New York Civil Rights Coalition Inc

NYCRC EMPLOYS EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL, NON-PARTISAN METHODS: FACT-FINDING, RESEARCH, PUBLIC FORUMS, CONSULTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS, PUBLICATIONS, AND DIVERSITY EDUCATION TO EXPLORE MANIFESTATIONS OF RACIAL IDIOCY AND TO HELP AMERICANS DEFEAT/UNLEARN STEREOTYPES.

THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION (AKA NYCRC) IS A 501C3 TAX-EXEMPT CHARITABLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, LED BY MICHAEL MEYERS, A PROMINENT CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, TRAINED AND MENTORED BY THE RENOWNED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND CIVIL RIGHTS ICON DR. KENNETH B. CLARK, WHOSE RESEARCH WAS CITED BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IN ITS UNANIMOUS RULING OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT CONCLUDED THAT SEPARATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR MINORITY-GROUP CHILDREN WAS "INHERENTLY UNEQUAL." MEYERS IS THE CITY'S, INDEED NATION'S LEADING INTEGRATIONISTS, CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH AND IDEOLOGY OF HIS MENTORS, DR. KENNETH B. CLARK, AND ROY WILKINS, THE PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP, WHO HIRED MEYERS AS ASSISTANT NATIONAL DIRECTOR IN 1975. MEYERS WAS ON THE NATIONAL STAFF OF THE RENOWNED NAACP FO TEN YEARS, STAYING IN NEW YORK ONCE THE NAACP NATIONAL OFFICES RELOCATED TO BALTIMORE, MD. AFTER HIS ALMOST TEN YEARS WITH THE NAACP, MEYERS JOINED THE STAFF OF T. EDWARD HOLLANDER, THEN THE NATION'S LEADING CHANCELLOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WITH HEADQUARTERS IN TRENTON, NEW JERSEY. MEYERS WAS AT THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, LEAVING UPON CHANCELLOR TED HOLLANDER'S RETIREMENT FROM THE POST OF HIGHER EDUCATION CHIEF THERE. IN 9086, MEYERS CO-FOUNDED (WITH SEVERAL NEW YORK-BASED CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS) THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION. IN THESE PAST DECADES MEYERS HAS EMERGED ON THE CITY-SCENE, AND, INDEED, NATIONWIDE AS A FIERCE ADVOCATE OF RACIAL EQUALITY AND OF RACIALLY-INTEGRATED SCHOOLS AND LIVING. HE PROUDLY CARRIES THE BANNER OF THE RACIAL INTEGRATIONISTS WHO TRAINED HIM--AND MODELED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT--DR. KENNETH B. CLARK, AND DR. MAMIE PHIPPS CLARK; ROY WILKINS, OF THE NAACP; BAYARD RUSTIN, THE COORDINATOR OF THE FAMED MARCH ON WASHINGTON. D.C.; AND NAT HENTOFF, THE WRITER AND CIVIL LIBERTARIAN WITH WHOM MEYERS SERVED ON THE NATIONAL BOARD OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, AND ON THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION. MEYERS' OTHER MENTORS INCLUDE THE FAMED LEADER OF THE CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUALITY, JAMES FARMER, AND MORRIS MILGRAM, AN EARLY ADVOCATE AND SPONSOR OF OPEN HOUSING, WHICH INCLUDED BUYING ALL-WHITE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS TO OPEN THEM UP TO ALL WITHOUT THE BARRIER OF COLOR DISCRIMINATION. AT THE ACLU, AS AN INTERN, MICHAEL MEYERS WAS MENTORED BY THE LIKES OF JACK PEMBERTON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, AND IRA GLASSER, WHO SUCCEEDED ARYEH NEIER AS THE ACLU'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE. MEYERS WAS A FAN AND CRITIC OF ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, THEN THE ASSISTANT LEGAL DIRECTOR OF THE ACLU. HE AND ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON CLASHED OVER THE BLACK DORM THAT ANTIOCH COLLEGE OPENED FOR BLACK STUDENTS ONLY. MEYERS, THE INTEGRATIONIST, FILED THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT WITH THE THEN FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE; THAT COMPLAINT LED TO AN ORDER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT ANTIOCH INTEGRATE OR CLOSE THE RACIALLY-SEPARATE "BLACK DORM AND ITS COMPANION AASI, RACIALLY-SEGREGATED (I.E. ALL-BLACK) AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES INSTITUTE. EVEN BEFORE THE FEDS ORDERED ANTIOCH COLLEGE TO COMPLY WITH TITLE VI LAW, WHICH PROHIBITED RACIALLY-ORGANIZED AND SEPARATE FACILITIES AT FEDERALLY-FINANCED COLLEGES/COLLEGE FACILITIES, DR. KENNETH CLARK HAD RESIGNED FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ANTIOCH COLLEGE. IN THAT SAME YEAR, ANTIOCH COLLEGE REPLACED HIM ON THE TRUSTEES BOARD WITH ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (AN ANTIOCH COLLEGE ALUMNA) WHO HAD BACKED THE RACIALLY-EXCLUSIONARY AASI AND BLACK DORM AT THE COLLEGE'S YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO CAMPUS. OVER THE DECADES, MICHAEL MEYERS, AND THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION, HAVE BECOME THE NATION'S BOLDEST AND MOST RELIABLE OPPONENTS OF RACIALLY-SEPARATE, GOVERNMENT ENDORSED FACILITIES AND SCHOOLING. THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION WAS AT THE CENTER OF THE OPPOSITION TO SEPARATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR BLACK BOYS, AND BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT CHANGED ITS POLICY TO ACCOMMODATE SEPARATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS, TO THE CITY OF NEW YORK'S OPENING OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR GIRLS ONLY. IN ADVOCATING COMPLIANCE WITH ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS AND POLICIES, THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION LOST FAVOR AND FUNDING FROM SUPPORTERS OF RACE-BASED SCHOOLS AND SINGLE-GENDER PUBLIC SCHOOLS (A FASHION THAT WE THOUGHT WAS LONG-AGO ABANDONED). WHAT THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION AND ITS ALLIES HAVE LEARNED IS THAT PAST MISTAKES AND ENTREATIES WITH RACIALIST AND SEXIST PRACTICES HAVE RE SURGED--LIKE RECYCLED WINE IN OLD VESSELS.WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS WROUGHT AND TAUGHT US ANEW IS THAT SEGREGATIONIST POLICIES NEVER DIE, THEY GET RECYCLED AND REVIVED BY NEW ADHERENTS TO ANCIENT PREJUDICES AND PATTERNS OF RACISM. THUS, ONLY THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION HAS VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED THE LATEST FASHIONS AND RESURGENCE OF RACIALLY-SEGREGATED HOUSING IN THE FORM OF DORMS AND SOCIAL CENTERS AT COLLEGES ACROSS THE NATION, RECONSTITUTED AT THE BEHEST OF BOTH MINORITY AND MAJORITY STUDENTS, WITH THE OPEN SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY OF COLLEGE TRUSTEES AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO BET ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT "NEVER AGAIN" SHUTTING DOWN DORMS AND "ACADEMIC" UNITS CREATED AT THE BEHEST OF AND DEMANDED BY MINORITY STUDENTS AND THEIR CAMPUS ALLIES. ONLY THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION HAS REMAINED PRINCIPLED AND STEADFAST. AS THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS OF OL' USE TO SAY, AND RING OUT, "JUST LIKE A TREE THAT'S STANDING BY THE WATERS, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED." THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MICHAEL MEYERS, AND AEGIS OF NYCRC'S STALWART BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WILL NEVER FLINCH OR COMPROMISE WITH GOVERNMENTAL EFFORTS THAT SINGLE-OUT SKIN COLOR AS A BASIS FOR SEPARATING STUDENTS FROM OTHER STUDENTS ON A CAMPUS THAT IS PUBLICLY-SUPPORTED. THAT IS THE LEGACY AND WAS THE MISSION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS MENTIONED ABOVE, WHO MENTORED OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT. MEYERS KEEPS THE FAITH WITH HIS MENTORS, AND THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION, IN OUR PROGRAMS AND PUBLICATIONS, AND MANY TV APPEARANCES, AND OUR SOUNDINGS ON RADIO AND ALL OVER THE INTERNET TRKINDLE HOPE AND SUPPORT FOR NON-RACIAL REMEDIES TO SEPARATIST THEOLOGIES. THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION IS A PRINCIPLED CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. IN PAST YEARS, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC SHUTTERED IN-SCHOOL TRAININGS, OUR UNLEARNING STEREOTYPES: CIVIL RIGHTS AND RACE RELATIONS WE RECRUITED, TRAINED, AND DISPATCHED VOLUNTEERS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO HAVE CANDID (WEEKLY) CONVERSATIONS WITH JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT RACIAL STEREOTYPES. OUR VOLUNTEERS TOOK OVER AND LED ONCE A WEEK CLASSES AT SCHOOLS WHERE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS WELCOMED US TO ENGAGE THEIR STUDENTS IN FRANK, VIGOROUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT "RACE", AND "CLASS AND SEX-BASED AND OTHER STEREOTYPES. IN SHORT, THE NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT USE EDUCATIONAL METHODS TO HELP AMERICANS TO UNLEARN STEREOTYPES. THAT IS THE RAISON D'?TRE OF OUR CORE PROGRAMS AND PHILOSOPHY. WE DO NOT PROSELYTIZE, WE EDUCATE. WE DO NOT PREACH, WE TEACH. WE ARE A RESPECTED AND HIGHLY PRINCIPLED ADVOCATE OF EQUALITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. WE ADVOCATE WHAT BY NOW MOST AMERICAN KNOW TO BE FAIR AND JUST--NON-RACIAL THINKING AND EARNEST DIALOGUE ABOUT OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES TO SAME.