NCBCP President, Melanie Campbell, Among Civil Rights Leaders Arrested in Effort to Stress Need for Fair DACA Legislation
Washington, DC – Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR), joined a number of other African American Civil Rights leaders today as the group protested, and were subsequently arrested, in front of the office of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as they protested to demand “a clean Dream Act, a permanent solution for Temporary Protected status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and protecting the Diversity Visa Program that is more inclusive of Black immigrants.” Other leaders arrested with Campbell include Jonathan Jayes-Green, UndocuBlack, Tamika Mallory, Women’s March, Minister Kirsten John Foy, National Action Network, Black faith leaders Dr. Jamal Bryant and Rev. Tony Lee.
Campbell shared that she joined the protest “to demand a clean Dream Act that protects all undocumented young people, including over 60,000 Black undocumented young people who many were brought here by their parents by no fault of their own.” Further, Campbell stands in solidarity in a call for a permanent solution for TPS and DED that includes over 70,000 Black immigrants from Haiti, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia; and protection of the Diversity Visa Program that allots over 50,000 visas to countries with low immigration rates including African nations. Campbell expressed “It is inhumane to treat undocumented immigrants, who are a core part of what makes this country great, in such a cruel way, by tearing families apart through massive deportation; and not making DACA permanent and passing comprehensive immigration reform that is fair for all law-abiding immigrants a priority by leaders in Congress as well as the Trump Administration.”
The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is one of the most active civil rights and social justice organizations in the nation “dedicated to increasing civic engagement, economic and voter empowerment in Black America.” The Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls empowerment arm of the NCBCP. At the forefront of championing just and equitable public policy on behalf of Black women, BWR promotes their health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education and global empowerment as key elements for success.
