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Are you actively seeking justice in your daily life? God calls us to treat others with fairness, equality, and dignity. We are called to defend the vulnerable, love our neighbors, and seek His kingdom. Let's strive to be instruments of His righteousness, transforming and restoring our communities. #Justice #Fairness #Equality #GodsWill Read full devotion:

As we approach Juneteenth, let us not only reflect on the terror that darkens the pages of our nation’s storybook. Let us also celebrate how the bravery and resilience of our ancestors led us to the freedoms known in our country today. Acknowledge that through slavery, deferred freedoms, and ultimately the continued fight for civil rights, the true essence of America is found. May this federal holiday serve as a reminder that the legacy left for each of us enjoying these freedoms is to continue driving peaceful discussion and demanding change that disrupts ‘societal norms’ or policy that otherwise revoke equality for all. #Juneteenth #blacklivesmatter #representationmatters #supplierdiversity #dei

This interpretation and written clarification of the 1964 Civil Rights Act marks a significant step in implementing the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. We commend POTUS for making it clear that antisemitic, Islamophobic and related discrimination and bias are covered by Title VI.

Did you know that today marks 197 years that the enslaved Africans in New York State were emancipated? New York State became the first state to legally abolish slavery onJuly 4, 1827! The state of New York had a law dating back to 1799 that had rules on slowly emancipating the future future generations of those who would be born into slavery. This is something your history books did not teach you in school. https://lnkd.in/eNuz9dKk.

**Law and Policy Update: July – August 2024** Over the past two months, significant legislative developments have shaped the landscape for Christian communities. These updates underscore the importance of staying informed and proactive. We encourage you to delve into these changes to understand their full impact. To aid in this process, we’ve included a prayer guide to help navigate these complex issues with faith and clarity. Read more HERE: https://lnkd.in/gebSDECh #LawAndPolicyUpdate #ChristianLegislation #FaithInAction #PolicyImpact #LegislativeChanges #ChristianCommunity #FaithAndLaw #PrayersForPolicy #LegalUpdates2024 #ChristianResponse #NavigatingChange #FaithfulResponse #PolicyPrayerGuide #LegislativeInsights #ChristianAdvocacy #SaltAndLight

🤔 Imagine if the founding fathers of our nation had written a Constitution with a legal framework strong enough to end the institution of slavery upon its passage? 📜 As we reflect on America's history, it is important to consider the possibilities and the impact such a decision could have had on the course of our nation. The institution of slavery cast a dark shadow on our past, and had the founding fathers taken a bold stance against it from the very beginning, our future could have been vastly different. Slavery, as we know, was a dehumanizing practice that tore families apart and denied millions of people their fundamental rights. It is hard to comprehend the immense suffering endured by those who were enslaved, and the lasting legacy it has left on our society. But what if, instead of compromising for the sake of unity, the founding fathers had crafted a Constitution with an explicit and unequivocal language that condemned slavery? What if they had enshrined the principle of equality for all into our nation's founding document? Imagine how the moral fabric of our young nation would have been fundamentally altered. The principles of freedom, justice, and equality would not have been mere ideals to strive for, but core values that guided our nation from its very inception. The ramifications would have been far-reaching. Slavery's grip on our nation's history might have been weakened, leading to a more rapid end of this cruel institution. The long and painful struggle for civil rights may have been curtailed, as the fight for equality would have been infused into the fabric of our society from the start. This alternate reality begs the question of what kind of nation we would be today. Would the scars of slavery still haunt us, or would the emancipatory vision of our founding fathers have set us on a more inclusive path? In thinking about this hypothetical scenario, we must recognize that change takes time, and it often requires courage and sacrifice to challenge entrenched systems of injustice. It took decades of tireless efforts, led by courageous individuals, to bring about the eventual abolition of slavery and the pursuit of civil rights for all. We owe it to the memory of those who suffered under the yoke of slavery to keep fighting for progress. ✊🏽 02-20-24 @4:04 AM EST Donald Rivers Founder and President Policy-Change

Each year, I am delighted to see an increasing number of Municipalities, Businesses, and other Organizations that are commemorating Juneteenth. A federal holiday since 2021, I'm sure there are many who mentally (or physically) roll their eyes and ask what's the big deal; never realizing the big deal it is to the African Americans who work with them. According to Darryl Heller, Director of the Indiana University South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center, "June 19 is the day that Union troops entered Galveston, Texas, and informed some 200,000 enslaved people that they were actually free and no longer subject to the coerced labor of their former masters. And this is significant because it is often considered to be the date that the last enslaved people were emancipated in the United States." Heller continues, "However, it is important to dispel several myths about Juneteenth so that we can more accurately celebrate it. The first is that it is often said that Juneteenth occurred almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, but we have to remember that the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free all of the slaves. It only impacted states that were in rebellion against the United States and, importantly, it was unenforceable until Union troops arrived. The second myth that is important to dispel is that Juneteenth itself, even though it occurred later than emancipation for many enslaved people, didn’t actually mark the end of slavery in the United States. Slavery in the United States was embedded in our Constitution and was a legal construct. So, full emancipation and the end of slavery did not happen until December of 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment, almost six months after Juneteenth." Although Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most US Citizens.

We need a translation of Heritage Foundation's 922-page Project 2025 blueprint for a Trump dictatorship in a readable and viewable format. It's a detailed how-to plan about turning the U.S. into a fascist society. Few will read the entire document so we need a distillation of its bottom line goals (e.g., abolishing Social Security, 23% cut immediately; repeal of the Civil Rights Act; national ban on abortion; ban on teaching mention of slavery or Black American history). I remember we did something at NRDC in the 90s when we flipped the switch on House GOP's "Contract with America" to "Contract on America", and translated right-wing rhetoric into real world consequences. We can do the same now.

Check out my blog post https://wix.to/1oCmWkd #newblogpost In an imperfect world, fairness isn't guaranteed. As Christians, we should strive for fairness and "fair play," as Lewis said. However, demanding equal treatment for all is unreasonable. There will always be differences in skills and abilities, and no matter what we do, we can't change that. Fairness for the sake of good is biblical, but fairness for the sake of enforced equality is tyranny. We should focus on promoting true justice, not mandating identical outcomes. https://lnkd.in/g8yzxWAh

Today in history: On December 15, 1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution were ratified. The Bill of Rights established basic civil rights and liberties including the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and due process of law. It is important to note that these rights did not extend to everyone, however. "The Bill of Rights seemed to be written in broad language that excluded no one, but in fact, it was not intended to protect all the people – whole groups were left out. Women were second-class citizens, essentially the property of their husbands, unable even to vote until 1920, when the 19th Amendment was passed and ratified. And it was well understood that there was a “race exception” to the Constitution. Slavery was this country’s original sin. For the first 78 years after it was ratified, the Constitution protected slavery and legalized racial subordination. Instead of constitutional rights, slaves were governed by “slave codes” that controlled every aspect of their lives. They had no access to the rule of law: they could not go to court, make contracts, or own any property. It would take years of struggle and a bloody civil war before additional amendments to the Constitution were passed, giving slaves and their descendants the full rights of citizenship – at least on paper." - ACLU, The Bill of Rights: A Brief History Learn more about the Bill of Rights from the ACLU: #YWBoston #DEI #BillofRightsDay #CivilRights #TodayInHistory