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Leaders Underscore Importance Of Fighting Racial Discrimination |
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Written by administrator
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Feb 05, 2010 at 03:21 AM |
Ajamu Baraka,
Executive Director of the US Human Rights Network
As part of Black History Month, civil and human rights organizations and leaders are calling for an end to all forms of racial discrimination within the United States. But in this struggle to end racial discrimination many people are unaware that the US is obligated under international human rights law to bring its laws and practices in line with international human rights standards related to racial inequality and non-discrimination. International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a treaty that the US ratified in 1994 and at that time, pledged to comply with its terms.
By advocating for a strengthened compliance with the Convention Against Racial Discrimination, groups like The Campaign for a New Domestic Human Rights Agenda call on the Administration to prioritize domestic human rights within its 2010 agenda.
The Convention Against Racial Discrimination is a human rights treaty that requires all ratifying nations to condemn racial discrimination, work towards eliminating both direct and indirect forms of discrimination, and promote understanding among all races. The United States ratified the Convention Against Racial Discrimination in 1994.
In the State of the Union address last week, President Obama emphasized that his “Administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate.”
Taking aggressive steps to address employment discrimination is particularly important in times of economic crisis, which serves to exacerbate existing economic inequalities experienced by people of color. In New York City, for example, the unemployment rate for blacks was at a rate four times that of whites—with the African-American unemployment rate at 16.2%.
On the heels of the President’s speech and with Black History Month as the perfect announcement opportunity, advocates are calling on the Obama Administration to ensure compliance with CERD by taking legislative action to effectively implement the Convention’s provisions and promote its full execution.
“Essential to any enforcement efforts is establishing appropriate mechanisms to ensure a coordinated approach towards the implementation of the Convention at the federal, state and local levels,” said Ejim Dike, Director of the Human Rights Project, Urban Justice Center.
While President Obama has made significant strides to prioritize human rights, advocates claim his actions are not as consistent here at home.
Dike continues, “racial profiling continues to be a widespread and pervasive problem throughout the United States, impacting the lives of families and communities of color on a daily basis. Nine in ten New Yorkers that are stopped, questioned, and/or frisked by NYPD are Black or Latino. Only one in ten of these encounters result in a summons or arrest, which indicates that the stops lacked reasonable suspicion in the first place.
In the United States each year, children as young as thirteen are sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison without any opportunity for release. Approximately 2,570 children are sentenced to juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) in the United States. Despite a global consensus that children cannot be held to the same standards of responsibility as adults and recognition that children are entitled to special protection and treatment, the United States allows children to be treated and punished as adults.
A disproportionate number of these youths are of color. On average, black youth are serving life sentences without parole at a rate that is ten times that of white youth. In states like Pennsylvania, California, and Connecticut, the rate is much higher—between 18 to 48 times more. The CERD Committee has concluded that the imposition of JLWOP violates the treaty obligations of the United States under the Convention Against Racial Discrimination.
During Black History Month, leaders will be petitioning the Obama Administration to take the necessary steps to eliminate these injustices. Too many of the inequalities in America can be linked to discriminatory practices and structural barriers to equal opportunity.
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Last Updated ( Feb 05, 2010 at 03:22 AM )
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