Hello all-
Congress is currently considering extending the mandate of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, which was created by the 2019 Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act. The Board helps expedite the release of government-held records for civil rights cold cases that occurred between 1940 and 1979. If Congress doesn't reauthorize the Board, the excellent work they do will come to an end in January 2027.
Act today to tell your Representative that they should support S.1510 – the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act. The Senate has already passed a bill to keep the Board going until 2031. You can share with your Representative why this work is important to you and to the archives and history fields as a whole. Find your representative here.
Why the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board Matters: In just 18 months, since 2024, the Board has released records in 44 cases, involving 49 victims. This includes over 6,500 pages about the lynching of Emmett Till. Case summaries are maintained on the Board's website–coldcaserecords.gov–and the records themselves are available on the Cold Cases portal–crcca.archives.gov–maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration.
The experts on the Board perform meticulous work to support government transparency. Every four to eight weeks, they release new cases to the public. Their efforts involve coordinating with government agencies to review documents for sensitive information that needs to be redacted. Indeed, because of their commitment to transparency, most records are "released in full," meaning every word of the record is visible for the public. If there is any redacted information, one day it will be publicly available when it is no longer considered protected information.
People access these records for any number of reasons. It may be in pursuit of clarity for a victim's family, or possibly for understanding the DOJ's construction of legal arguments, or it might offer researchers historical analysis and interpretation of incidents. If you have your own story about accessing these records, please share it with your Representative's office.
Hundreds of cases involving civil rights violations from 1940-1979 await the Board's review and release. Congress must reauthorize the Board so they can carry out this very meaningful and necessary work that is truly changing lives. Take 3 minutes and contact your Representative's office today!
Contacting your Representative. Use the Congress website to find your Representative and their contact information. You can call or you can e-mail, whichever you prefer. If you call after the workday is complete, and you get the voicemail, leave a message with your concern. Your call will be counted just like a phone call when you reach a live person.
After you contact your representative, let us know. E-mail us at ArchivesOnTheHill@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Gina Nichols, Chair, COPP