SCHR Hosts International Human Rights Advocates in Atlanta
On April 26, the United Nations’ International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement (UN EMLER) heard testimony from human rights organizations and people impacted by state violence at Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue Research Library. In addition to Atlanta, EMLER is visiting Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis as part of their United States tour.
L-R: UN Advocate Kerry McLean, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement co-founder Dr. Kwame-Osagyefo Kalimara, SCHR Public Policy Director Tiffany Roberts.
The United Nations formed EMLER following the murder of George Floyd and the international outcry it spurred. UN EMLER works to “further transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement globally, especially where relating to the legacies of colonialism and the Transatlantic slave trade in enslaved Africans.” To that end, UN EMLER is conducting country visits to meet with communities and individuals directly impacted by state-sanctioned violence. They are also meeting with law enforcement agencies and visiting detention centers, examining whether their practices are aligned with international human rights standards.
SCHR co-sponsored the Atlanta UN EMLER visit along with the United Nations Anti-Racism Coalition, Malcolm X Center for Self Determination, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Spelman College, and Mothers Against Police Brutality. During this convening, UN EMLER experts heard testimony on the following:
- Families Affected by State Violence
- School-to-Prison Pipeline
- Human Rights Violations in Louisiana’s Angola Prison
- Political Imprisonment
- Access to Justice
The UN EMLER experts will make recommendations as to concrete steps needed to ensure accountability for human rights violations by law enforcement against people of African descent. They will present a report on their findings to the UN Human Rights Council at its 54th session in September-October 2023. Watch the recorded sessions from the Atlanta site visit on the Auburn Avenue Research Library Facebook page.
Photos courtesy of John Arthur Brown.