Recently, LATINO Magazine published an op-ed by New York State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Denise Miranda regarding New York State’s storied legacy in the fight for human rights and the agency’s commitment to defending the rights of all New Yorkers. Text of the op-ed can be viewed online and is available below: 

The promises of the civil rights movement in the United States have been continuously solidified through decades of organizing, legislating, and litigating. The movement’s victories have made our country a fairer and more equal place for everyone, and New York is proud to stand as the birthplace of many key chapters in this history—like women’s rights arising from Seneca Falls and LGBTQ+ rights at Stonewall.  

But today, we face great threats to this progress. Donald Trump and his administration are doing everything they can to dismantle generations of civil rights progress, often perversely claiming to act in the name of equality while issuing directives that ignore persistent barriers that continue to deny true equality of opportunity to marginalized communities.  

As the first Afro-Latina to lead the New York State Division of Human Rights, I am keenly aware of the threat these policies pose to Latino communities—as well as people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with disabilities, and others—throughout our state and across the country.  

We are witnessing countless Executive Orders seeking to dismantle agencies and initiatives that were intended to recognize the value of diversity in our government. Ironically, the Trump administration claims that these efforts of inclusion are examples of “shameful discrimination.”  

More recently, a new Executive Order seeks to eliminate disparate impact liability, a decades-old civil rights tool that has been used to prevent systematic discrimination in areas like employment, housing, and education. And yet, the White House described this as an action restoring “the true promise of the Civil Rights Movement.” Absolutely, nothing could be further from the truth. 

In the face of these threats, New York State remains committed to standing up for the values that have made our state—and our country—a beacon of opportunity and progress for generations.  

In New York State, we know our strength is drawn from the diverse cultures, identities, and lived experiences of our neighbors. And we are showing what real civil rights leadership looks like by investing more than ever in the tools that protect our communities from discrimination, hate, and bias.  

Since taking office in 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul has more than doubled the funding provided to the Division of Human Rights and we have hired dozens of new staff members including talented and passionate public servants who were summarily fired by the federal government. These staff members will investigate discrimination, support community engagement, and help ensure that nobody gets a free pass to discriminate in New York State.  

Our state has the oldest statewide anti-discrimination law anywhere in the country, and for 80 years we have continually bolstered its protections. So as the federal government rolls back longstanding civil rights protections, closes federal civil rights offices, and sidelines civil rights complaints they do not agree with, New York State can proudly say that we have done the hard work to ensure no New Yorker facing discrimination will be left high and dry.  

In fact, many of the civil rights protections guaranteed under the New York State Human Rights Law are even more expansive than those provided under federal law. Nothing about those New York State protections have changed. Today, the Division of Human Rights is stronger, not weaker, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the rights of every New Yorker in every corner of our great state.  

As Latinos, our ancestors in the United States were organizers, community pillars, and advocates, fighting for fair labor practices, better schools, and civil rights, long before it was fashionable. They worked grueling jobs, learned new languages, navigated unfamiliar systems, and built communities from scratch. They faced discrimination, isolation, and hardship and yet they endured. They preserved our culture, our traditions, our food, our music, our language often against pressure to assimilate. They instilled in us a sense of pride, a connection to our roots, and the understanding that our heritage is a source of resilience.  

This legacy, left to us by our ancestors, is a source of profound strength to get through times of uncertainty. We must acknowledge the very real challenges of this moment, knowing they exist alongside the undeniable progress we have made.  

As you read this, please know that here in New York State, the Division of Human Rights will continue our efforts to prevent discrimination and ensure that all New Yorkers are afforded the nation-leading protections guaranteed under our state’s Human Rights Law.