Civil Rights: Online Sources

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, created in 1957 by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all persons in the United States, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), disability, religion, familial status, national origin, and citizenship status.

The NAACP formed in 1909 in response to the continued practice of lynching African-Americans. Since its formation, members of this group have fought for African-Americans to have equal protection under the law and equal access to education, jobs, and voting.

Over the past five decades, the Section and its members have worked on hundreds of issues addressing a broad range of civil rights, civil liberties, and international human rights. Today, the Section continues to promote policies affecting racial equality, environmental and economic justice, LGBT rights, gender equity, and other significant civil rights issues.

The Leadership Conference is a coalition of more than 200 organizations focused on protecting civil and human rights.

This Organization was founded in 1996. Its mission is to increase awareness of social justice and racial equity issues. Additionally, they have commissioned research studies on a variety of subjects like education, the Country's changing demographics, and crises confronting underrepresented populations.

This Durham based Organization is comprised of a multidisciplinary team that works to protect the rights of people of color and poverty stricken populations.

A state focused research and advocacy organization whose mission is to eliminate poverty. The NC Justice Center is currently working on seven projects including the Workers’ Rights Project, the Education and Law Project, the Consumer Protection and Housing Project, and the Health Access Coalition.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American 501 nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation

The UNC Center for Civil Rights was founded by Julius L. Chambers in 2001. Its mission is to ensure social and economic justice for low income and minority populations through advocacy and legal education.

The American Civil Liberties Union works to protect individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. Founded by a small groups of attorneys in 1919, this organization has grown today to almost 200 staff attorneys. Current campaigns include Immigration Detention, Defending Targets of Discrimination, and Equal Justice.