Statement on racial justice and equality

by Aug. 10, 2020

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

–The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

Juneteenth

The first act of the United States was to declare that all people are created equal. This bold declaration flew in the face of the Old World’s insistence on hierarchy. It sent a clear message that the United States of America would be a different kind of country, offering the opportunity for people to pursue their version of happiness without fear of governmental intrusion.

However, this promise of equality was not kept for all people when those words were written, and it is not kept for all people today. The story of the United States can be understood as a 244-year struggle to make the promise of equality a reality for everyone.

American history has always been tainted by racial injustice. The evils of slavery and Jim Crow laws, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the redlining of American cities are three examples. And one particular evil that persists today is the experience of police abuse of and discrimination against people of color.

Rushing McCarl is committed to the pursuit of racial and social justice in America. Our founding partners have been on the front lines of protests, and as a firm we are committed to doing our part to realize the promise of the Declaration of Independence.

Until justice is fairly administered, the promise of equality will never be fulfilled. That is why we support the Black Lives Matter movement, are members of the ACLU, and volunteer with the National Lawyers’ Guild — America’s preeminent legal not-for-profit organization representing protestors who stand up to oppression.