Unites Against Discrimination Releases New Report Underscoring the Need for Civil Rights Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2017
CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, 202-735-7123, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org
Graham Younger, 678-739-8584, gyounger@faithinpubliclife.org
Georgia Unites Against Discrimination Releases New Report Underscoring the Need for Civil Rights Bill
ATLANTA, Ga. — On Wednesday, January 11th at 2:30 p.m., Georgia Unites Against Discrimination will unveil a groundbreaking, new report, titled Liberty and Justice in Georgia: Protecting Our Heritage & Growing Our Competitive Future, that highlights the urgent need for the Georgia legislature to pass comprehensive civil rights legislation. GUAD is a group of prominent civil rights and faith leaders committed to strengthening Georgia.
Georgia is home to some of the weakest civil rights protections in the nation. According to the report, Georgia has no law that prevents private employers from discriminating on the basis of an employee’s race; no law that prevents local businesses from refusing service to patrons because of their religion; and no law preventing landowners from refusing to rent or sell to our citizens based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Georgia clergy and community leaders are calling on lawmakers to pass a comprehensive civil rights bill that will protect all Georgians from discrimination. Joe Whitley, a former member of the Reagan and Bush administrations and current chair of Baker Donelson’s Government Enforcement and Investigations group, has authored the executive summary of the report and will speak as well.
What: Press Conference and Report Release
When: Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 2:30
Where: The Rotunda of the Capitol
Who:
Jeff Graham, Executive Director, Georgia Equality
Joe Whitley, Former US Attorney and Homeland Security Chief Counsel
Francys Johnson, President, Georgia NAACP
Dr. Gerald Durley, Former Pastor, Providence Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Caroline Branch, St. Bedes Episcopal Church
Rabbi Loren Lapidus, The Temple
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