Tennessee Human Rights Day Uplifts Leaders of Tomorrow

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day was held in Nashville at the First Amendment Center and acknowledged human rights heroes.  

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day took place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 7th with the theme “Human Rights: Our Leaders of Tomorrow.” The planning committee brought together a youth panel to discuss freedom of expression which was moderated by 2016 Human Rights Rising Advocate Justin Jones. The panel was comprised of student leaders from Lipscomb and Belmont Universities as well as the Public Art Coordinator for the Metro Arts Commission.

In addition to the youth panel, there was a spoken word performance by two members of the Tennessee State University Speech & Debate Team.

Human Rights Day is a time to acknowledge leaders who have given their lives to service, as well as those who have done outstanding work and those taking up the torch for tomorrow. Awards went to human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement.

Rising Advocate Awards went to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They were Kayo Beshir, an undergraduate student at Middle Tennessee State University who has worked on and off campus to promote human rights; Pratik Dash, who has worked both with Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition (WOMEN) and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC); and Madison White, a junior at Lipscomb University who has been actively involved in local pro bono legal clinics, and also volunteers her time with nonprofits such as Make a Wish Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Free for Life International.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service were Jerry Redman, Co-Founder and CEO of Second Life of Tennessee which is an awareness and advocacy organization working to end human sex trafficking and Zulfat Suara, a strong advocate for minorities who is currently Chair of the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) and President Elect of the Tennessee Women Political Caucus.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to Thelma Harper, the first African-American woman State Senator of Tennessee who has a long history of service and Joey King, a Board Member for Veterans for Peace who has been active in several organizations to promote human rights, diversity and peace.

International Human Rights Day occurs every year to commemorate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on Dec 10, 1948. A committee of human rights organizations and nonprofits, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, UNICEF, Amnesty International, Free for Life International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, and others, work together each year to plan the event. For more information or to see event photos, visit NashvilleHumanRights.org.  

Diverse Organizations Call for Ban on Electroshocking Children

Anticipation mounted as hundreds of activists, clergy, civil rights advocates and supporters lined up to march in protest of electroshock on children during the annual convention of the American Psychiatric Association. But no one could foresee what would happen next.

One would expect the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, the international mental health watchdog, to take a stand against electroshocking of children.  But when CCHR takes that message to the heart of Atlanta during the annual convention of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)—and is joined by representatives of the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, 10,000 Fearless Men, Black Lives Matter and Concerned Black Clergy—one has to look deeper.

“Electroconvulsive Therapy,” otherwise known as “ECT” or electroshock treatment, is a controversial and “archaic technique invented in the 1930s, [which] sends jolts of electricity into the brain, inducing a seizure. It’s associated with numerous side-effects, including short and long-term memory loss, cognitive problems, unwanted personality changes, manic symptoms, prolonged seizures, heart problems and death,” reports Natural News.

Participants in the protest reported that bystanders were “shocked” to learn this practice is still common, stunned to learn that the APA is currently pressuring the Food and Drug Administration to expand its use against children.  “You mean they still do that?” responded one of the march viewers, a security guard on the property where the APA event took place.  “I thought that went out in the ‘40s!”

Not so, says Mental Health America, reporting that “ECT is administered to an estimated 100,000 people a year, primarily in general hospital psychiatric units and in psychiatric hospitals.”  And this while FDA agencies are already aware it is a dangerous procedure.  In fact, the FDA’s Office of Device Evaluation, a part of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, issued a draft guidance in early 2016 recommending a “prominently placed” warning on ECT devices to include “The long-term safety and effectiveness of ECT treatment has not been demonstrated.” 

The same report lists effects known to be associated with ECT, ranging from long-term problems with “autobiographical memory” (knowledge about one’s own life), to pain and skin burns, to “insufficient, or lack of breathing” and heart attack, stroke and death.

So as the march led to a panel discussion on ECT, and the panel discussion into a symposium the following day, attendees asked, “Why on Earth would anyone in their right mind push to use this against children?”  Especially when one speaker, an ECT survivor who received “30 rounds of electroshock” in one year, at age 21, described how he had not one memory from his high school years, and broke into tears while recounting “sitting there, and my father having to teach me how to tie my shoes again.”

One participant seemed to have the answer.  “This is unconscionable to even consider doing this to a child,” said Dr. Linda Lagemann, a clinical psychologist who retired after 23 years in practice. “Someone’s getting rich and someone’s getting hurt. This really must be stopped.”

Long-term Georgia State Senator Donzella James, speaking during the panel, called for state legislation to ban the use of ECT on children. She said Georgia’s provisions to protect children and others from ECT were grossly insufficient and cited a World Health Organization recommendation to governments that: “There are no indications for the use of ECT on minors, and hence this should be prohibited through legislation.”

The unanimous, resounding and spontaneous support for James’ proposal, a proposal so natural it should have long since been law, suddenly explained what brought together this particular mix of political persuasions, religious affiliations and socioeconomic delineations, and gave hope that, at least when it comes to our children, we can find unity amongst diversity.

Tennessee Human Rights Day Celebration Uplifting Future Generations

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 10th, 5pm – 7pm. 

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 10th, 5pm – 7pm.  The celebration centers around the presentation of the human rights awards. Past recipients of these prestigious honors have included the Rev. Bill Barnes, Rev. James “Tex” Thomas, Rosetta Miller Perry, Father Joseph Breen, Gatluak Thach, First Baptist Capitol Hill, Stephanie Teatro, and many more.

The committee planning the event decided to incorporate something new this year and has taken up donations which will go to sponsor students to attend Model U.N., an extra-curricular activity in which students typically role-play delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. “This is a great learning experience for young people and we are excited to participate in this way,” says Rev. Brian Fesler who chairs the planning committee.

The planning committee is comprised of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, Amnesty International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology and others, who work together each year to plan the event.

At the celebration on December 10^th, awards will be given to community leaders in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement.

Rising Advocate Awards will be given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They are Ashford Hughes, Sr., an emerging leader for the labor movement who has been a proponent of labor and worker’s rights and Aisha Lbhalla with the Muslim Women’s Council who works for religious freedom and cultural diversity.

The award winner in the category of Outstanding Service is Dr. Marisa Richmond, the first trans woman to win an election in the state of Tennessee, for her tireless work to ensure transgender equality and equality between Caucasian and African American transgender people in Tennessee.

Lifetime Achievement awards will go to Kwame Lillard, who was significantly involved in the management of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Nashville sit-ins, and the Freedom Rides and training of Freedom Riders; and Bernard Werthan, a founding member of the Family of Abraham and Faith and Culture Center, as well as member of the Community Advocates Advisory Council joint initiative of Vanderbilt Medical Center and Meharry Medical College, past board member of Goodwill Industries, Community Nashville, Urban League of Middle Tennessee, Nashville Business Minority Center, and YWCA Advisory Board, among others.

International Human Rights Day occurs every year to commemorate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on Dec 10, 1948. According to the event’s website, nashvillehumanrights.org, “In Tennessee, Human Rights Day has become a day to reflect and look at lessons learned and battles won, while various human rights groups join forces and commit to creating an even better future.” For more information, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.  

United for Human Rights Takes Education to Youth

United for Human Rights is a program which brings human rights to life through audio-visual aids for students anywhere.

Freedom doesn’t have to be a nebulous concept, and thanks to the materials provided by United for Human Rights, it can be a solid reality for all. The United for Human Rights program is designed to raise awareness and respect for human rights by educating the population and simultaneously persuading governments to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In Tennessee, the campaign is reaching out directly to help students understand their basic rights. “Materials are free of charge to educators,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, who coordinates the program locally. “We want to reach everyone – every man, woman and child deserves to know their basic rights and we are working to achieve this.”

Fesler is encouraging educators, government workers and others to visit the website humanrights.com to get free materials so they can start passing on this information.

The United for Human Rights program includes booklets on What Are Human Rights? and the Story of Human Rights, the Story of Human Rights short film and the 30 public service announcements which illustrate each of the points to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Further, the complete education package contains all of these things plus a complete curriculum that educators can use in classrooms.

The humanrights.com website is an interactive learning center complete with information including all videos and downloadable materials. Lastly, a virtual education program is available as an app downloadable for iPhones and iPads.

“These materials are user friendly and available to anyone,” said Fesler. For more information about United for Human Rights, visit humanrights.com.