Governor of Tennessee Proclaims December 10th Human Rights Day

Nashville, TN (I-Newswire) December 22, 2010 - Both the mayor of Nashville, Mr. Karl Dean, and Governor of Tennessee, Mr. Phil Bredesen, proclaimed December 10th, 2010 Human Rights Day in honor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ratified by the United Nations on Dec 10, 1948. To celebrate locally, human rights groups organized a special event to honor human rights advocates. The event is being replayed on Metro Channel 3 throughout the month of December for all who missed it.

The day was celebrated in Middle Tennessee on December 9, 2010 in the auditorium of the Downtown Nashville Public Library. The event began with a keynote speech from the Rev. Dr. Kelly Miller Smith Jr., whose father exemplified work in human rights during Nashville’s civil rights movement in the 60s.

The theme of the day for 2010, designated by the United Nations, was “human rights defenders who act to end discrimination”. Staying true to the theme, this year’s statewide celebration included a panel of human rights defenders who spoke about their journeys which led them to their line of work. Panelists included: Father Joseph Breen of St. Edwards Catholic Church, Dr. Oscar Miller of TSU, Kasar Abdulla representing the Islamic Center of Nashville as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Jose Gonzales with Conexion Americas.

The Human Rights Advocate Award is given annually to individuals that have dedicated their lives to ending discrimination and promoting human rights. Last year, former long-time executive director of the Metro Human Relations Commission, Fred Cloud and human rights worker Inez Crutchfield were presented with this prestigious award. This year’s awardees were Rev. Don Beisswenger, Ms. Jocelyn Wurzburg and Dr. Tommie Morton Young.

Human Rights Day began in 1950 when the General Assembly of the United Nations declared December 10th as official day of recognition. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the anniversary date of the assertion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to promote efforts to improve human rights. Locally, Middle Tennessee human rights organizations have held an annual celebration in recognition of the event dating back to 2003. Those working to organize the event this year include the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, United Nations Association, Church of Scientology, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Free for Life Ministries, AFL-CIO and others.

For more information, visit the website, NashvilleHumanRights.org.

Company Contact Information
Human Rights Day Organizing Committee