United States Commission on Civil Rights facts for kids
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | September 9, 1957 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Agency executive |
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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) is an important group in the United States federal government. It was created in 1957 by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 when Eisenhower was president.
The main job of the CCR is to look into problems related to civil rights in the U.S. This means they investigate if people are being treated unfairly because of their race, gender, where they come from, or if they have a disability. They then write reports and suggest ways to fix these problems.
In December 2023, Rochelle Mercedes Garza became the Chair of the CCR. She is the youngest person ever to hold this important position. Even though the original law that created the commission ended in 1996, Congress has continued to provide money for it to keep working.
Contents
Who Are the Commissioners?
The commission has eight members, called commissioners. These people are chosen in different ways to make sure the group is fair and represents different viewpoints.
- Four commissioners are chosen by the President of the United States.
- Two are chosen by the leader of the Senate, called the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
- Two are chosen by the leader of the House of Representatives, called the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As of December 2022, here are some of the people who were on the commission:
Commissioners Appointed by the President
- Stephen Gilchrist (Republican) – He leads the South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce. President Donald Trump appointed him in May 2020.
- J. Christian Adams (Republican) – He is the President of the Public Interest Legal Foundation. President Trump appointed him in August 2020.
- Rochelle Garza (Democrat) – She is an attorney and leads the Texas Civil Rights Project. President Joe Biden appointed her in March 2023.
- Victoria Nourse (Democrat) – She is a law professor at Georgetown University Law School. President Joe Biden appointed her in March 2023.
Commissioners Appointed by the Senate
- Gail Heriot (Independent) – She is a law professor at the University of San Diego. She was first appointed in 2007 and reappointed in 2013.
- Glenn Magpantay (Democrat) – He is a civil rights attorney and law professor. He was appointed in March 2023.
Commissioners Appointed by the House of Representatives
- Peter N. Kirsanow (Republican) – He is a partner at a law firm in Ohio. He was first appointed in 2001 and reappointed several times, most recently in 2019.
- Mondaire Jones (Democrat) – He used to be a U.S. Representative for New York. He was appointed in December 2022.
History of the Commission
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has a long and important history of working to protect people's rights.
How the Commission Started
The commission was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957. This law was passed because a special committee had suggested that a permanent group was needed to keep an eye on civil rights.
This committee said that in a fair society, it's important to always check how well civil rights are protected. They believed a temporary group couldn't solve these problems for good. They wanted a permanent commission to:
- Collect information about civil rights.
- See how well civil rights were being protected.
- Help connect different groups working on civil rights.
- Make recommendations for new actions and laws.
Lyndon B. Johnson, who was a Senator at the time, said the commission's job was to "gather facts instead of charges." He believed it could find the truth and suggest helpful solutions.
Since 1957, the commission's work has been updated by new laws in 1983, 1991, and 1994.
Early Challenges and Impact
Soon after it started, the first six commissioners began their work. They included people like John A. Hannah, president of Michigan State University, and Father Theodore Hesburgh, president of the University of Notre Dame.
Their first big project was to check how people were registering to vote in Montgomery, Alabama. But they faced problems right away. A judge named George C. Wallace, who later became governor and supported white supremacy, tried to stop them. He even threatened to jail any commission agent who tried to get voting records.
Despite this, the commission held its hearing. Many people came forward and shared how their right to vote was being unfairly blocked. The commissioners even had to stay at a military base because all the city's hotels were segregated, meaning Black and white people couldn't stay together.
After Alabama, the commission held hearings on school segregation in Nashville, Tennessee and housing discrimination in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. The information they collected and their suggestions were given to Congress and the President. This work helped create major civil rights laws, including:
- The Civil Rights Act of 1960
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965
- The Fair Housing Act of 1968
The commission's work helped change how people in America thought about civil rights. For example, in 1956, less than half of white Americans thought Black and white students should go to the same schools. By 1963, that number jumped to 62%. Support for ending segregation on buses and in public places also grew a lot during this time.
Changes in the Late 20th Century
In 1977, the commission wrote a report called Sex Bias in the U.S. Code, which looked at unfair laws based on gender.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Clarence M. Pendleton, Jr. as the first Black chairman of the commission. He had different ideas about civil rights and reduced the commission's staff and programs.
In 1983, President Reagan tried to remove three commissioners. They went to court, saying a president could only fire a commissioner for "misbehavior." A deal was made, which led to the current system of eight commissioners. Half are chosen by the president, and half by Congress. Their terms last six years and don't end when a new president takes office. Since then, the commission has worked to stay independent, even when its members have different political views.
In 1990, Congress used a report from the commission to help pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This important law helps protect the rights of people with disabilities.
The Commission in the 21st Century
In the early 2000s, during the George W. Bush administration, the commission faced more disagreements among its members. Some argued it wasn't useful anymore. After 2004, with more conservative members appointed, the commission did fewer investigations.
In 2007, Commissioner Gail Heriot spoke about how valuable the agency is. She said that for the small amount of money it costs, the commission has had a huge impact.
List of Chairpersons, 1958–present
- John A. Hannah, 1958–1969
- Theodore Hesburgh, 1969–1972
- J. Stephen Horn, 1972–1974 (Acting)
- Arthur S. Flemming, 1974–1981
- Clarence M. Pendleton Jr., 1981–1988
- William B. Allen, 1988–1989
- Arthur Fletcher, 1990–1993
- Mary Frances Berry, 1993–2004
- Gerald A. Reynolds, 2004–2011
- Martin R. Castro, 2011–2016
- Catherine E. Lhamon, 2016–2021
- Norma V. Cantu, 2021–present
How the Commission Works
The eight commissioners serve terms that last six years. They are chosen so that no more than four commissioners can be from the same political party. Also, the two members chosen by the Senate cannot be from the same party, and the same goes for the two members chosen by the House.
The President chooses a chair and a vice chair for the commission, but most of the commissioners must agree with the choice. The Staff Director, who helps run the commission's daily work, is also chosen by the President with the agreement of most commissioners.
State Advisory Committees
The commission has also set up 51 State Advisory Committees (SACs). Think of these as the "eyes and ears" of the commission in each state and Washington, D.C. These committees help the main commission by:
- Planning their work.
- Gathering facts.
- Writing reports.
Each state committee has at least eleven members. Like the main commission, they hold public meetings and hearings to find facts and then write reports.
What the Commission Does
The commission looks into claims of unfair treatment based on a person's race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. They also study problems with voting rights and fairness in the justice system.
Even though the commission cannot directly enforce laws, its members work to make sure federal civil rights laws are followed. Their suggestions often lead to new actions or laws being passed by Congress.
The commissioners meet every month. They hold six briefings on topics they choose, which are related to possible discrimination. Before these meetings, the commission's staff prepares reports and arranges for people to speak as witnesses. Each year, the commission writes recommendations and sends them to Congress by September 30.
