Making Rights Real

[Commentary] There was a revealing and “need to have” discussion about voting rights, civil rights, and media rights at the Council on Foundations conference here in Washington this week. The program, envisioned by public interest champion Charles Benton, brought home for all to understand that these rights are inextricably linked and march forward together -- or not at all. A distinguished list of speakers, including incoming NAACP President Cornell Brooks and Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland told moving stories about how the denial of fundamental rights is hobbling our democracy. It’s really no longer possible to deny the connectivity among these issues: making voting a guaranteed and enforceable right, opening the doors of equal opportunity to every American, and having a media that informs citizens about the obstacles that are holding them and their country back.