All people in the United States need to be represented fairly, but that’s not always the way that it seems to go when it comes to education, jobs, healthcare and basic civil rights. Fortunately, there are people like Jim Larkin and Michael Lacey that have taken a stand and have made it a point to protect certain groups of people who are sometimes overlooked or frowned upon just because they don’t fit into a certain mainframe of society.
Lacey & Larkin Frontera Fund
This is a detailed fund that started from an allegation against the Maricopa County Sheriff. and are the founders of the fund. The men are journalists. In 2007, they discovered information about grand jury proceedings that covered details about the Sheriff, Joe Arpaio. They were removed in the middle of the night from their homes and taken to jail. Both men fought to preserve their First Amendment rights and sued the county. After the case went to an appeals court, the men were awarded a $3.75 million settlement. The money is used to fund organizations for migrants and to educate them about their civil rights.
The Lacey and Larkin Frontera Fund is an organization that was put together to safeguard the interest of minority groups in the United States. The incident ignited a fire in the minds of the Hispanic community and gave rise to numerous people coming forward in protest of the harsh realities that minority grounds are subjected to. No matter how progressive one might think the country currently is, there will always be people who have certain prejudices in their mind, which is why they target minority groups.
Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin were both residents of Phoenix, Arizona. They were working for a media outlet where they would write. The sheriff of their area at the time was Joe Arpaio, who was known to be one of the toughest sheriffs in America. Joe Arpaio was behind the arrests of numerous people who he claimed were living illegally in the United States. He stopped so many people through the course of his career that he soon started making headlines all over the country. However, after analyzing the arrests that he was making, many people realized that almost all of them were conducted on people coming from the Hispanic community. The significant number of people who these arrests were carried out on claimed that they were, in fact, legal immigrants living in the country and had done nothing wrong. It soon became apparent that Joe Arpaio was targeting members of the Hispanic community, even if they were to the right and living as model citizens.
American Civil Liberties Union
Established in 1920, this is an organization that is perhaps the best known across the country. Leaders vow to protect the civil rights of all Americans instead of singling out one group over another. The group responds to issues where rights are violated whether the people involved are prisoners, homosexuals or the disabled.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
This is a group that stands up for the rights of African Americans as well as people who are in other racial minorities who don’t receive the same benefits of rights as others. Founded in 1909, the organization has been a building block of how minorities are treated, especially African Americans. Members of the organization protect the political rights and assist with education and social issues that minorities might see.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
As the name suggests, the group is focused on protecting the rights of gay and lesbian citizens. It’s a fairly new organization, being established in 1973 during a time when the gay and lesbian community started to grow in the country. Members promote the equal rights for those who have made the decision to live life as a homosexual and education those in the gay and lesbian community about various health issues that might arise and how to live freely among others who might not agree with their decisions.
National Rifle Association
The organization believes that it’s the right of American citizens to be able to have a gun in the home or to be armed with a gun when it’s needed. This is one of the oldest civil rights groups in the country, and with recent arguments about gun rights, it continues to grow stronger. Aside from promoting gun ownership, the group also promotes gun safety, holding classes to teach people how to use a gun in the proper manner.
National Organization for Women
Women are protected by this organization. The group educates women and supports them in the decisions that they make in regards to their health, education and social decisions. It was established in 1966 in an effort to stop the discrimination seen against women. Leaders are trying to end the inequalities that are seen among men and women, fighting against harassment and fighting for equal pay and equal representation.
American Association of People With Disabilities
Those who are disabled have someone to stand up for their rights. This is a new organization as it was founded in 1995. It’s the largest organization that supports the rights of those with disabilities, fighting for equality in the workplace, in society, and in education.
American Association of Retired Persons
Aging Americans have been protected by this group since it was founded in 1958. There are over 35 million people in the group. It aims to protect the rights of all people who are retired, not just those who are elderly.
National Fair Housing Allowance
The group works to prevent discrimination in regards to housing. It works with people who want to own a home or rent a home and find that it’s difficult based on discriminating factors.
National Urban League
Leaders protect the rights of African Americans. They educate people about their rights and defend against harassment that might occur in the workplace, society and in schools. There are funds at times to help with legal assistance when needed.
National Academy on an Aging Society
The group educates those who work with the elderly while protecting the rights of the aging population. They want to see the same rights for those who are older as there are for the younger members of society. The group assists the elderly population in getting social security benefits started and other issues that impact daily living.
