Social Dynamics: The Southern Poverty Law Centre

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
The Southern Law Poverty Center: Community Report
Conclusion
Works Cited

Abstract

Today, different societies in the world are grappling with various social issues that affect them. The current report was compiled to examine some of these social issues that are presently affecting different societies in the world. To this end, the author discussed the various social issues from the perspective of their (author’s) coursework.

Some of the social issues that the report highlighted include racism, sexism, and heterosexism. The report found that, based on cultural values, different people exhibit different prejudicial attitudes towards others. The prejudicial attitudes are what bring about the aforementioned social issues.

The author dwelt mostly on racism, which, in most cases, informs individual’s attitudes towards the other issues. The report focused on an organization that plays a big role in addressing all forms of racial discrimination, hate, and bigotry. The Southern Poverty Law Centre is the organization that the report focused on.

The report examined the organizational structure of The Southern Poverty Law Centre. Further, the author sought to analyze the sources of funding for the organization. Finally, the report examined the activities undertaken by the organization and the benefits thereof.

In the process of compiling the report, the author adopted a qualitative research approach. To this end, the author relied on documentation as the means of collecting data.

The report was targeted at scholars of social science, as well as professionals in organizations like the one highlighted. They are some of the parties that stand to benefit from the findings of this report.

Key words: The Southern Poverty Law Centre, discrimination, sexism, heterosexism, discrimination

Introduction

In any given society, there are several issues that relate to the people found therein. Some of these issues relate to the individuals’ personal lives. Communities around the world vary from one place to the other and from one time to the other.

For example, perceptions regarding what should be considered normal behavior vary from one society to the other. It is important to understand that social issues are not really tied to economic issues in a certain society. There are various social issues that need to be addressed in any given society.

The issues include, among others, racism, sexism, as well as heterosexism. The differences in opinions touching on some of the social issues have led to contempt and stigmatization in the society.

The current report revolves around some of the issues highlighted above. In the report, the author will look at one organization that is attempting to minimize hatred and bigotry with regard to some of the social issues that have emerged controversial in contemporary society.

The organization in this case is The Southern Poverty Law Center. In this report, the author will examine how The Southern Poverty Law Centre is making attempts at enabling the vulnerable members of its society get justice and protection from the hate and bigotry they have suffered at the hands of their fellow members of the community.

Several reasons convinced the author to focus on The Southern Poverty Law Centre in this report. One of the reasons is the author’s belief, in and appreciation, of Rothenberg’s (17) assertion on the need for equality.

The major purpose of this report is to analyze some controversial issues in the society today. The author acknowledges that there are various controversial issues that affect dynamics of the society today.

In the report, the author discusses the need to let every individual enjoy the benefits associated with membership to that society. The author regards this ability to enjoy those benefits as a right on the part of the individual.

To appreciate the need for equality and equity in any given society, the author will rely on the activities of an organization championing the same in compiling the report. That organization, as initially mentioned, is The Southern Law Poverty Centre.

The Southern Law Poverty Center: Community Report

An Overview of Some Social Issues Addressed by the Center

Using the information gathered from coursework, the author will highlight some social issues in the society, with special focus on those issues addressed by the center.

The issues will be highlighted as they form the basis of the report. The purpose of highlighting these issues is, among others, to help the reader appreciate the need for this report. Following are some of the key social issues identified:

Racism

Kenned (133) argues that there exists different biological groups, which he calls races. Mankind is subdivided into these groups. The scholar further suggests that the perceptions and actions towards the aforementioned notion are what constitute racism.

He goes on to suggest that members of these biological groups share some attributes. To that effect, one group can be viewed as being inferior or superior.

Such differences are what led to the existence of the various aspects of racism as evidenced in Jim Crow (Pilgrim 34). Jim Crow was a way of life characterized by stiff anti-black laws. It was practiced in the southern states between 1887 and 1960s. The system made it very clear that black people were inferior to the whites.

The result was a severe violation of human rights perpetrated against members of the African-American community. There was no solace in religion either.

There were doctrines that taught of how God supported racial discrimination. They argued that whites were the chosen people and that blacks were a cursed lot. As such, blacks were meant to be servants for the whites.

Sexism

Wright (24) refers to sexism as discrimination against an individual based on their gender. An example is when men are favored over women in the workplace. In a majority of cases, sexist attitudes are exhibited towards women. But this does not mean that men are completely safe from this form of prejudice.

There are a few reported cases of sexism meted on men by women or their fellow men. Sexism exists owing to the various stereotypes that exist in a particular society. The traditional roles that members of each gender are expected to play in a society are what yield such forms of stereotypes.

It is a common occurrence, in a given society, to find individuals of one gender feeling superior and regarding members of the opposite gender as inferior beings.

The result of such forms of gender prejudices is what Lorber (54) points out as the major cause of women being denied employment opportunities. Extreme forms of sexism have seen a rise in the number of sexual harassment cases, as well as sex crimes like rape (Johnso 153).

Heterosexism

Katz (69) alludes to a form of bias and prejudicial discrimination against persons who ascribe to particular sexual orientations. That particular kind of bias is what he terms as heterosexism. According to him, there are various societies in the world that discriminate against gays, lesbians, as well as bisexuals.

The result of such discrimination is abuse of the rights of persons who fall in this category. Such individuals are denied the right to enjoy some human rights and economic benefits.

Heterosexism gave rise to homophobia (Kimmel 80). The latter is viewed as antipathy towards homosexuals and their overall behavior. In this case, homosexuals are discriminated against and, to some extent, subjected to different forms of violence.

The reasoning behind the antipathy, according to Mohr (578), is the belief that masculinity is a male attribute. On the other hand, femininity is associated with ‘femaleness’, weakness, and such other negative connotations.

Such forms of discrimination have seen a rise in the number of organizations that aim to enhance equality and equity as far as sexual orientation is concerned.

The Southern Poverty Law Center

In this section, the author will address the various aspects of this organization. The author will look at, among others, the history and objectives of the organization.

The Southern Poverty Law Center: History

To ensure that the fruits of the civil rights movement are enjoyed by everyone in the society, it was important to have an organization mandated to realize the same. Focus was on the southern states of the United States of America. The civil rights movement had made a promise of racial equality to the people in this area.

To that effect, there were laws put in place to end the apartheid that existed in the society. However, in some parts of the southern states of the United States of America, these laws were not benefitting most of the blacks.

The African-Americans were still being denied some fundamental privileges like decent housing, employment, and access to quality education. Such grave violations of human rights led to a rise in levels of poverty among the black community in the United States of America.

A young Alabama lawyer by the name of Moriss Dees sympathized with the now powerless group of people. Together with other sympathizers, Morris sought to help these individuals.

The sympathetic lawyer founded a civil rights law practice, which he used in handling pro-bono cases for most of the black people. Later in 1971, together with another lawyer, Joe Levin, Morris incorporated The Southern Poverty Law Center. Julian Bond, a civil rights activist, was named the organization’s first president.

From there on, the trio sought countywide support to help achieve the objectives of their newly formed organization. Activists responded positively to the pleas of the trio. Presently, the organization has its headquarters in Montgomery. In addition, the organization has stations in various places in the country.

Since its inception, The Southern Poverty Law Centre has put down the efforts of a number of American lethal hate groups through litigation. In addition, the organization has effectively uprooted institutional racism that characterized some parts of the country.

Moreover, The Southern Poverty Law Centre continues to promote and protect American ideals. The same is achieved whenever the organization stands up for the rights of the vulnerable members of the society.

The Purpose of the Organization

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a non-profit organization whose main purpose is to combat hate and bigotry in the American society. The US Constitution (Civil Rights Act) criminalizes racial discrimination (Aristo 23). However, the criminalization was not benefiting a majority of the blacks in southern states (Marki 99).

The civil rights organization purposefully seeks justice for vulnerable members of the society through various measures. The measures include litigation and advocacy on tolerance, as well as monitoring various aspects through which hate is propagated.

To achieve the set objectives, the organization has effectively litigated cases, pro-bono, to the benefit of the black populace. In addition, The Southern Poverty Law Centre is engaged in a program that advocates for tolerance.

The goals of this program have been effectively realized as a result of the charge-free dissemination of literature touching on the subject of tolerance.

Organizational Structure

As an incorporated entity, The Southern Poverty Law Centre has a governance structure that reflects the legal requirements. The organization has a two tier leadership structure. The structure comprises of the board of directors and the senior program staff (leadership).

Presently, the board of directors is comprised of 13 members. The board is headed by Howard Mandell, the chairman. The senior program staff comprises of 9 members. It is headed by Richard Cohen, the president.

The organizational structure outlined above has creates a very cordial working relationship without any form of power wrangles. In addition, the organization has several departmental heads that spearhead the activities of their respective departments.

Source of Funding

As initially outlined, The Southern Poverty Law Centre is a non-profit organization. The organization offers charitable services to members of the black community. To this effect, the organization is exempt from paying taxes. The organization relies on grants, contributions, and bequests as its major sources of funding. It does not engage in commercial businesses.

Types of Activities Supported

Wright (23) argues that it is important to make the community part of the solution as far as addressing discrimination against the vulnerable groups is concerned.

To this end, The Southern Poverty Law Centre supports a number of activities aimed at meeting the set objectives. For instance, there is a program that is aimed at addressing the various challenges that afflict black children with learning disabilities.

In addition, The Southern Poverty Law Centre has a program whose major priority is monitoring hatred. Upon detection of groups that propagate racial hatred and prejudice, the organization makes a report to the relevant law enforcement agencies.

The result is the dismantling of groups that propagate hatred. Further, the organization has a program aimed at availing justice to immigrant workers. Such workers are often overworked and underpaid, as well as being subjected to inhumane working conditions.

Another program supported by The Southern Poverty Law Centre involves advocacy. The organization advocates for tolerance in the society. As Katz (473) proposes, communities must be made aware of the need to appreciate disparities in the characters of their members.

In living up to that proposition, The Southern Poverty Law Centre is engaged in a series of campaigns aimed at preaching tolerance throughout the country.

The organization achieves the stated objective by disseminating literature touching on tolerance at no cost. The response is overwhelming. Many people have embraced the activities of this firm.

Finally, it is worth noting that The Southern Poverty Law Centre is living up to Kimmel’s (89) proposition of sexual inclusivity. To this end, the organization is engaged in activities that assist in protecting the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and other sexual minorities.

In spite of the fact that theirs is a national outfit, the organization’s mandate as far as fighting discrimination is concerned is focused on the southern states (Gaines 45).

The reason behind this is the scarcity of organizations fighting for the rights of this group of people in that region.

Beneficiaries of the Organization

According to Rothenberg (18), a society has several vulnerable groups that face prejudice. The prejudice depends on such factors as race, sex, and sexual orientation. The Southern Poverty Law Centre is an organization that has identified vulnerable groups within its geographical jurisdiction.

The major groups of people benefiting from the organization’s services are those that undergo racial discrimination. That notwithstanding, the organization extends its services to those who are affected by homophobia, as well as those facing discrimination owing to their gender (Bargen 54).

To lead by example, The Southern Poverty Law Centre has incorporated some of its clients into the leadership structure. From the board of directors to the senior program staff, the organization has incorporated would be victims of discrimination.

The author of this report finds such actions quite commendable since they inspire hope among vulnerable groups. Such measures help promote the notion of equality as presupposed by the US Constitution (19^th Amendment), which gave females the right to vote (The Southern Poverty Law Centre 23).

Conclusion

The report analyzed the various social issues prevalent in any given society. In addition, the author of the report outlined existing attitudes and prejudices that are targeted at groups of individuals within the society.

As outlined in the report, the varying acceptability of certain issues in a community leads to the prejudices mentioned. The report highlighted the reason behind the existence of some of the prejudices that are mentioned.

The report sought to explain why racism has been propagated in various societies. To this end, the report examined gender as an area where discrimination is exhibited. In this regard, the report explained the notion behind sexism.

Similarly, the report examined the existing sexual preferences and how attitudes on the same have resulted to discrimination. The report linked such forms of discrimination, based on sexual orientation, to homophobia and, by extension, heterosexism.

Despite the existence of discrimination based on various factors, the report mainly focused on racial discrimination. To this end, the report revolved around the need for a paradigm shift with regard to racism in the society.

It is the major reason why the report revolved around The Southern Poverty Law Centre. The report analyzed the said organization with a view of understanding the strides the group is making in the fight against racial discrimination.

The report examined how The Southern Poverty Law Centre has helped fight hate and bigotry. The organization’s inclusion in the report is meant to give the reader an insight into the need for civil society involvement towards minimizing cases of discrimination.

The report revealed that The Southern Poverty Law Centre helped the black community fully enjoy the benefits of the civil rights movement. The author used the example to highlight on the need for pro-activeness even in cases where legislation has been passed to curb various forms of discrimination.

Works Cited

Aristo, Helen. 19th Amendment: Women’s Right to Vote, New York: Free Press, 2011. Print.

Bargen, Peter. SPLC, Who We Are: Financial Information, New York: SPLC, 2013. Print.

Gaines, Paul. SPLC, Who We Are: Senior Program Staff, New York: SPLC, 2013. Print.

Johnso, Allan. Patriarchy, Massachusetts: Dove Press, 2001. Print.

Katz, Jonathan. The Invention of Heterosexuality, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.

Kenned, Stetson. Jim Crow Guide: The Way it Was, Boca Raton: Florida Atlantic University Press, 1990. Print.

Kimmel, Michael. Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear Shame and Silence in the Construction of Gender Identity, California: Wadsworth, 2001. Print.

Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, Boston: Worth Publishers, 2000. Print.

Marki, Benson. The Civil Rights Act: U.S. Constitution, London: Free Press, 2011. Print.

Mohr, Richard. Anti-Gay Stereotypes, Boston: Wings, 2000. Print.

Pilgrim, David. What was Jim Craw?, California: Ferris State University, 2003. Print.

Rothenberg, Paula. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, New York: Worth, 2009. Print.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre. Who We Are: Board of Directors, New York: SPLC, 2013. Print.

Wright, Richard. The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch. Chicago: The Viking Press, 2000. Print.

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