The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is an independent agency tasked with reviewing and authorizing for public release investigative records concerning unsolved and unresolved civil rights violations that occurred between 1940 and 1979.
The board was established upon the passing of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in January 2019.
[1][2] The Act was originally drafted by students at Hightstown High School in New Jersey with an early version introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush from Chicago.
After additional outreach and lobbying efforts by other cohorts of Highstown High School students, Senators Ted Cruz, Doug Jones introduced and sponsored the Senate version, which ultimately became law.
[5][6] In June 2021, Clayborne Carson, Gabrielle Dudley, Hank Klibanoff, and Margaret Burnham became the first nominees to the board.