City of Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission has new Dolphin Mascot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION TEACHES KIDS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION USING DOLPHIN MASCOT

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission will unveil its newest member, Donald the Anti-Discriminatory Dolphin, tomorrow night at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Donald, a dolphin mascot that teaches children about discrimination, will make a cameo appearance at the museum’s Pajama Storytime event at 7pm, before he begins conducting presentations in Cedar Rapids classrooms next month, as well as a special presentation for the Landlords of Linn County on Thursday, April 14.

The Donald the Anti-Discriminatory Dolphin Youth Education Project was funded by a grant through the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Donald and Commission staff will present to pre-school through elementary age students and make appearances at Commission events. Donald teaches children about discrimination based on characteristics protected by the Cedar Rapids municipal code as well as the resources available to community members when they face discrimination.

The lessons are implemented by performing a skit starring the new mascot. Donald begins the skit as a discriminatory landlord who denies potential sea creature tenants based on assumptions he has about certain groups. A member of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission confronts Donald about his behavior and says if Donald were to be a victim of discrimination, he would feel like a fish out of water. Donald gets upset, because he is not a fish – he is a mammal. He tells the staff person it’s wrong to make assumptions based on appearance. After realizing he has been guilty of assumptions as well, he vows to stop discriminating.

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission is looking for future groups to view the presentation. If you or someone you know is interested in having Donald the Anti-Discriminatory Dolphin present to your group or classroom, contact the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission at (319)286-5036.

Contact:

Paul Nemeth

Community and Educational Outreach Coordinator/AmeriCorps VISTA Associate

Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission

paul.nemeth@cedar-rapids.org

(319)286-5132

Karl Cassell Executive Director

Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission

k.cassell@cedar-rapids.org

(319)286-5036

Who Is My Neighbor

Happy New Year: New Ordinance Focus Groups 1/10 and 1/11 in Cedar Rapids

We hope the New Year is off to a good start for you ...

Ordinance change would protect Section 8 housing applicants - The Gazette
Imagine you’re a low-income person with a low-paying job and the good fortune of having a federal housing voucher to help with rent. Now, that person in Cedar Rapids and most other cities has the task of finding a landlord willing to accept the voucher as partial payment of rent. Some landlords don’t want to ...

New Ordinance Focus Groups will be hosted by the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission on Monday, January 10Th and Tuesday, January 11Th. Different subjects will be presented each session.

• The city commission forum on Monday will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s location in Westdale Mall. Proposed ordinance changes related to marital status will be discussed first followed by those related to gender identity.
• The Tuesday forum will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1340 Third Ave. SE, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Proposed ordinance changes related to lawful sources of income will be discussed first followed by changes related to construction and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  

Who is my Neighbor?

As we head into Mother's Day weekend May 7-9, 2010 ...

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission will be hosting its 2Nd Annual Fair Housing Conference; "Sustainability: Rebuilding After the Flood." The goal for the conference is to raise awareness of Fair Housing issues as well as issues related to flood recovery.

The keynote speaker, the Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, John Trasviña. "HUD continues to demonstrate their commitment to fair housing," and according to Karl Cassell, Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, "we are grateful for the partnership."

The Civil Rights Commission is asking local organizations for sponsorships for the Fair Housing Conference that is coming to our community. Three levels of sponsorships are available: Gold, Silver and Bronze. For information, you can contact Commission at 319.286.5036.

As we enter the Mother's Day weekend, we want to wish mothers everywhere the very best.

Have a Healthy Mother's Day

We invite you to send an eCard

the following:

Text that will be added to your eCard:

May we work toward a healthy world for all mothers.

Support healthy families at:

http://www.umchealthyfamilies.org/

Who Is My Neighbor?

This Day in history: April 5Th ...

Today in 1856 - Booker Taliaferro Washington, American political leader, educator, orator and author educator, was born in Franklin County, Va. He was born a slave on the farm of James Burroughs. After the Civil War, Washington became founder and first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School.(April 5, 1856... ~ Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission

More on Booker T. Washington ...

Who Is My Neighbor

Celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall: September 9, 1989

European leaders mark 20 years since fall of Berlin Wall‎ - The Sun Daily
Berlin (Nov 10, 2009) - With a walk through Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, ... France and Italy marked on Monday the sudden opening of the Berlin Wall 20 ...

MTV Europe Awards to celebrate fall of Berlin Wall‎ - The Associated Press

Berlin Commemorates Fall of Berlin Wall, 20 Years Later - CafeSentido.com

The Berlin Wall separated East and West Berlin, ensuring that capitalist ad democratic West Berlin remained surrounded on all sides by the Communist German ...

Visit the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights on Facebook: Cedar Rapids Civil Rights

"Twenty years go today, on November 9, 1989, was The Fall of the Berlin Wall. The East German government announced that visits in West Germany and West Berlin will be permitted. Thousands of East Berliners passed into West Berlin as border guards stand by. People begin tearing down the wall." - Cedar Rapids Civil Rights on Facebook

peace

A discussion of Social Justice in Cedar Rapids

CLARENCE DARROW’S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

Price: Tickets: $10 in advance; $12 at the door
Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Street: 1340 3rd Ave. SE

Gary Anderson, a nationally-renowned Darrow portrayer, will showcase “the most hated and celebrated lawyer in America.”“Darrow as a legal warrior, returning to engage our government and justice system in a presentation that trembles with inescapable timeliness.” He fought Creationism in public schools, racism, the death penalty, conspiracy laws, and attacks on civil liberties. “Anderson’s Darrow is in the same league as Holbrook’s Mark Twain.”At the end of the show, Civil Rights Commission Director Karl Cassell will present statistics on racial and economic issues in Cedar Rapids. Discussion to follow.

Sponsored by the:

• Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission
• St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
• The Peoples’ Church Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

This date in History: September 9

from Facebook: Cedar Rapids Civil Rights

Today in 1957: President Eisenhower signed into law the first civil rights bill
to pass Congress since Reconstruction. (Historical period of 1865 -1877) "The
act established the Commission on Civil Rights, a 6-member bipartisan commission
with the power to "investigate allegations .. that certain citizens are being
deprived of their right to vote" as well as to study other denials of equal
protection of the laws."

Civil Rights Act of 1957

"In 1957, President Eisenhower sent Congress a proposal for civil rights legislation. The result was the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The new act established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and empowered federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. It also established a federal Civil Rights Commission with authority to investigate discriminatory conditions and recommend corrective measures. The final act was weakened by Congress due to lack of support among the Democrats." - Eisenhower Library

July 2009 is here!

We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable July 2009!

The July 2009 Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Newsletter is out. Highlights include:

• Recap of June 25, 2009 Fair Housing Conference
• New Commissioners: Dr. Ruth White and Anthony Arrington
• RESULTS OF THE CORRIDOR’S DIVERSITY CLIMATE STUDY
• The Persistence of Racial and Ethnic Profiling in the United States
• Facts on: HATE CRIMES, PREJUDICE, AND STEREOTYPES ...
• What Do You Know?
• more facts and information on the Civil Rights Commission

JULY CIVIL RIGHTS EVENTS IN OUR HISTORY

• July, 1839 -
  Iowa was among the earliest states to enact prohibitions against race discrimination, especially in education. In the very first decision of the newly founded Iowa Supreme Court, In Re the Matter of Ralph, the Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War.
• July 26, 1948 -
  President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, which states, "It is hereby declared to
  be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." The order also creates the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services.
• July 2, 1964 -
  President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The most sweeping civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The law also provides the federal government with the powers to enforce desegregation.

peace

Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission holding Fair Housing Conference on June 25, 2009

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Crowne Plaza
Street: 350 First Avenue NE
City/Town: in Cedar Rapids, IA

8:00 am Registration, breakfast

8:30 am Welcome, opening remarks

9:00 am Housing, Foreclosures, and Predatory Lending

11:00 am Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

12:00 pm Lunch/showing of “Brooklyn Matters” Documentary

1-5 pm Housing Laws: Realtor /Landlord Track

OR

1 pm Voluntary Property Acquisition for Flood Impacted Properties

2 pm Student Loans: Stella Adams

OR Iowa Finance Authority Programs for Home Buyers

3 pm Accessibility, Americans with Disability Act

4 pm Home Buyer Education

Contact the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission for more information!

Phone: 319.286.5036

E-mail: civilrights@cedar-rapids.org

Registration fee: $25

Registration is open through day of conference.

PLEASE register in advance: we are required to give counts to the facility for food.

Thank you and hope to see you there!

This date in History: June 18 ...

On Facebook, the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission pointed out:

"On June 18, 1873 Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting to
vote in the 1872 presidential election."

A Famous Speech by Susan B. Anthony proceeded her Being Convicted Of Voting In The 1872 Presidential Election.

This date in history June 18, 1873

peace

Community comes together for Town Meeting and Panel Discussion

St. Paul's UMC hosted on Tuesday night a Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission sponsored event titled "Community Connections: Taking Ownership For Where We Live."

The Gazette article in the April 15, 2009 edition of the paper was titled About 250 gather to talk about race, police, violence. Link The Gazette story includes link to video replay of event.

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission web site provided the following highlights:

Over 250 people gathered to discuss social issues on April 14 at St. Paul's
United Methodist Church. The discussion included concerns about parenting,
absent landlords, and issues concerning the police and the people they serve.
Every person in Cedar Rapids needs to be responsible and help work
together to be able to solve these problems. Panelist, Lloyd, Smith summed this
up by stating "the solution is out there," indicating the audience. "Not up
here. It has to be worked out there."

Panelists included:

• Terry Bilsland, President of Wellington Heights, Neighborhood Association
• Dedric Doolin, Iowa/Nebraska NAACP State Conference Secretary
• Pastor Harlan Gillespie, Senior Pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
• Greg Graham, Cedar Rapids Police Chief
• Dr. Dave Markward, Cedar Rapids Community School District Superintendent
• Lloyd Smith, Retired Juvenile Officer
• Dr. Ruth White, Executive Director of The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success
  

Event moderated by:

• Beth Malicki, News anchor/reporter for KCRG TV Channel 9
• Dean Borg, Senior Correspondent for Iowa Public Radio and public affairs anchor for Iowa Public Television

Cedar Rapids Crime Stoppers

Other articles related to this story - various sources, Alleged attack on police spurs Cedar Rapids forum on race from DesMoinesRegister.com and Assault on Cedar Rapids officer raises fears from KPTM-TV (AP).

4/14/2008 Community Connections: "Taking Ownership For Where We Live"

Karl Cassell, Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission spoke to a group at Noon today. He informed the group in attendance of the following upcoming event.

Upcoming Event: Community Connections: "Taking Ownership For Where We Live" Tue. April 14 at 6pm at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 1340 3rd Ave SE sponsored by CR Civil Rights Commission - in part this is a response to the violence that has directly impacted lives of a Cedar Rapids Police Officer, children, and adult neighbors in our city's core neighborhoods.

This event is open the general public. If time permits in your schedule next week, you are encouraged to attend.

What is the "Who Is My Neighbor" Award?