AMERICA LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD
FESTIVAL ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

By Chad Andro

TAMPA BAY - May 22, 2010 – Florida may be milestones ahead of where it was many years ago regarding human/civil rights issues, but keynote speaker Dr. Donna Elam, Chairperson of the Florida Commission of Human Relations, told a crowd of hundreds that Florida ranks 3rd highest in the country with number of hate groups (50), and 3rd highest in human trafficking, at the “Civil Rights Festival: America Let Your Voice Be Heard”, at University of South Florida this weekend.

Dr. Elam emphasized the message of creating unity amongst a diversity of groups and people, but at the same time other speakers reminded the audience discrimination is not gone when an employee finds a “noose” at his workplace or expletives are painted on your house about your religion. Discrimination is not gone when Latinos can be detained just by their looks.

With a variety of speakers such as Dr. Joyce Hamilton Henry (ACLU of Tampa) to Manuel Zurita (Executive Director EEOC Tampa) to Ahmed Bedier (Tampa Hillsborough Council of Human Rights), the public had an opportunity to talk directly to community leaders and civil rights lawyers about their problems and concerns, such as the profiling of the Latinos. Florida Immigrant Coalition, National Farm Worker Ministry, and Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking all addressed the concerns and solutions of minorities captured in the growing trafficking industry in Florida. Groups had an opportunity for human/civil rights organizations to coordinate how we can all work together to eliminate discrimination for all minority groups, creating a society of respect and dignity of our fellow citizens.

The event was sponsored by Tampa Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and co-sponsored by the NAACP, ACLU, Morgan & Morgan, EEOC, Family Justice Center, Bay Area Legal Services, the Center for Religious Tolerance, Friends of Human Rights, Tampa/Hillsborough Human Rights Council, and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. In addition there was a numerous list of charitable organizations including an array youth groups such as Project Downtown, Youth for Human Rights Florida, Amnesty International and Youth for Change.