The Oakland-based Chanée Franklin Minor was appointed to the US Civil Rights Commission.
“I’m so excited to join the fight and do my part,” said Franklin Minor. “I am honored to use my abilities to participate in this human rights moment that we find ourselves in.”
The US Civil Rights Commission provides information on the development of national civil rights policy and the enforcement of civil rights laws. Through researched informed reports, Franklin Minor will assist the commission in making recommendations to the President, Congress and the public on civil rights issues. In her new role, she hopes to focus on trans rights, hate speech and creating guidelines that define police brutality as a hate crime.
Franklin Minor brings Oakland’s roots to the commission. She lived in Oakland for life and is the daughter of two respected public school educators, Charles Franklin and Leda Harrison. She began her career as a litigator for the Eviction Defense Center in Oakland. She also served as a senior attorney for the Berkeley City Rent Stabilization Board. She served as a policy advisor on housing and civil rights issues to former Oakland Congressman and Mayor Ron Dellums.
Franklin Minor is currently the program manager of the Rent Adjustment Program (RAP) in Oakland, which implements the city’s anti-evacuation and rent control laws and policies. During her tenure, RAP has dramatically expanded its educational offering and held 20 workshops and town halls in fiscal years 2018 / 19-2019 / 20, compared to 12 such events in the previous four fiscal years.
Under their supervision, RAP has also expanded its availability to offer free housing advice to the public. In 2018, RAP offered drop-in-housing counseling for 12 hours per week. Now they offer the service 31 hours a week. RAP has also been instrumental in educating the public about Oakland’s COVID-19-related rental moratorium laws and has sent 30,000 postcards to residents to educate people about their rights.
Franklin Minor has received prestigious awards and appointments related to her advocacy for racial and economic justice, justice for homeless children and youth, and efforts to stop climate change. The National Bar Association named her one of the Top 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Lawyers in 2012. That same year she was elected as a member of the Obama Steering Committee for Northern California to represent the 13th Congressional District as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Franklin Minor hopes to use her experience in advocating for housing, racial and economic justice as a member of the Commission to help her fight for better civil rights policy and enforcement, with particular attention to the needs of black and transnational communities.
“What does it mean when we talk about housing, racial and economic justice?” asked Franklin Minor. “It means the right to adequate and adequate health care and housing, the right to sustainable economic opportunities, and the right to fair education. It all depends. “
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