WHEREAS, the history of human rights in the United States of America is interwoven with its founding principles and societal values as evidenced in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that states:
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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…, and
WHEREAS, the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, identifies the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution that protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals living in the United States especially the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Amendments, and
WHEREAS, there were pivotal events in history such as the abolition of slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865 to the United States Constitution, and
WHEREAS, the overturning of the Dred Scott decision that resulted in the ratification of the 14th Amendment on July 9, 1868 granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and
WHEREAS, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and
WHEREAS, the United States played a prominent role in the shaping of international human rights norms that collectively aim to promote dignity, equality, and justice for all called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a landmark document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, and
WHEREAS, many of the 30 articles of the UDHR overlap with the United States of America’s Constitution, even though the UDHR is not legally binding, the UDHR has influenced other frameworks like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and
WHEREAS, the 14th Amendment has since played a major role in landmark Supreme Court cases, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which ended racial segregation in public schools, and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which legalized same- sex marriage nationwide, and
WHEREAS, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States produced several key milestones that advanced the fight for racial equality and human rights such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956), Little Rock Nine (1957), Sit-Ins (1960), Freedom Rides (1961), March on Washington (1963, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Fair Housing Act (1968), and
WHEREAS, AFSA supports legislation, policies, and practices that support human rights of all persons born or naturalized in the United States in alignment with the Constitution of the United States, especially in schools, workplaces, communities, and homes, and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that AFSA actively promotes the human rights of all persons born or naturalized in the United States in alignment with the U.S. Constitution, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA actively engages with communities and elected officials in order to establish and maintain collective bargaining rights so that workers have direct input into their employment environment including, but not limited to salary, healthcare, and other benefits, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA informs members of issues and/or local, state, or federal policy changes that could impact the human rights of children and their right to a free and appropriate public education, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA take action to support international human rights efforts, such as advocating for refugees, immigration policies, and/or opposing labor exploitations abroad, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA continues to advocate for children’s human rights through legislation such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) created in 2012, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA actively engages in dialogue with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels in order to preserve, protect and defend the rights of every child born or naturalized in the United States, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA ensures representation among qualified persons so that institutions reflect the communities they serve, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA recognizes inequalities in communities that violate an individual’s human rights and ensures fairness in access to resources and opportunities, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA ensures the human right of all individuals to fully participate and contribute in institutions without fear of discrimination or bias, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA engages in meaningful dialogue with elected officials to expand opportunities for all individuals by removing barriers that may prevent participation in society through reasonable accommodations in work and public settings, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will take action to support and protect policies and initiatives that are essential to upholding every individual’s civil rights, to addressing discrimination, and to ensuring all communities have a right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the American dream.