Home : Human Rights : Racial Justice

Mr. Diène was briefed on police brutality issues during his visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Learn more about Mr. Diène's stops during the visit >> > U.N. Expert Provides the U.S. "A Real Roadmap Forward" (6/17/2009) > U.N. Independent Expert to Testify on Racism in the United States(6/15/2009) > U.N. Independent Expert Recommends Remedies for U.S. Race Relations(5/11/2009) > Separate and Unequal (6/8/2008) > U.N. Expert Investigates Racism in Florida (6/3/2008) > Desperately Seeking Sunlight (5/31/2008) > U.N. Rapporteur Meets the Real Los Angeles (5/29/2008) > International Monitor Sees the Faces Behind the Numbers (5/23/2008) > Rights Groups Meet International Monitor (5/21/2008) > U.N. Expert on Racism Arrives for Tour of U.S. (5/20/2008)

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Racism Visited the U.S.

The former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Mr. Doudou Diène, visited the United States to review the state of racial discrimination in the United States from May 18th through June 6th, 2008. As is protocol, Mr. Diène was officially invited to conduct this fact-finding trip by the U.S. government.

The American Civil Liberties Union is among a group of organizations and individuals who met with the Special Rapporteur to testify about the individual and structural racism that persists in the United States, as documented in its comprehensive report “Race and Ethnicity in America.” The Special Rapporteur's official schedule included visits to: Chicago; New York; Omaha; Los Angeles; New Orleans; Miami; Washington, D.C.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Together with its affiliate offices and partner organizations, the ACLU organized and facilitated public hearings and meetings for the Special Rapporteur with affected communities, victims, civil society, and national and local authorities. The ACLU works on a broad range of racial discrimination issues, including: discrimination against migrant and undocumented workers; disparate school punishment; maintaining and strengthening affirmative action programs; and combating racial profiling, including discrimination against Arab and Muslim individuals and communities in the post-9/11 era.

The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council with the mandate to monitor, advise, and publicly report on human rights situations in specific countries, including the United States, and on human rights violations worldwide. The Special Rapporteur can only carry out a fact-finding mission at the request of the country concerned.

Following Mr. Diène’s visit, he compiled a report detailing his finding. This report was officially presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in mid-June 2009, and noted
"Racism and racial discrimination have profoundly and lastingly marked and structured American society. The U.S. has made decisive progress. However, the historical, cultural and human depth of racism still permeates all dimensions of life and American society."

	Laleh Ispahani, senior counsel for the ACLU's Racial Justice Program, talked about Mr. Diène's mandate and what his U.S. visit would entail. podcast | streaming
	Chandra Bhatnagar, Staff Attorney for the ACLU's Human Rights Program, discusses the impact of Mr. Diène's visit on the domestic struggle for racial justice and human rights. podcast | streaming
	Catharine Lhamon, Racial Justice Director for the ACLU of Southern California, talks about what the issues Mr. Diène will confront in Los Angeles. podcast | streaming
	Muslima Lewis, Senior Attorney and Director of the Racial Justice and Voting Rights Projects for the ACLU of Florida, talks about the events during Mr. Diène's visit to Miami. podcast | streaming
PRESS RELEASES > U.N. Expert Calls On U.S. To Address Ongoing Issues Of Racism (5/8/2009) > U.N. Independent Expert On Racism Begins Fact-Finding Mission In U.S. (5/19/2008) > ACLU Report Exposes Unjust Detention Of Youth (5/12/2008) > International Human Rights Experts Denounce U.S. Record On Racial And Ethnic Discrimination (3/7/2008) > ACLU in Geneva to Testify on Ongoing Racial and Ethnic Injustice (2/18/2008) RESOURCES & REPORTS > Soldiers of Misfortune (5/14/2008) > Locking Up Our Children (5/13/2008) > Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (3/7/2008) > Race & Ethnicity in America: Turning a Blind Eye to Injustice (12/10/2007) > Broken Promises: 2 Years After Katrina (8/20/2007) > The Persistent Problem of Racial Disparities in the Federal Death Penalty (6/25/2007) > Abandoned & Abused: Orleans Parish Prison in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina (8/9/2006) ACLU WORK ON RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION > Map: Racial Discrimination Problems State-By-State > School-to-Prison Pipeline > Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) OUTSIDE LINKS > The Special Rapporteur's United Nations Homepage > U.S. Human Rights Network (USHRN)