Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon. It is an honor to join you today as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — the act that birthed the component that I am proud to lead, the Community Relations Service (CRS), known as “America’s Peacemaker.”

The visionaries behind the 1964 Civil Rights Act imagined multiple tools to tackle the complex problem of achieving greater equality and justice for all. One of these being the CRS.

In his message transmitting the civil rights bill to Congress, President Kennedy called for an agency “separated from functions of investigation or litigation” that would “identify tensions before they reach the crisis stage” and “work quietly to ease tensions and improve relations in any community threatened or torn with strife.”

He went on to state that, “this agency by enabling all concerned to sit down and reason together, can play a major role in achieving peaceful progress in civil rights.”

For 60 years, CRS has embodied this promise — helping communities resolve civil rights conflicts and difficulties through negotiation, persuasion and empathy, and empowering communities in their ability to prevent and address disputes independently, in a manner consistent with self-determination and agency.

We cannot do this work alone. CRS collaborates with many of you in this Great Hall: state and local officials, community-based organizations, civil rights advocates, faith-based groups, law enforcement and our federal partners.

CRS conciliators offer a range of services designed to address and resolve conflicts through dialogue, mediation, training and consultation.

CRS has been at the intersection of some of the most critical moments in our nation's journey toward justice. For example, in 2020, when Americans marched in solidarity with the people of Brunswick, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, CRS engaged with communities as an impartial, confidential facilitator, helping stakeholders identify and implement solutions that help communities to heal and move forward.

That same year, amidst the spike in anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate, CRS worked with stakeholders in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta to develop and issue a responsive toolkit of best practices. Using this resource, CRS facilitated dialogues with community leaders to improve lines of communication, identify barriers to reporting and foster solidarity against hate. 

In 2022, CRS engaged with the LGBTQI+ community, local and state agencies, and others after a shooting targeting a gay club in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CRS worked to ensure community perspectives were heard with compassion and respect.

And in the summer of 2022, in Jackson, Mississippi, when the city's drinking water system failed and residents of Jackson were left without running water for more than a week, CRS played a key role, alongside enforcement and litigating components, in facilitating communication and reducing racial tension within the community, as others worked to remedy the situation and bring accountability.

From mediating during the civil rights marches in the South, to addressing conflicts with tribal communities around sacred sites, to working with faith groups to protect places of worship and recover in the aftermath of hate fueled violence, CRS has tenaciously worked to build bridges and advance understanding.  

CRS services continue to evolve to meet the needs of America. We have developed resources specifically designed to address recurring issues. These programs include: Engaging and Building Partnerships with Muslim Americans and Sikh Americans, Engaging and Building Partnerships with Transgender Communities, Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships and Facilitating Meetings around Community Conflict and others.

We are hard at work developing and revising additional programs to meet the needs of our amazingly diverse American experience. And to ensure accessibility for all communities in need, we are translating our key programs into various languages spoken across the U.S.  

As our country faces new social and cultural shifts, the need for effective conflict resolution and community building grows. CRS stands ready to meet these challenges.

We are focusing on staffing strategically to enhance our geographic coverage and provide services to previously un- or under-served areas including rural and Tribal communities. We are addressing civil rights conflicts impacting American service personnel and veterans. And, we are expanding our engagement with future generations, empowering them to be the peacemakers of tomorrow.

In closing, CRS remains steadfast in its commitment to communities across the nation to resolve conflicts and build stronger, more resilient relationships.

Thank you for your support, and here's to another 60 years of making peace and making a difference together.