As our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, we are reminded of the incredible progress we have made on civil rights issues and how much closer we are to the fundamental American principle of equal treatment for all.

But recent Supreme Court decisions have weakened basic civil rights protections in ways that were never expected. And although the 110^th Congress opened with great promise and opportunity for continued progress on civil rights issues, the first session of this Congress ended with more gridlock, hyper-partisanship, and few solutions to today’s problems of inequality of opportunity for all Americans. We still have important work to do.

So as Congress returns for its second session – and as our country contemplates the elections of 2008 – we are pleased to share with you a series of resources:

• The "Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Voting Record (110^th Congress)" documents how each representative and senator cast his or her vote on some of the most important civil rights issues of 2007, including voting rights, affirmative action, immigration, nominations, education, hate crimes, employment, health, housing, and poverty.
• The "Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund Civil Rights Monitor (Vol. 17, No. 1, Winter 2007)" provides more in-depth information on these issues and briefly reviews activity in the executive branch, courts, and states.
• The Grassroots Action Steps outline four things you can do to learn more and make a difference in 2008.