By Thomas E. Perez Commentary In 2009 when I took the reins at the Civil Rights Division, I made a commitment to division staff and to the nation that I would work to restore and transform the division that Attorney General Eric Holder has called a “crown jewel” of the … Read More

By Dianne Piché and Scott Simpson The rapid rise in enrollment at for-profit colleges in recent years set the stage for a new civil rights battle over inequality in higher education. The question for policymakers: Should career education programs be able to participate in federal student financial aid programs if … Read More

By Dianne Piché Fixing the nation’s K-12 public education system to prepare all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability status, or, most importantly, ZIP code, for higher education or a job that pays a living wage is one of the most critical challenges facing the United States. The 21st century … Read More

By Rob Randhava Spurred on by the electoral victories of conservative tea party-backed candidates in 2010, a new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives engaged in a series of efforts to drastically slash the federal budget. Each attempt triggered intense debates over taxes, spending, and the nature of federal … Read More

This article appeared in the Winter 2012 edition of the Civil Rights Monitor. Karen Tanenbaum In 2011, voting rights advocates found themselves fighting a wide range of attempts to create barriers to broad participation to voting—making it more difficult for people of color, people with disabilities, students, low-income workers, and … Read More