Top-Rated Civil Rights Nonprofits

by Lawrence Sanfilippo

It’s been more than 60 years since Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and nearly 50 years since Martin Luther King’s assassination and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Since then, countless activists worked tirelessly to bring about an end to racial segregation and discrimination. But closing in on five decades after the close of the Civil Rights Movement, where exactly are we?

African Americans still struggle for equality, as does the LGBTQ community. Women and children as well. And do civil rights extend to all those who live within our borders or just those who are U.S. citizens?

Consider these findings from recent studies:

•  Employers are more likely to turn away job seekers if they have African American-sounding names.
• Black men receive prison sentences 20 percent longer than those of white men who committed similar crimes.
• Minority borrowers are still more likely to get turned down for conventional mortgage loans than white people with similar credit scores.
• As early as preschool, black students are punished more frequently, and more harshly, for misbehaving than their white counterparts.
• Female full-time, year-round workers make roughly 80 cents for every dollar earned by men.

And these are but a handful of civil rights issues plaguing this country, more than a half-century after Dr. King’s dream. Luckily, there are many organizations fighting for the rights of all people across all types of issues. Here are a few of our Top-Rated ones:

Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (Richmond, VA)

“Recently, when I look around at our nation, I see the seeds of hatred, bigotry, and division. I have real concern for what my children will have to live through — for what my country may become. One of the few things that give me hope is the VCIC. In the midst of the current societal chaos, it is one of the few organizations that remains unshaken and still focused on a purpose and cause, which can bring us out of the storm. The VCIC deserves all of our support.” —Big-Charlie

Donate to VCIC

 

Youth Journalism International (Auburn, ME)

“Youth Journalism International is an amazing organization for youths and the supporters of youths where they can find a platform of learning, interaction, cultural exchange, and activism toward global peace, professionalism, and recognition of young talents from across the world. I’m associated with YJI since 2005 when I was in high school and since then YJI has been an enormous source of my professional and personal growth. There is no other organization I can recommend as much with confidence as I can proudly recommend YJI.” —Edrees K.

Donate to YJI

 

Defending Rights & Dissent (Washington, D.C.)

“Defending Rights & Dissent has been at the forefront in the struggle to defend free speech, the right to association, and to protest, for decades. In the face of the enormous threats to personal liberties and growing threats to the dissent, DRAD is needed now more than ever. The organization provides critically needed analysis, connects organizers and civil society leaders from different movements, and mobilizes through grassroots campaigns that are pivotal to everyone involved in social justice work. I continue to support DRAD, personally and professionally, as the organization is a bedrock for everyone who cares about challenging power and protecting our constitutional rights.” —jblau

Donate to Defending Rights and Dissent