A PLACE AT THE TABLE:
LATINO CIVIL RIGHTS TEN YEARS AFTER THE
MOUNT PLEASANT DISTURBANCES

Conclusions and Recommendations of the Civil Rights Review Panel

On the anniversary of disturbances in the Latino neighborhood of Mount Pleasant more than ten years ago, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee and ten area law firms released a series of reports analyzing and documenting the civil rights barriers faced by Latinos in the Washington, D.C. area. The areas studied as part of this effort were: 1) access to justice; 2) police abuse and communications with police; 3) access to education; 4) access to health services; 5) employment discrimination; 6) housing discrimination, and; 7) immigration policy. A Civil Rights Review Panel, composed of national and local experts on Latino issues, guided the preparation of the reports. Representatives from the Latino community, formed in a Community Advisory Group, also provided important input and case examples to assist in the development of the reports.

Two successful public release events were held. On May 5, 2002,a special prayer service and presentation of the reports took place at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart. On May 7, 2002, a policy briefing was held at Lincoln Elementary School. Attorneys from the firms were available at both events to describe the findings and conclusions of the reports. Numerous policymakers and representatives of the press were also on hand.

Since that time, Latino community representatives have met twice with Mayor Anthony Williams and his Cabinet to discuss implementation of the reports’ recommendations. Several City Council hearings have also been conducted on the issues highlighted in the reports.

Click here to download the full report [PDF document, 134KB]