The Rockefeller Foundation has released "Louder Than Words: Lawyers, Communities and the Struggle for Justice", a three-year assessment of the state of civil rights litigation in the aftermath of federal civil rights laws and protections. A committee of advisors, including representatives from major academic institutions, advocacy organizations, civil rights firms and corporate and private foundations developed the key findings and recommendations found in the report.

The six cases look at diversity in higher education, garment workers' protection, wage equity, urban land use and voting rights and participation. In the 166-page report, one study reveals how former enslaved Thai garment workers in El Monte, California established a cooperative business after obtaining their freedom, while another recounts the efforts of a community group in Mississippi who work to engage minority voters in five states. Repeatedly the studies demonstrate how innovative partnerships between civil rights lawyers and communities address the problems of inequity and exclusion.

"The civil rights field today is facing significant challenges and opportunities," said Penda Hair, a noted civil rights lawyer and author of the report. "Because of successes of the past, today's barriers to economic and political equity, in many respects, are more diffuse and complex. But, this report shows how civil rights lawyers are using a broader range of tools to fight for disadvantaged communities."

The report also cites the importance of more funding for organizations accomplishing civil rights and racial justice work at the national, regional and local levels.

Racial justice work is a central component of the Rockefeller Foundation's efforts to broaden economic and social opportunity in the United States. Copies of the report are available from the Rockefeller Foundation on their publications WebPage.