Macdonell/Gibson Summer Internship

Reports to: Communications and Engagement Manager 

Internship Focus: Support the Equal Rights Center’s (ERC) communications, civil rights testing, and advocacy programs, covering the areas of Fair Housing, Fair Employment, Language Access, and Accessibility Rights. 

Location: This position requires occasional in-person work at the ERC’s Washington, D.C. office. The ERC follows Covid-19 related public health guidance. The ERC requires all staff members, including interns, to certify that they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Exemptions to the vaccine requirement will be granted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and/or District laws. ERC participates in E-verify.

Organizational overview: 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, D.C. and nationwide. The ERC’s core strategy for identifying unlawful and unfair discrimination is civil rights testing, a technique used in civil rights investigations dating back to the 1960s. To learn more about civil rights testing, visit: www.equalrightscenter.org. 

Internship background: The Macdonell/Gibson Internship was established in 2023 to honor two men who had tremendous impacts on the ERC, the Washington, D.C. region, and the civil rights movement as a whole: Reverend James Macdonell and James O. Gibson.

Rev. Macdonell was one of the original founders of the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington in 1983. He served as Board President of the Fair Housing Council and then the ERC from 1983 to 2012 and was instrumental in the organization’s growth and many successes during that time. Besides his work with the ERC, and among his many accomplishments, Rev. Macdonell was minister at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, MD, for 38 years, participated in the 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 Selma voting rights march, and was active in peace-making efforts in Northern Ireland.

James Gibson also served for many years on the ERC’s Board of Directors. He generously contributed his remarkable knowledge and experience to the Fair Employment Council and then the ERC. Mr. Gibson shared ERC resources with the community and meaningfully connected with other supporters. He had a distinguished career in D.C. government and the non-profit world, including service as president of the Meyer Foundation, director of the Rockefeller Foundation’s equal opportunity program, and senior associate at the Urban Institute. 

In the spirit of honoring Rev. Macdonell and Mr. Gibson, the 2025 Macdonell/Gibson Intern will participate in the ERC’s efforts to identify and combat discrimination in the greater Washington, D.C. region and across the United States. This person will provide administrative, research, brainstorming, and writing support to the civil rights testing, intake/advocacy, and external affairs teams 

Core responsibilities:

• Using source documents and interviews, contribute to the Macdonell/Gibson archive.
• Draft content such as Know Your Rights resources and educational blog posts for the ERC’s communications channels including the website, newsletters, and social media.
• Research grant opportunities that ERC should pursue to support its local fair housing work.
• Support the ERC’s intake and advocacy team by:
  • Completing, maintaining, and organizing files, paperwork, and database information,
  • Conducting research to support advocacy, including by examining property records and corporate filings,
  • Compiling information for reports and publications, such as quarterly intake data, and
  • Attending and reporting on community-based education and outreach activities, including tabling events and intake clinics.
• Support the ERC’s civil rights testing team by:
  • Conducting reconnaissance and providing background research to inform civil rights testing investigations,
  • Monitoring for discriminatory advertisements to inform testing projects,
  • Redacting documents and audio files, and
  • Completing administrative tasks to assist with investigation preparation and test data analysis.
• Provide administrative support for webinars, trainings, and meetings.
• Complete data entry and record keeping obligations.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Required experience and education: 

• Demonstrated interest in social justice, civil rights, and/or public interest lawrelated issues.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent research skills. Must be comfortable with conducting research online and contacting people directly via phone and/or email to gather information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort with public speaking.
• Ability to follow strict project protocols and detailed instructions and carefully handle sensitive confidential information.
• Sensitivity toward cultural, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team. Experience in a remote or hybrid work environment is a plus.
• Openness and ability to learn new skills, accept constructive feedback, and ask for help and guidance when necessary.
• Experience and skill working with Microsoft and Google online applications. 

Compensation, benefits, and schedule: This is a paid part-time internship (approximately 10 hours/week, no more than 20 hours/week) from the beginning of June through the end of August, 2025. The 2025 Macdonell/Gibson intern will be compensated $18.00/hour and will be provided paid sick leave in accordance with D.C. law. There is flexibility in determining intern schedules, but interns will need to have some availability during normal business hours (Mon-Fri 9-5 EST). 

Application instructions: Please send via email: a cover letter describing your interest in our work and your resume. Please send these materials in a single PDF file to internship@equalrightscenter.org, to the attention of Nick Adjami, Communications and Engagement Manager, subject line: “2025 Macdonell/Gibson Internship: [Your Name]”. 

Application deadline: Due to the high volume of applicants, we may not be able to respond to everyone. Qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews on a rolling basis. 

The Equal Rights Center is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. 
The Equal Rights Center is a barrier, drug and smoke-free workplace.