Charles Ogletree- U.S. EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien, Harvard’s Charles Ogletree and Dick Gregory will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and explore the new civil rights agenda for the future during the Northeast Regional Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts (Marriott) on April 10-11, 2014. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned all forms of racial discrimination, the struggle for equality and justice continues. The conference, which brings together advocates for social justice across all disciplines and industries, is designed for networking, dialogue and information-sharing. It is open to the public and free of charge, but registration is required – www.2014conference.massfairhousing.org .
Each year, the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and HAP Housing collaborate with similar agencies across the New England Region and New York to provide this educational opportunity to learn, share information and network. “The conference generates considerable intellectual dialogue as well as creates opportunities to strengthen existing networks and to forge new ones,” says Jamie Williamson, Chair of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
This year’s conference will cover a range of discussions and updates on a variety of Civil Rights topics including, Fair Housing, Employment Law, Cultural Competence and Health Care Inequities, Promoting Safe and Inclusive Schools, Wealth Disparities, Legal Updates (Employment Law, Department of Justice, Civil Rights Enforcement),Urban Public Health Issues, Reasonable Accommodations, Social Media Access, Engagement and Law, Recognizing Signs of Human Trafficking in Your Community, Minority Homeownership and more.
The conference will also feature a range of local and national speakers including:
• Jacqueline Berrien, Chair of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, District of Massachusetts
• Harvard’s Charles Ogletree who is the Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, and Founding and Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice
• health disparities/cultural competency expert Dr. Rodney Hood MD and author/civil rights champion
• comedian Dick Gregory, who has been on the frontline of civil rights since the sixties and today he continues to be a “drum major for justice and equality
• Lawrence “Larry” Watson a professor, performer, historian and artist who teaches at Boston’s Berklee School Music. He shares the power of history with the authenticity of his voice.
During a plenary session on April 10, Charles Ogletree, Dr. Rodney Hood MD, Dr. Amilcar Shabazz (UMASS Amherst) and Dick Gregory will discuss the “Future of Civil Rights”.
“We are excited about not only recognizing the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, but also making positive contributions to the dialogue that will shape the future of civil rights in this country,” said Williamson, “By bringing a diversity of Governmental agencies into one room, we hope that attendees will learn what each agency does and to give them access to their experts. Together, the collective voice of many agencies and individuals will offer organizations the needed training that will increase performance and diversify perspective in a changing.”
HAP Housing’s John Fisher adds, “For many reasons, this conference is important work at a critical time in our nation’s history, so I am excited about working with others to make a difference for generations to come.”
About the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination: The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is the state’s chief civil rights agency. The Commission works to eliminate discrimination on a variety of bases and areas, and strives to advance the civil rights of the people of the Commonwealth through law enforcement, outreach and training.
About the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center: MFHC has been in the forefront of the fight against housing discrimination for over 25 years. MFHC provides free legal services and accepts housing discrimination complaints based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, disability, presence of minor children, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran’s status, or receipt of public assistance, including Section 8 housing assistance. MFHC also provides extensive education and outreach services to community groups, service providers, landlords, realtors, newspapers and others.
About HAPHousing: HAPHousing provides a broad range of housing services to meet the needs of low and moderate-income households and is the region’s largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing.
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