Kansas City NAACP forum offers solutions for civil rights grievances

On Saturday, March 8th, the Kansas City, Bonner Springs, and Johnson County Branches of the NAACP jointly sponsored a town-hall style meeting in the KCK Community College Performing Arts Center. The forum was headlined by National NAACP Interim President Dennis Hayes.

Approximately 200 people were in attendance to hear from a distinguished panel, comprised of representatives from 10 Local, State, and National agencies dealing with legal, civil, and human rights issues. Each panelist addressed the audience, describing the work of their respective agency and detailing their complaint filing processes. The presentations were followed by a spirited question and answer session.

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The panel included Terri Franklin (Department of Labor - Office of Contract Compliance), Cordell Meeks (Human Relations Commission of KCK/Unified Government), Samuel Turner (CEO of Shawnee Mission Medical Center), Rick Fishli (Kansas Human Rights Commission), Anthony May (Department of Housing and Urban Development), Billie Aston & Tezzie Wills (EEOC), Rolondo Berrelez (Federal Trade Commission - Midwest Regional Office), Bill Whitcolmb (Department of Justice - Community Relations Department), Chief John Douglass (Cheif of Police, Overland Park), and President Dennis Hayes.