At a press conference on January 19, the formation of the Delaware Civil Rights Coalition (DCRC) was announced, followed by a Know Your Rights workshop by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at the Biggs Museum of American Arts in Dover.
“The Delaware Civil Rights Coalition (DCRC) is a united response of long-established civil rights organizations, religious groups, civic groups and service providers of Delaware who have come together to counter with one voice the growing threat of discrimination and hate in the Nation and Delaware”, said Charito Calvachi-Mateiko co-chair of the Delaware Hispanic Commission.
The DCRC beliefs that when racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, xenophobic, homophobic or similar statements are made by public figures, responsible citizenship requires us to name that for what it is, and proactively have in place a countervailing civic network that stands transparent and accountable to represent America’s values against fake news, hate speech and malevolent, but faceless and secretive, diatribes.
This Coalition will exist as long as necessary to fight against policies and events that are perceived as threatening the civil and human rights of residents of Delaware
As its first action, the Coalition presented a Know Your Rights Workshop conducted by ACLU of Delaware. The workshop informed organization leaders about their rights, examine issues of unconstitutionality that the country may face with the new administration’s proposals, examine the most pressing local Delaware issues, and discuss plans of action.
The vision of the DCRC is a welcoming, safe and inclusive Delaware. The mission is to uphold and protect the civil and human rights of communities in Delaware. The purpose is to work together constructively and effectively to address any challenge that would threaten the lives of communities in Delaware.
Initial list in alphabetical order (in formation) of members: American Civil Liberty Union of Delaware; Carla Guerrón Montero, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology in Latin American, Women and Gender Studies and Black American Studies, UDEL; CAMP Rehoboth, Inc.; Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement; Delaware Hispanic Commission; Delaware Human Relations Commission; Delaware Pacem In Terris; Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative; Delaware YWCA; Frankford Public Library; First and Central Presbyterian Church; Jewish Family Services of Delaware (Refugee Resettlement Program & Youth and Family Support); La Esperanza; Latin American Community Center; Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice; League of Women Voters of Sussex County; Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware; Leslie Ledogar, 2016 candidate for Council District 3; Louise Henry, First Vice-President NAACP; NAACP Delaware State Conference; New Castle Presbytery; Social & Environmental Justice Committee–Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware; Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ (PFLAG); Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice and Sussex Unity Immigration Committee.
