On September 9, 2015, the Equal Justice Society and our community of allies took time to pause and reflect on how far we have come to advance civil rights and equality during our annual gala, observing the 50th Anniversaries of the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco.
Together with the Marcus Shelby Jazz Quartet featuring Tiffany Austin, Zaccho Dance Theatre, and actor Steven Anthony Jones, we remembered and celebrated the incredible accomplishments of the civil rights movement. We also honored the Reverend James Lawson, Alicia Garza on behalf of #BlackLivesMatter, Jennifer Eberhardt, and Joaquin Avila for their achievements and contributions.
The celebration was a humbling reminder of the sacrifices men, women, and children made in the name of justice more than 50 years ago. We can only aspire – in our daily lives and work – to carry on their fierce tenacity and courage.
Though our nation has celebrated incredible civil rights victories, this year provided stark reminders of overwhelming racial injustices. We continue to experience and witness the harrowing consequences of racial stereotyping and the negative ramifications when various systems fail to acknowledge and mitigate the impact of implicit bias in our daily lives.
Fortunately, thanks to your gracious and generous financial support, EJS has continued to connect social science, race, and the law in meaningful ways.
Few civil rights organizations – or legal institutions – leverage the intersection between social science and neuroscience in the manifestation of legal proceedings and influencing policy. This niche is unique and one that EJS has filled and continues to build.
Following in the footsteps of the innovative legal and political strategists ofBrown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that outlawed school segregation, our strategy aims to broaden conceptions of present-day discrimination to include implicit bias, racial anxiety and misuse of stereotypes, by using social science, structural analysis, and real-life experience.
Working with social scientists, EJS uses research to convey the ways in which implicit biases perpetuate racial discrimination. Our connections with social scientists inform our development of legal remedies and interventions for public and private institutions alike. This powerful collaboration assists us in shaping public opinion on race.
As institutional funders decrease their investments in racial justice initiatives, EJS continues to strengthen its revenue model by enhancing its individual donor programs. We cannot do this work without generous supporters like you. During our end-of-year campaign, EJS seeks to raise an additional $50,000 to bolster our infrastructure.
Please consider ending the year with a gift to the Equal Justice Society– your support will ensure that EJS marches on with renewed vigor, so we can continue to provide high-quality programming and fight to advance our collective dreams for true racial equality and harmony.
Onward,
Eva Paterson
President, Equal Justice Society
P.S. You can help us reach our goal of $50,000 by donating online.