New Castle, DE – On April 27, 2020, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer was appointed to the Delaware Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission). The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters.
The Delaware Committee is one of the Commission’s 51 statutorily-mandated federal advisory committees—one in each state and the District of Columbia. They have recently examined education funding, school discipline disparities, policing practices, mental health and the criminal justice system, legal financial obligations, human trafficking, fair housing, hate crimes, voting rights, and collateral consequences of criminal convictions. Advisory Committee reports have contributed to policy changes at the national, state and local levels.
“Promoting and ensuring equity and fairness statewide is critical to the health and wellbeing of all of our residents,” County Executive Meyer said. “I am honored to be chosen to serve on Delaware’s Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights, and to represent the citizens of New Castle County in the important work of the committee.”
In addition to advising the Commission, Advisory Committee reports have contributed to policy changes at the national, state and local levels.
The Delaware Advisory Committee’s most recent report titled, Implicit Bias and Policing of Communities of Color in Delaware (January 2020), examined the nature and possible role of implicit bias in policing activities, strategies, and engagement in communities of color. It can be viewed at: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2020/01-22-DE-Implicit-Bias-Policing-Report.pdf
In addition to County Executive Meyer, the other appointees to the Delaware Advisory Committee are Calvin Christopher, Chair, Bradford Baldia, Danielle Craig, Brian DeMott, Susan Dixon, Samuel Moultrie, Corinthia Pierce, Mark Purpura, Javonne Rich, Patricia Rodriguez, Bradley Skelcher, Enid Wallace-Simms, and Leland Ware. Their four-year terms begin on June 17, 2020.