F.For 80 years, the NAACP Legal Protection and Education Fund has led several effective initiatives focusing on the fight for civil rights and combating systemic injustice. The nonprofit continues to advance its efforts by educating and empowering the next generation of change makers. The organization recently started a fellowship fund for aspiring civil rights attorneys dedicated to change in the south.
“The elements for change are very present in the South, and what needs to be strengthened is advocacy skills.” – @ Sifill_LDF https://t.co/uhNCH3UUBR
– Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) January 18, 2021
The fund – called the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program – is inspired by the legacies of civil rights pioneers Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley. The two have overcome several obstacles during their careers, including when Marshall – who founded the LDF – became the first US Supreme Court Justice and Motley became the first black woman to make history to become a federal judge.
The program, which aims to remove socio-economic barriers that stand in the way of students to advance their education, will receive full scholarships for 50 students pursuing careers in the civil rights field, matched with internships and scholarships to gain experience collect those that are critically important to you in helping them build a solid foundation for their careers and gain access to courses organized by the LDF and the National Academy of Sciences. Under the program, students must commit to exercising civil rights in the South for eight years.
Sherrilyn IfillAccording to the President and Director-Counsel of LDF, the program will not only create career paths for students but also create change in black communities. “The Marshall Motley Fellowship Program is the next phase in our commitment to identifying and investing in a new generation of brilliant minds who have a deep personal desire to bring about racial justice in the South,” she said in a statement. “The majority of black people in this country still live in the south and face constant obstacles to voting, educational, and racial and economic justice. For this reason, LDF’s practice of filing and litigation has always been primarily rooted in the South. The time has come again for LDF to invest in the growth and development of civil rights attorneys in the south. With the MMSP and the opening of our new regional office in Atlanta, LDF is deepening its longstanding presence in the South to harness the talent, passion, and commitment of a new cohort of civil rights attorneys who advocate the majority of black people in the country anonymous donor donated $ 40 million to the nonprofit to fund the program.
LDF is known for driving change. The organization teamed up during the historic 2020 election Lebron James‘Nonprofit More than one vote to recruit over 20,000 election volunteers to tackle voter suppression.
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Black Lawyers, Civil Rights, Justice, Law, Law School, Attorneys, NAACP LDF, NAACP Legal Protection and Education Fund, National Academy of Sciences, Newsletter, South, Systemic Injustice
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