“Bridging Generations of Activists” – Reflections from the ERC’S Summer 2025 Macdonell/Gibson Intern
By: Lucas Golluber
December 11, 2025
The ERC created the Macdonell/Gibson Internship Program in 2023 to honor and preserve the legacies of Rev. James Macdonell and James O. Gibson, two former ERC leaders who contributed greatly to the organization, D.C. region, and broader civil rights movements. I had the privilege of serving this year as the ERC’s third consecutive Macdonell/Gibson Summer Intern.
The power of this internship program is that it connects newer activists like myself to a long history of civil rights work and the leaders who came before me in the movement. I was honored to meet one of those leaders this summer: Rod Boggs, former Executive Director for the Washington Lawyers Committee. Mr. Boggs was instrumental in founding the Fair Housing Council, Fair Employment Council, and Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington, which merged to form the Equal Rights Center. Over the past 40 years, he has collected materials documenting the early days of the ERC, its growth, and the impact the organization has had. I had the opportunity to visit his personal archive, and he equipped me with the resources, stories, and perspective to understand how civil rights work has evolved since the ERC’s story began in 1983.
In 1983, the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington was established with the goal of using civil rights testing to identify discrimination, bolster fair housing enforcement, and encourage compliance. Collectively, the ERC’s founders envisioned an organization that would bring together voices from all over the community. These activists shared a belief that religious leaders of different backgrounds, united by a “sacred mission of love, fairness, and justice,” should steer the organization.
Looking back on my internship, I am moved by this commitment to coming together across differences for the greater good. The board members’ differences helped them reach a broad audience and ensure no one was left out of the movement. Through their work, we are reminded that diversity drives impact and that unity is essential for creating long-lasting social change. Engaging with the founders’ vision has deepened my commitment to turning those values into tangible community impact. I am glad to have been able to document this founding philosophy that grounded the ERC in its early days.
Yet the work I did this summer goes beyond preserving history; it connected these early days with the current civil rights movement, bridging generations of activists. Historical context is critical to guiding today’s leaders on how to shape a more just future. Through my research, I learned how data collection and community education have never stopped serving as powerful tools to advance equity. The need for organizations like the ERC has not changed, as systemic barriers continue to limit opportunities for marginalized people.
As civil rights protections have been eroded within the past year, the ERC’s history reminds us that progress requires both patience and resilience. Even when policy setbacks occur, the ERC and other civil rights organizations and activists stand strong. We have persisted through moments of uncertainty before, so we must continue to stand firm in our values and with our community. Working with the ERC has shown me that change begins when we educate ourselves, uplift others, and work together to demand justice.
I believe the ERC’s founding story can give us the perspective we need to navigate today’s obstacles. Rev. Macdonell, Mr. Gibson, and the other early leaders of the ERC built a strong foundation. Now it is up to us to carry their vision forward and build what comes next.
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The ERC is a civil rights organization that identifies and seeks to eliminate unlawful and unfair discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations in its home community of Greater Washington DC and nationwide. The ERC’s core strategy for identifying unlawful and unfair discrimination is civil rights testing. When the ERC identifies discrimination, it seeks to eliminate it through the use of testing data to educate the public and business community, support policy advocacy, conduct compliance testing and training, and, if necessary, take enforcement action. For more information, please visit www.equalrightscenter.org.
