Washington, DC--Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile issued the following statement to commemorate the forty-third anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965:

Statement from NCDP Chairman Jerry Meek on the 50th Anniversary of public school integration in North Carolina:

“On behalf of the North Carolina Democratic Party, I would like to thank the trailblazers of public school integration.

It took courage for these students and superintendents to face each school day not knowing what kind of violence or humiliation might come their way. They stood firm in their conviction and because of them we now live in a state where children of all races can share the joy of learning and discovery together.

Opposes Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to protect victims of discrimination

Elizabeth Dole today voted against the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which would ensure that victims of pay discrimination can hold their employers accountable under existing anti-discrimination laws. Dole’s vote comes one day after Equal Pay Day, which highlights the disparity in wages between women and men – currently at 78 cents to the dollar in North Carolina.

“The last thing hardworking North Carolina families need is a paycheck further slashed by discrimination, but Elizabeth Dole passed on guaranteeing equal pay for equal work today,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “With Elizabeth Dole’s record, it’s no wonder she voted against holding people accountable today, but that’s exactly what the voters are going to do to her in November.”

By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press

More than four times as many blacks have registered to vote in North Carolina during the first few months of 2008 as four years ago, a sign that bodes well for Sen. Barack Obama in the state's May 6 Democratic presidential primary.

There has also been a boom in voter registrations overall across age, race, gender and party affiliation, according to the North Carolina state board of elections. And, even though the traditional registration period closes Friday, the numbers may continue to climb if voters take advantage of North Carolina's new same-day registration law.

The North Carolina Democratic Party pauses today to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King was murdered at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead sanitation workers on a protest against low wages and unsafe working conditions.

This grim anniversary comes at a time when Democrats are poised to elect the nation’s first African-American or female President.

We carry the embers of Dr. King’s unfinished work as Democrats have successfully worked to increase state and federal minimum wage rates.

The House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight today examined how and why the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a sister agency of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), failed to protect the public’s health after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The agency failed to translate scientific findings and facts into appropriate public health actions which would have resulted in properly informing and warning tens of thousands of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita survivors living in FEMA-provided trailers and mobile homes of the potential health risks they faced. Instead of pushing to have the residents removed immediately, the agency did virtually nothing.

Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed February as Black History Month and urges citizens to observe and honor the influence of African Americans on the cultural heritage of North Carolina. Educational opportunities are planned for museums and historic sites across the state during the month of February.

“Black History Month pays tribute to the numerous outstanding accomplishments, past and present, which these individuals made to our state, nation and the world,” Easley said. “I encourage all citizens to take this opportunity to recognize, understand and appreciate the contributions of African-Americans to our society.”

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has scheduled a number of events and programs throughout the month of February. Highlights include:

· Town Creek Indian Mound: 4:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 2. The state historic site will show the film “Black Indians: An American Story.” Narrated by James Earl Jones, this movie brings to light a forgotten part of America’s past – the cultural and racial fusion of Native and African Americans. Special viewing in museum auditorium.