Statement from the Legal Defense Fund Following the 2024 General Election

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Following the 2024 general election, Janai Nelson, Legal Defense Fund (LDF)'s President and Director-Counsel, issued the following statement:

"Today, we face a glaring reality: the actions of the past several years have tested our democracy in unprecedented ways, and its future hangs in the balance. It was always undeniably clear that regardless of the outcome of this year's election, this fact would remain true, though we now find ourselves at an accelerated inflection point.

"What will unfurl in the weeks and months ahead may feel dismaying, precarious, and daunting- because it is. Throughout our nation's history, Black people have never been spared such challenges. And, yet, they have stood firm, unyielding in pursuit of an America that represents our full citizenship and dignity.

"The architects of our modern America - civil rights activists, community organizers, and dedicated citizens with a transformative dream - never backed down. LDF was quite literally built for moments like these: times when, amid precarity and chaos, clarion vision, sustained course, and fearless resolve guide us forward.

"The Legal Defense Fund's mission to advance racial justice remains ceaseless and unfettered. The only question that remains is which of our multitude of tools and decisive strategies we will employ to meet this moment with swift urgency. Those of us who see and feel the boundless potential of this radical American experiment still have the power to shape and transform it. We will continue to honor our noble calling to fight for its future - together and unafraid."

Read Ms. Nelson's full statement here.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957-although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.