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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. 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 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 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 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 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 (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, 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, and view our full year in review here. 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? Sincerely, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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