Gov. Minner Proclaims January Human Relations Awareness Month
January 4, 2007
Dover - Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, on January 9, 2007, will be signing a Proclamation making January Human Relations Awareness Month in Delaware; recognizing that "all human beings are born with the right to be treated with dignity, fairness, and equality."
The creation of Human Relations Awareness Month demonstrates a year-round, constant commitment to ensuring equal opportunity in Delaware. The proclamation kicks off a month of events.
The event honors the efforts of the State Human Relations Commission, created in 1962 under Governor Elbert N. Carvel, to battle segregation. Today the Commission receives more than 300 calls a year on a wide range of discrimination issues and holds hundreds of outreach events to inform and educate citizens.
The proclamation, signed by Gov. Minner and Lt. Gov. John Carney, declares that "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Constitution of the United States, without distinction of any kind, such as race, sex, age, color, creed, religion, marital status, national or social origin, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, political or other status."
Governor Minner will be presenting the proclamation to the members of the State Human Relations Commission. "The signing of this proclamation is a chance to remind ourselves of the many reasons to be hopeful," said Juana Fuentes-Bowles, Director of the Delaware Department of State, Division of Human Relations. "While the struggle for human rights never ends, we have reason to believe that humanity can always better itself. We in Delaware should never be complacent."
Schedule of Events for Human Relations Awareness Month 2007:| January 11th | State Human Relations Commission Meeting, Dept. of Transportation, 800 Bay Road, Farmington Conference Room, Dover, Delaware. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. |
| January 13th | Parade in Lewes, Delaware at 11:00 a.m. Martin Luther King, Jr. dinner and celebration, Baycenter in Dewey Beach, 4:30 - 9:00 p.m. |
| January 15th | Community Worship Service, St. John 2nd Baptist Church in Millsboro, Delaware, 10:00 a.m. Alpha PSI Alpha, MLK Prayer Breakfast, Modern Maturity Center,Dover, Delaware, 7:00 a.m. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, noon - 3:00 p.m., Mt. Zion AME Church, Dover. |
| January 16th | Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, 3 - 8 p.m., Chase Center, Wilmington. |
During the month of February, the State Human Relations Commission will be holding Town Forums throughout the State for citizen's input. (times, locations, and dates will be announced later).
