The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights will travel on a listening tour through the state to give Kentuckians the opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions about civil and human rights in Kentucky.

People attending the listening sessions will be able to speak with Kentucky Commission on Human Rights employment, public accommodation and housing representatives.  They will have the opportunity to speak with agency representatives about filing complaints with the commission and learning about the complaint process.

The tour is part of a program of activities to help the commission commemorate its 50 year anniversary in 2010. Created by Gov. Bert Combs in 1960, the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights became the first of its kind south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In 1966, Kentucky became the first southern state to pass its own civil rights act to protect its people from discrimination. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is the state agency charged with enforcing the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and federal civil rights laws.

Throughout 2010, the commission will carry out the anniversary events in order to raise awareness of civil rights, the rights to equal opportunity of every Kentuckian. The dates and locations of the tour are:

• Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010:
  11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Central Time)
  John L. Street Cadiz Public Library
  244 Main Street, Cadiz, Ky. 40211
  
  
• Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010:
  3 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Central Time)
  Mayfield City Hall
  211 East Broadway Street
  Mayfield, Ky. 40266

• Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010:
  12:15 p.m. – 2 p.m.
  Community Room
  Madison County Public Library
  507 West Main Street
  Richmond, Ky. 40475

• Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010:
  3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
  Somerset Community College
  Somerset, Ky. 42501
  Contact: Elaine Wilson, Director of Diversity

• Friday, January 22

          10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 
           Paris-Bourbon County Public Library Community Room
           701 High Street, Paris, Ky. 40361

• Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
  3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
  Community basement room at the Woodford County Courthouse, 103 South Main Street, Versailles, KY, 40383, (859) 873-4139 
  
   

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