Human Rights Insider - September 2024

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BOOK CLUB

RFKHR BOOK CLUB EXPLORES THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE KU KLUX KLAN AND THE BRAVE WOMAN WHO CHALLENGED THEM

On August 27, our latest Book Club conversation featured this year’s Robert F. Kennedy Book and Journalism Award’s Honorable Mention, A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them, by Timothy Egan. Moderated by Annette Gordon-Reed, a historian of American history and law professor, the discussion detailed the historical and cultural context of the 1920s resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, how Klan membership became normalized, and what this chapter in American history can teach us about countering extremism in the future. Read more →

Listen to the conversation → ?

RIPPLE OF HOPE

SUSAN CLARK LIVINGSTON, PARTNER AT BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN, NAMED 2024 RIPPLE OF HOPE AWARD LAUREATE

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is pleased to announce Susan Clark Livingston , partner at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), as the latest recipient of its 2024 Ripple of Hope Award. Livingston and the four previously announced laureates will be honored at the organization’s annual Ripple of Hope Gala on December 11 in New York City. “For years, Susan has been a vital part of our RFK Human Rights family,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of RFK Human Rights. “She has diligently supported our human rights work, helping guide and expand our impact worldwide.” Livingston joined BBH in 1985 and eventually became one of the first female partners in the firm’s history. She now serves as a global ambassador and client liaison?for the firm. Throughout her tenure, Livingston has led a number initiatives for charitable organizations – including United Way and City Year – that support local communities in areas of housing, health, and education. Read more →

Learn more about this year’s Ripple of Hope Gala →

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JOHN LEWIS YOUNG LEADERS

FORMER FELLOW SAANVI ARORA’S CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 2608 PASSED INTO LAW

On July 15, 2024, California Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2608 into law. The bill, which ensures that students on California college campuses receive education and resources about drug-assisted sexual assault, was drafted and lobbied for by Saanvi Arora , a 2023-2024 John Lewis Young Leaders (JLYL) Fellow, and other students. The fellowship “established a safety net of support” financially for Saanvi, allowing her to pay for other students to come with her to Sacramento to lobby, a key component to getting this bill passed. “I think a lot of the time people, especially students and young people, overlook how they can impact public policy. Oftentimes voting is viewed as the ceiling when it comes to engagement for young people. But,” Saanvi said, “I think this was really a testament to how you could be creative with your civic engagement and find your voice in the institutions that otherwise seem too complex and far away for you to impact.”

Read more → ?

RFK HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE NEWS

• Sarah Decker in Verite News —Louisiana immigration lockup fails to provide translation services for detainees, complaint alleges: U.S. Staff Attorney Sarah Decker spoke with Verite News about the lack of language access at Winn Correctional Center, a Louisiana immigration detention facility. “What has resulted in Winn, as one of the largest facilities in the region, is that they just simply don’t have the structure to support people who are non-English speakers,” Decker said.
• Angelita Baeyens in Voice of America —Bangladeshi families look to commission for answers on enforced disappearances: With the Bangladeshi interim government’s announcement of a new commission to investigate enforced disappearances during the former Prime Minister’s term, families hope they can finally find closure and seek justice. “The commission of inquiry has a monumental task ahead, especially because there are still perpetrators in high places that will do anything they can to secure continued impunity,” said Angelita Baeyens, VP of International Advocacy and Litigation. “But we hope it is a successful effort and that the victims can finally find answers.”
• Jonathan Lam in NBC News —States consider banning legacy admissions at universities, sparking debate: An August 30 NBC News segment —featuring former John Lewis Young Leaders fellow and Cornell University student Jonathan Lam —highlighted states’ recent moves to prohibit legacy admissions. “If the Supreme Court is arguing that no student should receive any preference because of their race in the admissions process, then no one should be receiving an admissions consideration simply because their mom and their dad attended that school,” said Lam. Roughly 30% of institutions nationwide currently consider legacy status.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 14 at 1 p.m. ET—RFKHR Book Club— The Movement , by Clara Bingham: On the next installment of our RFKHR Book Club, author Clara Bingham will discuss her latest book, The Movement. Through the captivating individual voices of the people who lived it, The Movement tells the intimate inside story of what it felt like to be at the forefront of the modern feminist crusade. We hope you’ll join us for the discussion!
• December 11—2024 Ripple of Hope Award Gala, New York, NY: This year's laureates include Susan Clark Livingston, partner at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.; Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter, actor, director, and producer; Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments; and Tom Wilson, chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation. The laureates will be honored on Wednesday, December 11, at a ceremony in New York City emceed by Alec Baldwin. Learn more about this year’s laureates and register for the ceremony.

Header photo of Sen. Robert Kennedy ? Lawrence Schiller.

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