Joint Statement

Civil rights are fundamental rights that guarantee every person equal access to employment, education, and services, and that protect all people, regardless of who they are, from discrimination and disenfranchisement. Generations fought to secure these rights for their fellow Americans and enshrine them in our federal and state laws and our Constitution. And since our country’s inception, its founding principle has been “E pluribus unum,” meaning “out of many, one.” In other words, our society was built on a bedrock understanding that it contained multitudes and, as our history has shown, it is up to all of us to push ourselves and our leaders to make this motto true. 

With more than 340 million people in America representing a variety of races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, and religions, there are still those who seek to discriminate, disenfranchise, and harm people who don’t look or think like they do.  In moments like this, it can feel like progress toward a more fair and just society is receding under the weight of sustained attacks on the core American values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

These attacks include dismantling landmark voting rights laws, abandoning policies that prohibit segregation by federal contractors (which include many of our nation’s largest companies), attacking academic freedom and freedom of speech at educational institutions under the guise of “protecting” these freedoms, threatening companies and organizations that embrace equal opportunity with expensive, burdensome, and unfounded legal action, and refusing to enforce hard-fought agreements aimed at reducing discrimination. These attacks on civil rights make us less safe and less secure and make our country less fair and less democratic. 

Many people don’t realize the harm that the denial of civil rights inflicts on the average American. Or that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not code words designed to exclude people, but values designed to remove real barriers to ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential without undue obstruction.   

Despite their inherent value and continued necessity, fundamental civil rights laws and the ideals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility remain at risk. With the federal government abdicating responsibility for guaranteeing our rights nationwide, it is up to officials and institutions like the undersigned to continue to uphold the law and advocate for equal opportunity. We all share responsibility for the protection and continued implementation of civil rights laws and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles because living in a society that values everyone benefits everyone. As attorneys general, we will continue to safeguard our civil rights protections.  As organizations, we will continue to champion increased civil rights for all. 

The undersigned state attorneys general and nonpartisan organizations have joined together in recognition of the importance of this moment to speak loudly and with one voice to protect the gains our ancestors fought for by announcing the launch of the “Liberty, Justice, and Opportunity for All” campaign.   

The “Liberty, Justice, and Opportunity for All” campaign offers people across the country opportunities to connect and collaborate with state leaders and organizations that share a commitment to protect our access to fair and equitable systems and economic and educational opportunities. 

The fabric of America is exemplified by diversity, richly woven with threads of varied backgrounds, interests, and ideals. “Liberty, Justice, and Opportunity for All” will give everyone the opportunity to add their unique thread to the tapestry of our country. 

Signed,

Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California
Phil Weiser, Attorney General of Colorado
William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut
Kathy Jennings, Attorney General of Delaware
Brian Schwalb, Attorney General of the District of Columbia
Kwame Raoul, Attorney General of Illinois
Andrea Joy Campbell, Attorney General of Massachusetts
Anthony Brown, Attorney General of Maryland
Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Minnesota
Aaron Ford, Attorney General of Nevada
Jennifer Davenport, Acting Attorney General of New Jersey
Letitia James, Attorney General of New York
Dan Rayfield, Attorney General of Oregon
Jay Jones, Attorney General of Virginia
Nick Brown, Attorney General of Washington

It’s no secret that there is a concerted, well-organized effort to undermine and attack diversity … there needs to be an equal if not greater force opposite of that.Kwame Raoul

It is imperative that we as civil rights leaders, elected officials, people of good will, stand up to these attacks.Mark Morial

We’re urging partners across sectors to join us because collaboration isn’t optional, it’s essential.Rob Bonta

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility — those aren’t bad words, those aren’t illegal actions. They’re a promise.Skye Perryman

I don’t derive my citizenship from my parents or my grandparents, I derive my citizenship from the 14th amendment to the US Constitution. That kind of openness, that kind of welcoming, that kind of understanding, that diversity, is our country’s enduring strength.William Tong

We advocate to protect that promise: not for special treatment, but for equal footing.Alma Couverthie

We together can advance these commitments, can advance civil rights at a time when they’re under attack.Phil Weiser

How we respond now will shape who gets to participate in both our economy and our democracy.Alphonso David

[This campaign is] a collective commitment to defend civil rights, tell the truth about DEIA, and stand together in this moment of crisis.Letitia James

Diversity programs aren’t buzzwords or political talking points. They’re how we turn those rights into reality.Aaron Ford