Correspondence from Julius Chambers to Barbara Jordan (University of Texas)

    Lesa,E&renseH" NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.
gg Hudson street, New york, N.y. 10013 o (212) 219-1900

May 18, L987

The Honorable Barbara Jordan
Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in

.National Policy
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
University of Texas
Austin, Texas 78705

Dear Barbara:

On October 22-24, L987, the NAACP Lega1 Defense Fund is
cosponsoring a conference in San Antonio addressing
implementation of the Voting Rights Act. The inpetus for this
conference is the expansive reading the supreme Court gave the
L982 amendments to the Act in Thornburq v. Gingles. The
amendment of section two and the Ginqles decision have sparked a
renewed commltment in the civil rights community to challenging
at-Iarge elections, other electoral structures that dilute
minority voting strength, and restrictive registration practices
that continue to irnpede ful1 political participation. Some of
the more notable events since Gingles have been the victories in
Norfolk and Springfield and the impending favorable settlement of
the Fort Lauderdale litigation.

Gincrles and the 1-982 amendments have provided us with a
window of opportunity for dismantling discriminatory practices
and we want to pursue various strategies now open to us, before
possible changes in the judiciary or Congrress shut them off.
Thus, the conference wiII bring together the various players in
voting rights litigation and registration to devise effective
litigation strategies to build on Ginqles, to explore the broader
irnplications of Gingles for voter registration and education
efforts and campaigns for legislative and administrative reform,
and to encourage minority social scientists to engage in the
kinds of research that form the backbone of successful section 2
lawsuits.

The initial responses to the proposed conference have been
extremely promising. We are cosponsoring the conference with the
Campaign for FuII Political Participation, a national coalition
on voting reform whose steering committee consists of
representatives from the Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, the Mj-dwest Voter Registration Project, the
National Coalition on Black Voter Participation, Human Serve, the

Contributiotts are deductible lur U.S. income tat purposes

The NAACp Legal Defense & Educationat Fund, lnc. (LDF) is not part oI tho National Association for the Advancement o, Colored People (NAACP) although

liji,i;iidrriio uv1r,i Halciinoiiiies triibmmitmentro eqriat rights. LDF has had lor over 25 years a separato Board. program, statl, oflice and budgel.



The Honorable Barbara Jordan
May 18, L987
Page 2

Churches Committee for Voter Registration/Education, and the
League of Women Voters Education Fund and Citizenship Education
Fund. In addition, local and state officials committed to
expanding registration opportunities have indicated their
interest in participating as panelists. The Ford Foundation isproviding signifi.cant financial support. Finally, individual
voting rights activists and social scientists have responded
enthusiastically to the possibility of sharing information about
emerging strategies and techniques. The diversity of theparticipating groups and individuals and their commitment to a
collaborative effort to enforce the Voting Rights Act nationwide
promise a stimulating and productive meeting.

. To begin the conference and set the tone for what we knowwill be an important and informative session, we very much hopethat you wirr agree to deriver the keynote address at the
runcheon on october 22, L987, following the brief welcoming
remarks of Mayor Henry Cisneros. You were the unanimous choice
of the conference planning committee, who arr fert that your
eloquence would provide an auspicious opening for a conference
conmitted to fuII and egual political participation. I sincerely
hope that you will agree to participate with us on this occasion.

Over the years, the Legal Defense Fund has benefited
enotmously from your participation in our activities. Your taped
remarks for our 1985 fnstitute were one of the most inspirational
and incisive messages delivered at an rnstitute. rn factr w€
have used them at several of our special events.

Your messages and inspiration have helped all of uS,particularly our staff and supporters. You will be interested to
know that, in addition to Ginqles, we had several other major
victories during the past year. In the area of employment
discrimination, the Supreme Court finally put to rest the
question whether affirmative action is an appropriate tool for
remedying systemic exclusion of minorj.ties from the vrorkforce, inthe Cleve1and Firefiqhters and Sheet Metal Workers cases. In
Bazemore v. Friday, the Court upheld our position regarding the
use of statistical evidence to prove discrimination. And in
Batson v. Kentuckv, the Court finally struck down the use of
peremptory challenges to remove blacks from juries in crimi-nal
cases. Unfortunately, we also suffered some disappointments.
The Court refused to hear the Norfolk busing case, letting stand
a lower court decision that effectively ends busing to achieve
integration in Norfolk. And last rnonth, in McClesky v. Kemp, the
Court rejected our claim that the death penalty has been imposed
in a racially biased manner in Georgia. We are determined,
however, to continue our efforts to insure equal opportunities
for all Americans, and the Voting Rights conference is one of



The Honorable Barbara Jordan
May 18, L987
Page 3

several recent projects we have undertaken in this connection.

If you can accept our invitation, we are entirely flexible
as to the topic and format of your speech. And of course we are
ready to make any special arrangements that would eriable you to
come.

I shall caII your office next week to find out whether you
need any additional inforrnation. I very much hope that you will
agree to join us in San Antoni.o in October.

With warmest regards, I am

JLclpk

rector-Counsel