The
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission is proud to announce
commemoration of our 40th Anniversary. The Board of
City Commissioners passed the resolution creating the Lexington Commission on
Human Rights on June 20, 1963. This action
was a result of many community members who expressed their concerns and the need
for community action to improve human relations and establish bridges of
communication among the several racial, ethnic and religious groups in
Lexington. Lexingtonians
who attended the National Conference on Religion and Race, in Chicago, Illinois
in January 1963, heeded the call from this conference to return to their
individual communities and work toward the establishment of local inter-faith,
inter-racial committees to achieve full human rights for all in the U.S. The report of the Chicago conference made an impression on a group of about 250 people called together by the Social Action Committee of the United Church Women, under the leadership of Mrs. Robert F. "Mim" Hunt. Out of this group came the Lexington Committee on Religion and Human Rights (LCRHR) with a Protestant minister (the Rev. James W. Angell), a Catholic priest (the Rev. Leo Wilson), and a rabbi (Rabbi Robert Rothman) elected as co-chairs. LCRHR soon
realized Lexington needed an official public agency to work alongside volunteer
organizations on areas including education, employment, public accommodations,
housing, legislation, and church liaison. It was
through the dedication and efforts of the members of LCRHR that the resolution
creating the Lexington Commission on Human Rights was passed on June 20, 1963. The
Lexington Commission on Human Rights was the predecessor to what is now know as
the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission. We invite all community members to join us as we plan to honor those who paved the way and identify the challenges that lie ahead. |
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