Over the last 50 years there has been a dramatic change in society's perception of justice. Rights and privileges which had for centuries been afforded to and enjoyed by one particular group have since been recognized as belonging to all.
But such widespread recognition has not come without resistance. Despite the enactment of laws designed to protect the vulnerable from those who would otherwise harm or exploit them, access to justice remains out of reach for many.
In the workplace or even just moving about in the world, people suffer harm and humiliation not for anything they have done but simply because of how others see them. And this flawed perception of others can create some very real problems which some are unable to address and resolve on their own.
It is my hope that the Civil Rights Justice Center will serve as a means of empowering people by educating them about their rights and enabling them to avail themselves of the legal system when needed to protect those rights and to maintain, or in some cases regain, their dignity.
I was born in New York City in the mid-1950s and grew up on the streets of Spanish Harlem. Always good at math and science, I initially wanted to be a weatherman. Then after taking biology in junior high, I was certain I would become a doctor. But as I grew into adulthood and after my family moved further north on Manhattan into a drug-infested area of Harlem's Washington Heights, I began to realize how difficult life was for so many of those around me.
Everyday people struggled to get and keep jobs. For some, just to stay alive and keep their children safe were full-time concerns. I wanted to be able to help ordinary people and teach them skills that would improve their decision-making and, in turn, their lives. My dad did social work and it was from watching him that I came to recognize, appreciate and develop skills crucial to helping others.
In college I learned how laws are created, and also how many of them are misused. I was appalled at the level of discrimination and oppression that was sanctioned by courts and ignored by lawmakers. My personal experience in being repeatedly stopped by police for no apparent reason when driving home from work at night galvanized my conviction to do whatever it took to go to law school and become a lawyer. I knew that I wanted to use my skills primarily to give ordinary people a chance at justice. I wanted to be a legal pioneer.
After nearly 45 years in the practice and continuing study of law and advocating for the rights of others, in 2015 I turned my focus on areas where I believe I can do the most good. The Civil Rights Justice Center provides the means for doing precisely that. My goal is to make the Center a place where people can come to seek legal advice, learn their rights and improve their lives.
Darryl Parker, Founder
Civil Rights Justice Center, PLLC
But such widespread recognition has not come without resistance. Despite the enactment of laws designed to protect the vulnerable from those who would otherwise harm or exploit them, access to justice remains out of reach for many.
In the workplace or even just moving about in the world, people suffer harm and humiliation not for anything they have done but simply because of how others see them. And this flawed perception of others can create some very real problems which some are unable to address and resolve on their own.
It is my hope that the Civil Rights Justice Center will serve as a means of empowering people by educating them about their rights and enabling them to avail themselves of the legal system when needed to protect those rights and to maintain, or in some cases regain, their dignity.
I was born in New York City in the mid-1950s and grew up on the streets of Spanish Harlem. Always good at math and science, I initially wanted to be a weatherman. Then after taking biology in junior high, I was certain I would become a doctor. But as I grew into adulthood and after my family moved further north on Manhattan into a drug-infested area of Harlem's Washington Heights, I began to realize how difficult life was for so many of those around me.
Everyday people struggled to get and keep jobs. For some, just to stay alive and keep their children safe were full-time concerns. I wanted to be able to help ordinary people and teach them skills that would improve their decision-making and, in turn, their lives. My dad did social work and it was from watching him that I came to recognize, appreciate and develop skills crucial to helping others.
In college I learned how laws are created, and also how many of them are misused. I was appalled at the level of discrimination and oppression that was sanctioned by courts and ignored by lawmakers. My personal experience in being repeatedly stopped by police for no apparent reason when driving home from work at night galvanized my conviction to do whatever it took to go to law school and become a lawyer. I knew that I wanted to use my skills primarily to give ordinary people a chance at justice. I wanted to be a legal pioneer.
After nearly 45 years in the practice and continuing study of law and advocating for the rights of others, in 2015 I turned my focus on areas where I believe I can do the most good. The Civil Rights Justice Center provides the means for doing precisely that. My goal is to make the Center a place where people can come to seek legal advice, learn their rights and improve their lives.
Darryl Parker, Founder
Civil Rights Justice Center, PLLC
