Washington D.C., May 20, 2010 / 17:37 pm
Saying the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCR) has “moved beyond” traditional civil rights advocacy, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced on May 19 that it is leaving the coalition. The conference cited the coalition's endorsement of Supreme Court nominees, including Elena Kagan, as a primary reason.
The LCCR, a coalition founded in 1950, says on its website that it worked for the passage of several major U.S. civil rights acts and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington.
The 1963 March was where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
In a Wednesday press release, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre announced the withdrawal from the coalition and reiterated the bishops’ opposition to unjust discrimination.