DECATUR HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
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Commission provides a forum for hearing cases, settling instances of discrimination If one were to take a walking tour of municipal operations of the City of Decatur and visit the various departments of our organization, one might possibly initially overlook a couple of vital and interesting entities woven into the fabric of our local government, but not typically displayed in the vanguard of city services like Police and Fire protection. These are our commission on human relations and our human rights officer. |
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| They are a couple of “hidden gems’; entities that have been part of the very make‐up of local government operations and services for at least the last four decades, but to which fanfare and attention have seldom been directed. As the community’s “watchdog” of human rights, the Decatur Human Relations Commission is empowered by the Decatur City Council to “further the cause of mutual understanding and respect between all groups, ethnic, religious, and otherwise, in which differences or problems regarding prejudice, in tolerance, bigotry, discrimination, and disorder may arise; to foster an adjustment by all people to social problems and opportunities; to encourage a spirit of community harmony by creating channels for constructive communication between people and groups; and to further the equal enjoyment of rights, privileges, and opportunities of each person of the community.” Further, the City Council has given the Human Relations Commission the duty of making investigations in the Aield of human relations in accordance with City ordinances. This charge amounts to a quite serious and substantial responsibility for this 13 member panel of volunteers. Over the years, the Commission has been responsible for promoting ever‐more effective and enforceable antidiscrimination legislation at the City level; encouraging harmony among various local groups by sponsoring periodic human relations seminars and workshops; supporting other organizations’  |
community building efforts such as Study Circles and Coming Together; organizing and underwriting the activities of the annual Martin Luther King Day celebration for more than 25 years; and providing statutory relief for complaints of human rights violations from affected citizens. At present, the City of Decatur has a comprehensive antidiscrimination ordinance in employment, Ainancial credit, real estate transactions, and public accommodations, with well defined procedures for determining ordinance violations and ordering monetary remedies. The law identities the same protected classes that are spelled out in federal and state antidiscrimination statutes, and it has provided the Commission with a powerful tool for addressing acts of unlawful discrimination in the community. In recent years, the Commission has held a number of public hearings on complaints of human rights violations, and through its appointed hearing officer ruled on charges brought by aggrieved individuals. A large number of community members from various “walks of life” have volunteered to participate on the Commission over the past 40+ years. In making appointments to the Commission, the Mayor strives to select citizens who broadly represent the community with regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability and sexual orientation. We estimate that more than 10,000 hours have been dedicated by individuals to the work of the Commission throughout the years. As vital as the Commission is, it would have a difficult time functioning without the support of competent and dedicated staff. Primary staff assistance for the Commission is provided by the City’s Human Rights Officer. This staff position is almost as long‐established, in one form or another, as the Commission itself. The Human Rights Officer acts as secretary for the Commission, ensuring that a record of Commission proceedings is preserved for future reference. |
The Human Rights Officer also acts on the Commission’s behalf, and with the power provided by City Council, to investigate and mediate claims of unlawful discrimination. It is not unusual for the Human Rights Officer to have investigations of half a dozen or more active discrimination cases underway at any given time. The City of Decatur is particularly fortunate at this time to have the investigative skills of the former Chief of Police in the person of the Human Rights Officer. After retiring from the Police Department in 2005, Mark Barthelemy accepted an offer for the position of Human Rights Officer that has led him to the work he continues to do to the present. The Human Rights Officer has been responsible for not only acting as staff for the Human Relations Commission and investigator for claims of human rights violations, he has also provided numerous human rights training seminars and workshops for staff of various City departments and local employers in the past four years. Employers have repeatedly expressed appreciation for the quality and content of his presentations. The value of this individual’s work can’t be overstated in accomplishment of the Human Relations Commission’s mandate to further mutual understanding and respect between local groups, encourage a spirit of community harmony, and further residents’ equal enjoyment of rights, privileges, and opportunities. Together, the Human Relations Commission and the City’s Human Rights Officer provide the community with a well‐established and respected avenue to both address allegations of local human rights violations and to build up and foster healthy and productive inter‐group communication, for the overall well being of this City and its many fine residents. While not commonly perceived as “marquee” entities of the city, they certainly constitute ones that are municipal “gems”, even if perhaps somewhat hidden in plain sight. |