Hello
Amanda,
The Power of Love in Challenging Times
As we navigate through life’s many ups and downs, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges that surround us. Whether it’s personal struggles, societal issues, or global crises, dark times can leave us feeling isolated and disheartened. However, amidst this turmoil, there is a powerful force that can transform our experiences and uplift our spirits: love.
Love is not merely an emotion; it is a profound expression of our shared humanity. During times of hardship, showing love and kindness to ourselves and others becomes paramount. It is in these moments that we must remember the importance of decency and compassion, as they serve as beacons of hope.
| |
The Healing Power of Love
Love has the unique ability to heal wounds that seem insurmountable. When we extend kindness to those around us, we create a ripple effect, fostering an environment of support and understanding.
A simple act of compassion—a listening ear, a warm smile, or a helping hand—can make a world of difference for someone struggling.
Moreover, love reinforces our connections to one another. It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles. By reaching out and showing empathy, we cultivate relationships that can weather any storm. In times of difficulty, these bonds become vital lifelines, offering comfort and solace.
Embracing Decency and Kindness
In a world that often feels divided, embracing decency and kindness can serve as a unifying force. Each act of love, no matter how small, contributes to a collective shift towards positivity. It is easy to get caught up in negativity; however, choosing to respond with kindness can transform our interactions and elevate our communities. That is why as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission I connected a vision that God gave me for the Commonwealth and our Commission with the ‘ Beloved Community Tour.’ I wanted to share love with humanity throughout Pennsylvania along with the mission of our agency. I also wanted to listen and learn from them and receive their love for those who would be open to sharing the powerful tool of love.
During dark times, let us commit to being beacons of hope. This can be as simple as checking in on a friend, volunteering for a local organization, or supporting a neighbor in need. These acts of kindness, though they may seem small, can create a culture of love that inspires others to do the same.
Love Speaks to Our Humanity
| |
Ultimately, love speaks to the core of our humanity. It transcends differences and highlights our shared experiences. In a world where challenges can often overshadow our joys, let us hold tight to the belief that love is a transformative power. As we venture through the upcoming challenges that our democracy and our Commonwealth will face, let us remember to embody love in our actions and words. By doing so, we not only uplift ourselves but also those around us, creating a brighter, more compassionate world.
In conclusion, let us strive to be the change we wish to see. In difficult times, let us choose love, kindness, and decency. Together, we can navigate life's challenges, heal, and inspire one another. After all, love is a powerful force that can light the darkest of paths.
| |
|
Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW
Executive Director
| |
Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, LLC ordered to pay $66K in retaliation case
Amanda Brothman
Communications Director
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) has ordered Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, LLC. to pay $66,268.03 to a former employee after finding that the employee was terminated in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by a co-worker to the Human Resources Department.
“The PHRC is committed to fairly and impartially investigating complaints. I applaud the work of our investigative and legal teams,” said PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW. "Retaliation because of a discrimination complaint is not tolerated in Pennsylvania."
A public hearing was held on April 3, 2024, in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania on the issues of liability and damages. The state’s case was prosecuted by Stephanie M. Chapman, Esq., PHRC Assistant Chief Counsel. The complainant was represented by Joshua Cochran, Esq. and Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, LLC was represented by Gerald J. Hanchulak, Esq.
In its October 28 amended final order, the Commission ordered Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, LLC. to:
- Cease and desist from engaging in retaliation against its employees.
- Pay the complainant the lump sum of $66,268.03.
- Report to the PHRC within 30 days on how it will comply with the order.
“In Pennsylvania, no one may lawfully take action against a person for filing a complaint, opposing unlawful activity, or helping with an investigation,” said PHRC Interim Chief Counsel Morgan Williams, Esq. This order affirms our commitment to protecting those who file complaints and deterring anyone who retaliates against those who do file complaints with the PHRC.”
| |
Meeting the Moment: Taking Action to Combat Housing Inequality
Brittany Mellinger
Fair Housing Training & Outreach Coordinator
Scanning the housing headlines makes for grim reading these days. Inflation, high prices, and few vacancies give folks who need a new home very few options. And while this is not a new issue - our housing stock has failed to keep up with our communities’ needs for many years - the issue has become much more acute of late. And it’s become news as housing needs are hitting a broader group of community members, not only impacting folks who rely on low-wage jobs or benefits, but to our neighbors who work as nurses, teachers, fire-fighters and more.
| |
It's time to have some serious conversations about investing in housing that meets the needs of everyone in our community. Giving into NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) arguments against housing that meets affordability needs across the full income spectrum will only hold Pennsylvania back. Without making intentional changes at the local, state, and federal levels, we’ll fail to overcome discriminatory and segregated housing patterns and we’ll also fail plan for an economically vibrant future where people can live in the communities where they can work, and communities can thrive.
But it can be hard to know where to start, in the face of a complex issue of structural inequality. Here are a few concrete ways to work for change:
-
Learn about housing justice. Some great places to start are by reading PHRC’s white paper: The State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of PA, which shares the scope of our issues and provides recommendations for change. You can also watch the keynote address at PHRC’s Housing Equality Conference by Richard and Leah Rothstein to learn more.
-
Be a voice in your local community. Take a look at your local zoning – are there restrictions that are pushing up the cost of housing? Is there opposition to proposed developments that would meet community needs? Talk to your local officials and let them know that you support housing affordability in your community. Organize with friends and neighbors to show up at public meetings and be vocal about how housing affordability benefits your neighbors.
-
Speak up about affordability needs across PA as a PA Housing Action plan is being put together. Last month, Governor Shapiro issued an Executive Order to create a plan to address Pennsylvania’s housing needs. In response, the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) created a survey to collect public input into that plan. You can share feedback here.
Housing needs are not abstract – they impact us, our family members, and our neighbors. They impact our health, well-being and stability. Your perspective and effort are needed to build a Pennsylvania that we all want to live in.
| |
Upcoming Fair Housing Events | |
|
National Origin Protections
Learn about housing discrimination based on national origin and how to file a complaint if you believe you've experienced housing discrimination.
| |
|
Housing Protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians
Join us to learn about LGBTQ+ housing protections under the PA Human Relations Act and the Fair Housing Act.
| | |
|
|
Destroying Dreams: The Settlement That Endangers Minority Homebuyers
- Wednesday, November 20, 2024
- 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
- SPEAKER:
- Bill Flagg, Broker Associate, ERA Queen City Realty
-
Register for this TEAMS webinar.
| |
AN EVENING WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
Michelle L. Smith
Assistant Chief Counsel
“Be open to new ideas and experiences because you’ll never know when someone else will have an interesting thought or when a new door will open to take you on the journey of your dreams.”
- Ketanji Brown Jackson
At the invitation of the Executive Office, I had the pleasure of attending the book tour event featuring United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Saturday, September 28th in Philadelphia. Justice Brown Jackson recently released her memoir, “Lovely One”. The sold-out event, attended by over 4,000 people, took place at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. Justice Brown Jackson made history as the first African American woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Her parents gave her the name, Ketanji Onyika, which means “Lovely One”. The event, hosted by Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books located in the Germantown section of the city, was moderated by 6ABC News anchor Tamala Edwards.
The program began with Justice Brown Jackson reading an excerpt from her memoir. She then spoke about how she was born a few years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Growing up in Miami, Florida, her parents were both educators. Her passion for the law and her dream of pursuing a legal career came from her father, who enrolled at the University of Miami School of Law when she was very young. She later spoke of her incredible journey as an undergraduate at Harvard University and Harvard Law School, followed by serving as a law clerk for three federal court judges, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. After experiences working as an attorney in the private sector, as an assistant federal public defender and as a staff attorney for the United States Sentencing Commission, Justice Brown Jackson was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and she later elevated to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. On June 30, 2022, she was sworn in as an Associate Justice.
| |
Throughout the discussion, she paid homage to her parents, who grew up in segregated Florida and became first-generation college graduates. Her grandparents and parents stressed the importance of education as the key to success. They encouraged her to set high expectations for herself and to achieve them. She also discussed how she handles her challenging legal career with the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood. After the conversation, there was an opportunity for Justice Brown Jackson to answer questions from the audience which were previously submitted in advance. The event was a once in a lifetime experience.
I recently began reading her memoir and it is excellent. I’m deeply inspired by such an amazing woman. Her quote resonates with me, and I’m determined to live my life daily through those impactful words.
| |
Jimmy Carter: An Appreciation
Saul Ravitch
Philadelphia Regional Office
In 1980, I cast my first vote. As a college freshman and newly registered Republican, I didn’t necessarily vote for Ronald, Reagan. Instead, I voted against Jimmy Carter. In the decades since, however, I’ve changed my opinion of the man.
My early antipathy was shaped by the Iranian hostage crisis. I was a teenager when this occurred and, like many Americans, I was appalled at seeing my fellow citizens used as pawns and displayed like trophies. And, like most 18-year-olds, my political views weren’t particularly sophisticated. I just wanted to blame someone and express my anger. It was a visceral reaction to a horrific situation.
To focus on this admitted low point of the Carter presidency, however, is to oversimplify a complex man and ignore the larger picture. Carter had a piercing intelligence, which he directed to the service of others and the pursuit of what he thought was right.
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Carter served in the fledgling nuclear submarine program. These officers were among the Navy’s best and brightest and Carter earned his place among them, mastering the complexities of this new technology.
When he entered politics, he applied the same keen mind and self-discipline to achieving his new goals as he did to solving shipboard problems beneath the ocean’s surface. Like an engineer, he analyzed a situation, matched means to ends and pursued a specific outcome. And like a sailor, he charted a course to his desired destination. Using this dispassionate, logical approach, he navigated the waters of Georgia state politics all the way to the White House.
In doing so, Carter surprised many of rivals and constituents. His rivals underestimated him due to his soft-spoken and humble manner. His constituents, on the other hand, were shocked when, after being elected, he espoused progressive views on racial equality that they didn’t share.
Upon reaching the presidency, Carter pursued an agenda guided by his own sense of morality rather than personal ambition. In the words of Kai Bird, “he was determined as president to use his brain and his judgment to figure out what was the right thing to do — and do it, regardless of the political consequences.” He was willing to make the moral compromises needed to attain power but not those needed to keep it.
This ability to put his ego aside and focus on doing good work was both a strength and a weakness. He thought nothing of putting his prestige on the line and expending political capital in pursuit of a worthy goal.
For example, he used the influence of his office to broker the Camp David Accords, ending decades of hostility between Egypt and Israel. He was also a tireless champion of human rights, making it the cornerstone of American foreign policy and offering hope to oppressed people across the globe.
Unfortunately, the qualities of a strong moral leader and those of a strong political leader don’t always coincide. In hindsight, I think Carter’s downfall was neglecting the dirty, messy business of politics that’s needed to create buy-in from a diverse nation. He assumed that people would see things the way he did, that his sincerely held beliefs and example would be enough to bring people around to his way of thinking. He was a rationalist and a moralist, but not a political realist.
This rigidity and neglect of retail politics created a distance between him and the electorate. When bad things occurred, as they do in any administration, his rational, moral response to the immediate crisis never seemed to resonate. He was undoubtedly a smart, hardworking technocrat, but he didn’t inspire.
Ultimately, he lost his reelection bid, voted out by angry, frustrated people like me who wanted simple answers to complex problems. And in defeat, the true measure of his character was revealed.
After being publicly rejected by a majority of Americans, Jimmy Carter still chose to serve. He built homes for the poor, promoted democracy and taught Sunday school in his hometown. He lived his values and practiced what he preached.
As of this writing, former President Carter is 100 years old and in hospice care. Given the precariousness of his situation, it’s unknown whether this article will remain an appreciation or become a eulogy at time of publication. However, the last forty-four years have stripped away some of my hotheadedness and given me a new appreciation for the man. I may not have agreed with everything he did in office, but I immensely respect his lifetime of service.
Thank you, Mr. President.
| |
|
(Pictured L-R: Rachel Rebouché, Chad Dion Lassiter, Melissa Murray and Evelyn Rangel-Medina)
On October 1, PHRC partnered with Temple University Beasley School of Law to present the 2024 PHRC / Temple Law Social Justice Lecture: An evening with Professor Melissa Murray. A huge thank you to everyone who attended and participated. Your engagement and enthusiasm were truly inspiring.
See more photos here.
| |
(Pictured: Chad Dion Lassiter speaking with students)
On Monday, October 15, PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter joined the Hazleton Integration Center's Corp junior leadership students.
The Hip Corp United is a group of high-achieving high school students from the Greater Hazleton Area tasked with critically examining food insecurity and social justice issues in our region. The students are provided theory, guidance and the latest technological tools to assist them in creating pragmatic solutions to real-world problems in a student-led learning format.
| |
(Pictured L-R: Brittany Mellinger, Khera Bowman, Dr. Eddie Glaude, and Stacey Waters)
PHRC Outreach Coordinators, attended the Second Annual Antiracist Development Institute convening at Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle on October 18. They took a photo with keynote speaker, Dr. Eddie Glaude.
| |
(Pictured L-R Dr. Ashley Jordan, Aaron Walton, President, Dr. Tony Allen, Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW, and Venus D. Boston)
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended our "HBCUs Matter: Understanding their impact on education and society" event at the African American Museum in Philadelphia on October 24. Your presence and engagement made it a memorable and impactful day. A special thank you to Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University of PA, and Delaware State University for their invaluable participation in the discussion. Together, we continue to honor the legacy and importance of HBCUs.
See more photos here.
| |
(Pictured L-R: Sheryl Meck, Caroline Eister, Lauren Daman, Tamara Shehadeh-Cope, Desireé Chang, Adrian Garcia, Brittany Mellinger, Amanda Brothman, and Heather Roth)
The PHRC senior management team volunteered with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Your commitment to fighting hunger and supporting those in need is truly inspiring.
| |  |
|
(Pictured L-R: Caroline Eister and Norman Bristol Colón)
The PHRC was honored to join the 7th annual Latino Conference in Philadelphia. It was a great event and the PHRC was able to network and engage with our partners. The Latino Conference took place October 6-8.
| |
(Pictured L-R: Joyce Davis, Ivy DeJesus, Heather McGhee, Chad Dion Lassiter)
We are immensely grateful to everyone who attended and supported our 4th Annual Peace + Justice in PA 2024 event with PA Media Group on October 9! Together, we can continue to promote understanding, justice, and unity within our community. Special thanks to our amazing speaker, Heather McGhee, and all of the Peace + Justice award winners!
See more photos here.
| On October 15, the chair of the Delaware County Advisory Council to the PHRC, Danyelle Blackwell, staffed an outreach table at the 69th Street Terminal. | |
(Pictured L-R: Sheryl Meck, Hector Luis Torres-Diaz, Caroline Eister, Omar Henriquez, Carrie Simmons, Adrian Garcia, and Chad Dion Lassiter)
A heartfelt thank you to the Blair County NAACP Branch #2252 for inviting PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter to be the keynote speaker at the Freedom Fighter Gala on October 18. Your commitment to justice and equality inspires us all.
See more photos here.
| |
(Pictured L-R: Chad Dion Lassiter, Zulay Rojas, Desireé Chang, and Khera Bowman)
October 22-23, the PHRC participating in the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans, in partnership with Discovery Education's Power Up event in Philadelphia.
| |
(Pictured L-R: Zulay Rojas,
Sheryl Meck, Chad Dion Lassiter, State Senator Dave Argall, Cindy Urban, Caroline Eister, Desireé Chang)
The PHRC met with Senator Argall and his staff at his Mahanoy City office on Wednesday, October 30 to discuss antisemitism across the Commonwealth.
| | |
Upcoming PHRC Beloved Community Tour stops | |
|
PHRC on the Road: Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community in Washington County
- Thursday, November 14
- 5:30-7 p.m.
- Dee’s Event Center
514 McKean Ave, Charleroi, PA 15022
| |
Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community in Berks County
- Friday, December 6, 2024
- 5:30-7 p.m.
- Centro Hispano Hispanic Center, 25 N. Second Street, Reading, PA 19601
-
Register today.
| |
|
PHRC on the Road: Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community in Carbon County
- Monday, November 18, 2024
- 5-6:30 p.m.
- Palmerton Area Library, 402 Delaware Ave. Palmerton, PA 18071
-
Register today.
| |
Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community in Cameron, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Forest, McKean, Mercer, Venango, & Warren Counties
| |
|
PHRC on the Road: Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community in Clarion County
- Saturday, November 23, 2024
- 1-2:30 p.m.
- Clarion Free Library, 644 Main Street, Clarion, Pa 16214
-
Register today.
| |
If you have attended one of our Beloved Community tour stops, please take a moment to complete our survey. The PHRC is still looking for locations to host upcoming sessions, anyone interested in partnering with the PHRC should contact Stacy Waters at stwaters@pa.gov. | | |
|
|
Harrisburg, PA 17101-2210
(717) 787-9537
| |
| | | |
