Human Rights in the U.S.

Deadly Disaster or Daily Disaster?
February 28, 2013
Social Justice Initiatives Visitor Catherine Albisa '89 Explains How Natural Disasters Can Highlight the Continuing Plight of Underserved Communities Media Contact: Public Affairs, 212-854-2650 or publicaffairs@law.columbia.edu New York, February 26, 2013—Natural disasters... Keep Reading »
The Road Not Taken: Supreme Court Decision on Arizona’s Anti-Immigrant Law Fails on Human Rights
June 25, 2012
The Supreme Court decision on Arizona's anti-immigrant law, while striking down harsher measures designed to make undocumented immigrants “self-deport,” still allows the police to demand that anyone suspected of being undocumented “show their papers” when stopped. From... Keep Reading »
A Sister Movement? An Expression of Outrage? A Moment of Inchoate Inspiration? -- What is Occupy Wall Street?
October 14, 2011
Everybody’s talking about Occupy Wall Street.   There are plenty of people writing about it as well, but what seems to be visibly missing from a lot of the conversation and writing is a simple willingness to take the participants of this effort at their word.  Based on the... Keep Reading »
What Do They Want? Human Rights for All!
October 7, 2011
Whenever the media talks about “Occupy Wall Street,” the question inevitably gets posed “what do they want?”  It seems the pundits want policy proposals in technical terms, and the people want a vision and a new society.  So long as they... Keep Reading »
The Human Right to Freedom from Want: It’s Also a Basic Human Right Here in the United States, Mr. President
September 22, 2011
Yesterday, President Obama addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations.  He rightly noted that to “combat the poverty that punishes our children, we must act on the belief that freedom from want is a basic human right.”  He was referring to global poverty, and we... Keep Reading »
King's Fight for Economic Rights: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Cornel West on MLK
August 26, 2011
From a National Journal interview with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., reflecting on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. ahead of the dedication of a new memorial to the civil rights leader on the National Mall. "Dr. King ... marched for legislation that changed America—public... Keep Reading »
A Human Rights Analysis of the Federal Debt Debates from the U.S. Human Rights Network
August 26, 2011
The U.S. Human Rights Network released a podcast that examines the human rights implications of the recent federal debates about U.S. government debt and the debt ceiling. James Heintz,  Associate Director and Associate Research Professor at the Political Economy Research Institute at the... Keep Reading »
Why Victory by Texan Immigrant Communities Against Rick Perry's Extremist Agenda Is Important for the US Human Rights Movement
May 26, 2011
The Reform Immigration Texas Alliance (RITA) last night defeated an abusive and xenophobic bill that would have unleashed lone actors within law enforcement to check for immigration status, even against orders by their departments.  This bill would have destabilized communities as well... Keep Reading »
U.S. will sign UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
December 16, 2010
On December 16, 2010, President Obama announced that the United States will sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration was adopted by the UN in September 2007, with only Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States voting against it. Among many other... Keep Reading »
Vermont Budget Cuts Causing Harm
December 12, 2010
 Group: Vermont budget cuts causing harm "Vermont is failing to protect economic and social rights as it shrinks government spending and services, a report produced by the Vermont Workers' Center has concluded. In the preliminary findings of its People's Budget Project, the center said '... Keep Reading »