International Human Rights Day Celebrated in Tennessee

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day took place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center in early December.  

International Human Rights Day occurs every year to commemorate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, some seventy years ago, on Dec 10, 1948. In Tennessee, the Human Rights Day celebration has become a time to reflect and look to the future. During the annual event, people are honored that have given a lifetime of service to making human rights a reality, those who have demonstrated outstanding service to forward human rights and those who are picking up the torch and carrying it forward.

Tennessee celebrated Human Rights Day this year on December 11 in Nashville with a moving and memorable event at the John Seigenthaler Center. The theme for 2018 was chosen to align with the United Nations’ theme and was ‘Born Free & Equal? The Timeline of Justice in Nashville.’ This was showcased through segments on the past, present and future of human rights for Nashville with an audio recording from lifetime human rights advocate, Rev. Bill Barnes (1931-2017), a panel discussion of current human rights issues in the city, and a performance of encouragement by musical artist Wyte T Breezy.

Awards were presented for lifetime achievement and outstanding service in the field of human rights with video segments, along with recognition of rising advocates.

This year, four Rising Advocate Awards were given to those who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They were Anne Barnett & Odessa Kelly, both with STAND UP Nashville, who were instrumental in making sure the ‘Do Better Bill’ passed earlier this year; Fayo Abadula, who co-founded Oromo Youth of Nashville, a mentorship group for the Oromo youth and anyone from the African Diaspora interested in pursuing a college degree; and the Community Oversight Now coalition which recently successfully got Amendment 1 passed which will create a Community Oversight Board for the police in Nashville, and has advocated for social justice and civil rights.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service are Dawn Deaner, who has served unselfishly as Nashville’s Executive Public Defender and stood strong against a criminal justice system fraught with injustice; and Tom Negri who has served on nearly 20 boards and action committees including the YWCA and Conexion Americas as well as taking a leading role on Nashville for All of Us, the initiative to defeat the ‘English Only’ bill.

Lifetime Achievement awards were presented to King Hollands, who fought for civil rights as a student of Fisk University during the Nashville sit-ins; and Dr. Blondell Strong Kimbrough, a lifelong advocate for civil rights and justice.

The program was co-organized by the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, the Metro Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Association, UNICEF USA, Amnesty International, Tennessee United for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology.  

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology, has been the event chair since 2011. He said, “Not only do you have to educate people about their rights, but you have to celebrate and honor those who are in the fight. The more people who join in to work for human rights for all, the closer we get to human rights being a reality for everyone.”

Fesler said that the Church of Scientology supports United for Human Rights, the world’s largest nongovernmental human rights educational campaign. For more information about United for Human Rights or programs supported by the Church of Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

To find out more about the Tennessee Human Rights Day event, visit tnuhr.org.