Civil Rights Leaders' Wish List of Issues for New President

Judicial appointments, voting rights, international relations and education are among other issues on a wish list for African-Americans and civil rights advocates. ''The retreat on diversity in [federal courts] in recent years has made the issue more important for the next President, says Leslie Proll, director, Washington Office, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. There will be much work to do just restoring some diversity to many courts, let alone improving upon it.''

Supreme Court justices get lifetime presidential appointments, but due to possible retirements, as many as three justices may be appointed by the new president and hundreds to lower federal courts, to make decisions on race-related issues from affirmative action to civil rights. Some not only see racial and cultural sensitivity, but racial diversity as a key to fairness in judicial appointments. The Bush administration has appointed few Black judges, only 25 out of his 324 judicial appointments.

The lack of appointments of African-Americans, coupled with retirements of African-Americans from federal benches, has caused a decline in Black judgeships across the nation, despite past gains. The fight for civil rights is still not over despite the historic nature of this years presidential election. Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree underscores civil rights even the right to free and fair elections - as a key issue that must be dealt with early in the new administration.

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