v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, et
al., the SPLC and our allies challenged conditions of detainment for
medically vulnerable people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (
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ICE) custody. In April 2020, the Criminal Justice team secured a
preliminary injunction from a federal court that - along with
subsequent related orders - asked that ICE limit transfers to
prevent the spread of COVID-19; to improve precautions in detention
facilities; and, critically, to identify, review and, in many cases,
release those people in ICE detention at high risk of COVID-19.
Unfortunately, a panel with two Trump appointees in the federal 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this injunction. Still, the
Fraihat preliminary injunction has had an immense impact on keeping
people safe in the pandemic. More than 20,000 medically vulnerable
people have been released from ICE detention since April 2020 because
of the order and subsequent enforcement efforts.
Derek Chauvin Guilty of Killing George Floyd
A jury on April 20 found the former Minneapolis Police officer, who
knelt on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, guilty
on three counts of murder and manslaughter. The death of Floyd
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, a Black man, at the hand of a white police officer in May 2020
sparked a national racial reckoning to fundamentally transform
policing and end police violence against Black people.
Derek Chauvin, 45, was sentenced to serve a prison term of 22 years,
six months. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which bans
chokeholds and ends qualified immunity - the legal protection
that limits victims' ability to sue police officers for
misconduct - awaits further action in the Senate after gaining
approval in the House in March.
Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict
Rittenhouse, now 18, was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and
reckless endangerment for killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony
Huber, 26, and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, 27. Rittenhouse, like his
victims, is white. After nearly 3 1/2 days of deliberations, a jury on
Nov. 19 cleared Rittenhouse of all charges.
"The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse will add fuel to the fire of
armed radicalization of America," said SPLC president and CEO
Margaret Huang. "That a while male youth can travel across state
lines, armed with an assault rifle, and engage in armed confrontation
resulting in multiple deaths without facing criminal accountability,
is the all-too-familiar outcome in a country where systemic racism
continues to rot the system."
Immigrant Justice in Florida
The SPLC's Immigrant Justice Project, along with co-counsels
Community Justice Project and the Immigration Clinic of the University
of Miami School of Law, won City of South Miami, et al. v. DeSantis,
et al., a lawsuit against Florida's anti-sanctuary cities bill,
SB 168.
The Florida law, drafted in coordination with groups affiliated with
white supremacists, including SPLC-designated hate groups, prohibited
sanctuary policies and required local police to act as agents for ICE.
Turning local police into federal immigration agents undermines any
trust the police have built with the immigrant community, which
ultimately undermines public safety for everyone in Florida.
Every one of these moments is a reminder that The Southern Poverty Law
Center's 50-year mission to battle racial and social injustice
is still incredibly necessary. You can read more about our top legal
cases of 2021 here
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, and view our full year in review here
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.
As we wrap up 2021, two things are certain. The first is that when
people share a vision and passion for justice, equity and human
rights, we can accomplish incredible, life-altering victories. The
second is that this work cannot cease until we end the great
injustices that persist in the Deep South and across our nation. Thank
you for being an essential part of our movement this year. Will you
make a special MATCHED year-end gift today to support our work for
years to come?
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DONATE
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Sincerely,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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