View as Webpage July 2023 Newsletter

Hello

Amanda,

The Power to Take Life

This year marks the second anniversary of the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

The former police officer responded to a call that a customer was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store. Chauvin subdued George Floyd and although he was lying prone and handcuffed in the street, Chauvin put his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck and kept it there for nine minutes despite Floyd’s pleas that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd died. 

Because the incident was caught by the steady hand of a teenage videographer, Darnella Frazier, it was relived on a viral loop that it lead to millions of view and an international mass protests against police brutality. 

Chauvin became the first white Minnesota police officer to be convicted of murdering a black person.

And with that, our system that allows the use of lethal force with impunity, especially against Black men, seemed to have been dealt a blow.

America has always given the power to kill randomly and with impunity to some. But it is impossible to build a just society when that same society supports terror. Between 2013 and 2021, domestic terrorism incidents increased by 357 percent and a little more than one-third were racially or ethnically motivated.

The only goal of terror is to increase the powerlessness of a targeted group. The Chauvin verdict came was a hopeful sign of system change.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the acquittal of George Zimmerman. 

He was the volunteer night watchman for a gated community in Florida that assumed the boy he saw walking in the rain with his hoodie up was the criminal responsible for a rash of burglaries in the complex.

Zimmerman, who was armed, followed Trayvon Martin. Martin, who was unnerved by the stranger, started to run. Zimmerman pursued and the two got into a fistfight. Zimmerman who shot and killed Martin, claimed self-defense and was eventually found not guilty.

Mass protests erupted upon hearing the verdict.

Outraged protestors especially targeted Florida’s draconian Stand Your Ground laws which moved the use of lethal force from the police into the civilian realm.

Dubbed the “shoot first, ask questions later” laws, it allowed for people to use lethal force even if they could retreat. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which said 27 states now have some version of Stand Your Ground laws, has argued these laws “disproportionately justify the use of violence by people who are white and male against people who are not.”

The most significant predictor of whether police will use excessive force is not his fear but the suspect’s behavior. If it is noncompliant, such as physical aggression or resisting arrest, it increases the likelihood deadly force will be employed.

About a month ago, Daniel Penny, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested for the death of Jordan Neely on a New York subway car. Neely, a homeless mentally ill man, was acting aggressively towards others in the car and Penny put him in a fatal chokehold to protect himself and other passengers according to his attorney. Neely died as a result.

Predictably, protests have erupted across New York.

 What’s different since the Chauvin conviction is the extent to which Penny is been hailed a hero. Fund raising for his defense fund totals almost $3million. Florida governor Ron DeSantis of Florida compared Penny to the Good Samaritan. Nikki Haley, a 2024 presidential candidate, stated that the Governor of New York should pardon Penny.    

A year ago, when Derek Chauvin received additional federal charges, Judge Paul Magnuson of U.S. District Court in St. Paul said, “I really don’t know why you did what you did, but to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expired is simply wrong, and for that conduct you must be substantially punished.”



Recently, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted that “The world needs more men like Daniel Penny. “

Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW

Executive Director

PHRC on the Road: Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community

PHRC's statewide tour continues this month! Executive Director Lassiter will meet with communities in every county of Pennsylvania. It will serve as an opportunity to better our Beloved Community and create partnerships with local leaders and organizations. The first two stops of the tour have been announced. Please join us if you can!

• Monday, July 10, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Struble Room, Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, PA.
• Monday, July 17, 5:30-7p.m.
• YWCA of Lancaster, 110 N. Lime Street, Lancaster, PA.
• Register here.

PHRC is still looking for locations to host upcoming sessions, anyone interested in partnering with the PHRC should contact Amanda Brothman at ambrothman@pa.gov. 

Disability Pride Month

By: Amanda Brothman

Communications Director

July is Disability Pride Month, it celebrates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. To commemorate the passage and as part of Disability Pride Month, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) would like to take this opportunity to remind Pennsylvanians about their protections against discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. According to the Center for Disease Control, 27% of people in the United States have some form of disability.

The PHRC is empowered by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to investigate complaints of discrimination on the basis of disability, relationship to a person with a disability, or the use, handling, or training of a guide or support animal for disability because of the blindness, deafness, or physical handicap of any individual. According to the ADA, “A person with a disability is someone who:

• has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
• has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or
• is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).”

According to the PHRC 2022 Annual Report, during fiscal year 2021-2022, more than 25% of all complaints received by the PHRC were disability-related. In fact, disability discrimination is the top complaint received in the areas of housing, public accommodation, and education. In employment, it is the second most common complaint; the first is retaliation. 

Examples of disability discrimination include:

• Denying a student with a disability the use of a guide dog.
• Firing or demoting someone because of their disability.
• Refusing to make reasonable accommodations in employment, such as permitting breaks for a diabetic who needs to check their blood sugar.
• Excluding a person using a wheelchair from an exercise class because they cannot participate the same way as other members of the class.
• Refusing to make reasonable accommodations to allow equal use or enjoyment of a housing accommodation.
• Refusing to allow reasonable modifications to a rental unit so that an individual with a disability can navigate their home.

For Pennsylvanians who require the use of a service animal, it is illegal to withhold or deny access to a place of public accommodation to a person who is using/training a guide, signal, or service dog or other aid animal that has been certified by a recognized authority to assist a person. The PHRA requires businesses in Pennsylvania to allow support or guide animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of a facility that are open to the public. Housing providers are required to permit support animals for tenants with disabilities who provide supporting documentation. Service and support animals enable independent working, learning, and living for a better quality of life. 

Please join us later this month for our first-ever disABILITY Conference! It's happening Thursday, July 20 at the Harrisburg Hilton. You can register here.

Uplifting BIPOC individuals in the face of oppression and systemic racism

By: Ronnessa Edwards

Supervisor, Philadelphia Regional Office

In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives announced that the month of July would be known as BeBe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month or Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month. The late and great Bebe Moore Campbell was an advocate, author of books such as “Your Blues Aint Like Mine,” and co-founder of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles. She worked tirelessly to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black community and other underrepresented groups, before she succumbed to brain cancer, on November 27, 2006. July is celebrated as Minority Mental Health Month to not only raise public awareness of mental illness and address the unique struggles BIPOC groups face regarding health care in the U.S., but also to improve access to mental health treatment for BIPOC groups.

The theme of Mental Health America’s 2023 BIPOC Mental Health campaign is Culture, Community, & Connection. Individual’s lives are deeply intertwined with one’s environments, and these surroundings impact one’s mental health and overall wellness. BIPOC populations are faced with disproportionate amounts of historical trauma and displacement that can challenge their ability to thrive in their environments. However, culture, community, and connection are pillars that support and uplift BIPOC individuals in the face of oppression and systemic racism.

Historically, BIPOC populations have been pushed out of living spaces, as well as places of work and education. Displacement due to discrimination disproportionately impacts all individuals within BIPOC communities as many have faced forced relocation and removal which has added obstruction to the ability to sustain a pro social lifestyle. This includes the ability to sustain a living, provide for family, and maintain one’s own and family’s wellness, both physical and mental. According to the Mental Health America website (2023), “People of color and all those whose lives have been marginalized by those in power experience life differently from those whose lives have not been devalued. They experience overt racism and bigotry far too often, which leads to a mental health burden that is deeper than what others may face.”

How does the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) solidify itself as a pillar that supports and uplifts BIPOC individuals in the face of oppression and systemic racism?

PHRC enforces the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), an anti-discrimination law which governs various life domains that have a significant impact on an individual’s mental health. To realize its vision that all Pennsylvanians will live, work, and learn free from unlawful discrimination, PHRC staff investigate complaints brought forth by citizens and if sufficient evidence exists to credit the allegations, remedies are sought to make the citizen whole.

Investigations of discriminatory denials of employment, education, or housing complaints, due to race, may result in remedies which preserve BIPOC populations’ placement in their communities, promoting their overall mental health and wellness.

Investigations of denial of mental health services in public accommodation complaints, due to race, may result in remedies which provide equitable access to mental health services for BIPOC individuals.



Remedies obtained for public interest could include training and educational seminars to Respondent individuals and companies, as well as changing of policies to reflect diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the expectation that the training, education, and policy changes would prevent future discrimination.

PHRC’s Executive Director, Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW, was a panelist in a forum on “State of Mental Health: Race, Culture & Identity” at the Civic Club of Harrisburg, on June 26, 2023. During this discussion, he shared that Black men were particularly vulnerable to “mental and emotional disorders because of the stresses from racism they routinely encounter in American society.” He included that Black men are also susceptible to inequities in receiving mental health services, after already breaking through stigma to request help, as they often receive a “misdiagnosis from professionals who harbor prejudice and misplaced fears of Black men.” 

E.D. Lassiter, who is also a co-founder of Black Men at Penn, understands that racism is a mental health issue, and that racism causes trauma, which is a direct line to mental illness. Throughout his career, he has brought awareness to issues around racial trauma, stigma and discrimination while promoting positive mental wellness in BIPOC communities through mentorship, advocacy, and assertive addressing of various race-related issues in the community. Under his leadership, PHRC, is actively taking steps to become trauma informed and focusing efforts to highlight the mental health impact of experiencing various forms of discrimination and the systems in place which perpetuate the lived experience of discrimination in all domains of life.

As a member of senior leadership at the PHRC and a recent graduate from Eastern University’s master’s in counseling program, I understand the need for a civil rights agency to focus on the mental health impact of experiencing discrimination and other race related traumas. I’m inspired to contribute to PHRC’s efforts in highlighting the intersection of social justice and mental health, to repair the Mental Health crisis by raising awareness of mental health struggles specific to those who experience race related discrimination, and to fight to achieve equitable access to mental health services one complaint at a time. 

For more information, please go to mhanational.org/July as well as phrc.pa.gov

State Employee Assistantance Program (SEAP)

Important information

As Commonwealth employees, SEAP programs are available to you and your family members. SEAP provides services such as:

• Legal
• Workplace and/or relationship concerns
• Stress, anxiety and/or depression
• Financial support
• Counseling/therapy services
• Substance abuse

Some of these services are discounted and some are free. Most importantly, they are accessible.

Immigrants’ Employment Rights and Anti-Discrimination Laws 

By Tamara Shehadeh-Cope

Permanent Hearing Examiner

The anti-discrimination protections extended to our nation’s employees at the state and federal levels are extended regardless of one’s immigration status. Our codified right to be free from discrimination in the workplace is borne of our shared humanity and transcends whether one is a U.S. citizen. Yet, we live in a world where noncitizens continue to be discriminated against for several reasons, not all of which are actionable under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. How can we, as Pennsylvania’s leading civil rights enforcement agency, continue to aid in the protection of one’s civil and human rights in such an instance?

Under Title VII, people are protected against employment discrimination on the basis of their national origin. However, discrimination based on national origin is not the same as discrimination based on one’s citizenship or immigration status, and oftentimes, both forms of discrimination are experienced simultaneously by immigrant workers. For example, a non-U.S. citizen with work authorization might be experiencing unlawful discrimination at their workplace because they are foreign-born or of foreign ancestry. Depending on the facts, this might be an actionable claim under Title VII and the PHRA. At the same time, that employer might require the person to provide more proof of employment authorization (including immigration documentation), than their U.S. citizen counterparts. While the second might not necessarily be an actionable claim before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there might still be some recourse available. 

The Immigration and Nationality Act at 8 U.S.C. §1324b expressly prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status. The law prohibits 1) national origin and/or citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee 2) unfair documentary practices during the employment eligibility verification, and 3) retaliation or intimidation based on the above. This provision is enforced by the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. 

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) exists between the EEOC and the IER whereby the agencies will refer to each other charges that allege violations under the laws each agency enforces. Additionally, where the EEOC generally investigates national origin claims against employers with 15 or more employees, IER, like the PHRC, will generally investigate national origin claims against employers with four or more employees.

Coming forward to report employment discrimination can be a very difficult process for some, and there may be multiple reasons why someone might delay taking that step. For someone who is undocumented or a non-U.S. citizen, reasons could include fear of unlawful retaliation and of being placed in removal proceedings. The PHRC does incredible work to serve so many, and for those whose claims might fall outside of our jurisdiction, knowing of other options available and where to refer people could still make a lasting impact and ensure that justice is served. 

"They Called Us Enemy"

By Michael Hale

HRR1, Harrisburg Office

Childhood is the foundation of our lives. It is in that vulnerable time our experiences will come to define us. As adults, we often don't reflect upon how impactful our childhoods were on the people we become. Some of us grew up privileged, some grew up poor, and some of us grew up as the enemy of society, for no other reason but our national origin.

In 1942, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had signed one of the most controversial executive orders in American History, Executive Order 9066. With the single swipe of a pen, the president had imprisoned 120,000 Americans because of their race and national origin. This profound loss of freedom was egged on by a storm of wartime hysteria. It wasn’t just adults sent to these camps, but children, and entire communities, forced to leave their personal possessions and lives behind to be lost forever.

George Takei, best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu on the original Star Trek series, grew up as one of those children. At age 6, he and his family were forced from their Los Angeles home in the night by soldiers with bayonets and rifles to live behind barbed wire fences.

To Takei, this experience profoundly shaped the rest of his life, and guided him down a road challenging injustice. In 2019, he decided to share his experience through a graphic novel memoir, “They Called Us Enemy.” My wife and I were lucky enough to attend the release of his memoir, and we were fortunate enough to sit right next to Takei’s very nice husband, Brad. During the release, Takei stated that he sought to ensure that the collective trauma inflicted upon himself and the Japanese-American community would not be forgotten.

Injustice is difficult to face as an adult, but as a child, even understanding it can be difficult.

Takei grew up in a small world of armed guards, barbed wire, and angry adults. As a defenseless child, little injustices shaped enormous aspects of himself, which empowered him to face prejudice later in life with hope and tenacity.

Today Takei stands tall as an icon to the LGBTQ community and an activist for the Asian-American community. Every icon and every leader in the civil rights movement has their hidden trauma, which has always pushed them to pursue justice, and Takei chose to share his with the world.

"They Called Us Enemy" serves as a reminder and testament to the resilience of those who have endured racial discrimination. It reminds us that through education, dialogue, and advocacy, we can challenge oppressive systems and strive for a more equitable future, and to ensure that children are not locked in cages or behind barbed wire fences again.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend a read of this visual novel. It deeply re-framed my understanding of history, and presents a deeply intimate and vulnerable accounting of past injustice.

A New Civil War?

By Saul Ravitch

Philadelphia Regional Office

The month of June gave us signs that the American experiment is slowly moving in the right direction, but also reminders of just how fragile that experiment is.

On June 19^th, we celebrated Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when federal troops in Texas freed the last enslaved people in the United States.

Similarly, the U.S. Army took steps last month to exorcise the lingering ghosts of Confederate generals, who waged war against the United States in defense of slavery.

North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, named after Confederate general Braxton Bragg, was redesignated Fort Liberty on June 2^nd.

On June 13^th, another military base honoring a Confederate general was renamed. Louisiana’s Fort Polk is now known as Fort Johnson.

Originally named for Confederate general Leonidas Polk, the new name recognizes Sgt. William Henry Johnson. Sgt. Johnson was an African American who received the Medal of Honor for his service in the First World War. Johnson fought in a segregated infantry regiment and it took almost a century for his valor to be officially recognized.

Significantly, these new base names were bestowed during the tenure of Lloyd Austin, the nation’s first African American Secretary of Defense, and mandated by Congress. Mr. Austin is a retired 4-star general. His career and rise to the top of the Pentagon reflect changing American attitudes about race, although that change has often been slow in coming.

Despite these hopeful signs, however, there are also signs of danger.

After the federal indictment of former president Donald Trump was announced last month, many of his supporters began calling for a second Civil War.

Unlike the original, this Civil War won’t be fought over lofty principles of equality or preserving unfair advantages built on the backs of slave labor. Instead, it will symbolize the regression of our political culture to a less advanced state, one where threats replace reason, grievance replaces policy and theater replaces dialogue.

The specter of political violence is real. Whether it’s a large-scale assault on the U.S. Capitol or a lone gunman targeting some demonized “other,” the sheer quantity of examples is numbing. Does this mean that a new Civil War is inevitable?

Former Secretary of Labor and university professor Robert Reich doesn’t think so. In a recent article, he explained his reasoning as follows:

“Nations don’t go to war over whether they like or hate specific leaders. They go to war over the ideologies, religions, racism, social classes or economic policies these leaders represent.”

In Reich’s view, the former president lacks a connection to the larger issues that would precipitate a civil war.   While violence committed in Mr. Trump’s name could be considered crime or terrorism, Reich argues that the scale would fall far short of an actual civil war.

A cursory review of history supports Reich’s analysis. Civil wars in the United States, England, Spain and China, for example, all involved large issues that transcended any one individual.

While the current rhetoric may be heated - as anonymous, online speech often is – we must view it in the proper context. The threat of violence is now a feature of our political system. Concurrent with this threat, the U.S. continues to acknowledge and address the sins of our past, including those that produced the Civil War.

As a result, we find ourselves somewhere between apocalypse and utopia. Danger exists, but so does hope. We must walk a fine line to deal with this situation. Political violence requires constant vigilance and progress requires civic engagement.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand we can wave to resolve these issues. Democracy is always messy and never finished. It is forever a work in progress.

Summer Internship with the PHRC

By Elizabeth Ellington

Hello everyone! I’m Lizz Ellington and I’m 28 years old. I’m interning at the PHRC under Director Brothman this summer. Last year I moved to Harrisburg from my hometown, Mifflinburg in Union County. It took some time to acclimate to city life, but filling my apartment with my plants and rocks and minerals collection has helped tremendously. I also love to crochet and read, particularly fantasy and horror.

I graduated from the Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) with an associate of science in psychology in May. I’m transferring to Penn State University Harrisburg Campus to finish my bachelor's degree in the fall.

Psychology has fascinated me since I was a teen, and I’ve known I want to help people since my early 20s. My internship at the Bureau of Children and Family Services (BCFS) last summer solidified my decision. Once, during a conversation with my supervisor, we discussed her decisions to take on so many responsibilities and roles. Her response stuck with me. “If not me, then who?”

I want to help others the way I was, when I didn’t have the resources to help myself. Without the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), I wouldn’t be where I am today; my career counselors have been so much more than that. Having someone believe in me made a world of difference, and I want to pay it forward.

This summer, I’m looking forward to imbuing my love of writing with my internship. Oftentimes, I stumble over my words or struggle to speak up. The written word is my outlet, and my hands are my voice to express my true thoughts and feelings. I’m eager to develop my writing skills further, and Director Brothman has provided an opportunity with the profile newsletters sent out twice weekly.

With that in mind, I’m keen to grow professionally and personally via networking and connecting with others. I’m eager to gain more hands-on experiences, whether it’s attending a rally or helping with preparations. In short, I’m just happy to be here!

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had thus far at PHRC, and I’m ready for whatever comes next! Thank you for having me, everyone.

Goodbye Lyle Wood and Debra Brice

Last month the PHRC said goodbye to Pittsburgh Regional Director Lyle Wood and Clerical Assistant Debra Brice, both retired on June 30th after several decades of service to the commission! We wish them both the best in their next stages!

Upcoming PHRC events

To register for July's event, click here

Outside PHRC events

Do you have reliable internet service? If so, how is your internet? How can it be improved? The PBDA has launched a public survey to hear from residents across Pennsylvania. Your participation is valued and necessary to help guide where upcoming funding should be focused to meet your needs, and the needs of your community. The survey is now open and will only take 10-15 minutes to complete. This survey is also available in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean.

PA Human Relations Commission Appropriate Attire

Lauren Curtis Daman,

Director of Human Resources

The PA Human Relations Commission serves a wide variety of customers in a wide variety of settings, ranging from traditional offices to field sites with a casual atmosphere. In all settings, our employees are expected to present themselves in a way that represents the PHRC and the Commonwealth in a positive manner. All staff will report to work in neat, clean, and presentable attire that is appropriate to their respective work environment.

Examples of appropriate attire include:

• Collared shirts, polos, khakis, and blouses
• Dress shirts with or without ties
• Business suits, pants suits, dresses, skirts, and dress slacks
• Business appropriate crop pants and capris
• Blazers and Sweaters
• Dress shoes
• Denim jeans or skirts or rompers/jumpers (Only on SECA Jeans Days, Fridays)

Examples of clothing not considered appropriate:

• Shorts
• Tank tops, midriff/crop, muscle, and halter tops
• Revealing garments - low cut (in front/back), transparent, provocative, or tight (form fitting) clothing
• Visible undergarments
• Pajamas and/or sleepwear
• Spaghetti strapped garments
• Sweat suits of any type
• Beach sandals, flip flops, and/or thong flip flops
• Leggings/spandex/yoga/workout attire
• Tattered clothing
• Attire that displays inappropriate or offensive messages or logos
• Denim jeans or skirts or rompers/jumpers with holes, tears, stains, rips

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