Organizations Urge FCC to Establish an Office of Civil Rights

In a March 19 letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the National Urban League (NUL), National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), and Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) write to express our strong support for the establishment of an Office of Civil Rights within the FCC. According to the organizations, the creation of such an office would be a fundamental step towards inclusivity and equity in the digital age and would ensure that the FCC’s policy initiatives are developed and implemented with a keen understanding of their effects on historically unserved and underserved communities. "The proposed Office of Civil Rights would be instrumental in identifying, investigating, and addressing instances of digital discrimination," said the letter. "The office would also serve as a central hub for expertise on the intersection of civil rights and telecommunications policy, aiding the FCC in developing remedies for discrimination and in promoting digital equity in alignment with President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government."