For Immediate Release
Contact:
Lisa Navarette
lnavarette@nclr.org
202-776-1744
Washington– The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today mourned the untimely passing of legal and civil rights icon John Payton. Mr. Payton, who was President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, passed away yesterday in Baltimore, Maryland.
“The legal world and the entire civil rights community have lost a great champion. I had the privilege of working with John Payton on the issues of civil rights, affirmative action, and educational equity and I was always in awe of his brilliance, the breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience, and his unwavering commitment to our cause,” stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO.
“Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Gay McDougall, his family and his many friends and colleagues here and around the world. He will be sorely missed. It is incumbent upon all of us to continue his legacy of advocating for fairness, equity, and justice for all,” concluded Murguía.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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