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Advocates for Justice and Equality |
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Co-founders Morris Dees (left) and Joe Levin (Penny Weaver) |
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The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in
1971 as a small civil rights law firm. Today,
the Center is internationally known for its tolerance
education programs, its legal victories against
white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.
Located in Montgomery, Alabama the birthplace
of the Civil Rights Movement the Center was
founded by Morris
Dees and Joe
Levin, two local lawyers who shared a commitment
to racial equality. Its first president was civil
rights activist Julian
Bond.
Throughout its history, the Center has worked
to make the nation's Constitutional ideals a reality.
The Center's legal
department fights all forms of discrimination
and works to protect society's most vulnerable
members, handling innovative cases that few lawyers
are willing to take. Over three decades, it has
achieved significant legal victories, including
landmark Supreme Court decisions and crushing
jury verdicts against hate groups.
In 1981, the Center began investigating hate
activity in response to a resurgence of groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Today the Center's Intelligence Project monitors hate groups and tracks extremist activity throughout the U.S. It provides comprehensive updates to law enforcement, the media and the public through its quarterly magazine, Intelligence Report. Staff members regularly conduct training sessions for police, schools, and civil rights and community groups, and they often serve as experts at hearings and conferences.
To combat the causes of hate, the Center in 1991
established Teaching
Tolerance, an educational program to help
K-12 teachers foster respect and understanding
in the classroom. Teaching Tolerance is now one
of the nation's leading providers of anti-bias
resources both in print and online. Its award-winning
magazine is distributed free twice a year to more
than 500,000 educators, and its innovative multimedia
kits are provided at no charge to thousands of
schools and community groups.
Tolerance.org
is an online destination for those wanting to
dismantle bigotry and promote diversity in their
communities. Launched in 2001, Tolerance.org offers
a wide variety of resources to support anti-bias
activism. Its outreach component provides on-site
help to concerned individuals and organizations
who are working for unity in their communities.
The Civil Rights Memorial, which celebrates the
memory of those who died during the Civil Rights
Movement, is located next to the Center's offices.
Designed by Vietnam Veterans Memorial creator
Maya Lin, the striking black granite memorial
draws thousands of visitors every year. The Memorial
plaza is a contemplative area a place to honor
those killed during the struggle, to appreciate
how far the country has come in its quest for
equality, and to consider how far it has to go.
A new Civil
Rights Memorial Center, designed to enhance
this experience, opened in October 2005.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit organization supported by the contributions of thousands of caring individuals. Our Annual Report and other financial information are available online. To help the Center in its fight for justice and tolerance, please read How You Can Help.
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J. Richard Cohen
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Morris Dees
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Joseph J. Levin, Jr.
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James McElroy, Chair
Julian Bond
Patricia Clark
Lloyd V. Hackley
Joseph J. Levin, Jr.
Howard Mandell
David I.J. Wang
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Rhonda Brownstein
Litigation and Legal Affairs
Mark Potok
Intelligence Project
Booth Gunter
Public Affairs
Russell Estes
Design
Sam Whalum
Human Resources
Kathy Cable
Development
Wendy Via
Membership
Teenie Hutchison
Administration & Finance
Jennifer Holladay
Senior Adviser Strategic Affairs
Jeff Blancett
Chief Operating Officer
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