Commission on Human Rights
Director of Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights Wade Henderson to speak in Louisville this Friday

Wade Henderson, the well-known president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund, will visit Louisville to speak at the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights 50^th Anniversary Civil and Human Rights Conference. He will be the speaker on Friday, Oct. 15, at the Combs-Breathitt Luncheon, which will be held at the opening of the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame 2010 Induction Ceremony. The program is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. at the Louisville International Convention Center. The public is invited. The deadline to register for the luncheon is 11:59 tonight, which is Tuesday, Oct. 12. Register now online at www.kchr.ky.gov

The Leadership Conference that Henderson heads is the nation's premier civil and human rights coalition, charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society. The Education Fund builds public will for civil and human rights through campaigns that empower and mobilize civil and human rights advocates around the country to push for progressive change.

Henderson is also the Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., Professor of Public Interest Law at the David A. Clarke School of Law, University of the District of Columbia. He is well known for his expertise on a wide range of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights issues, and is the author of numerous articles on civil rights and public policy issues. Since taking the helm of The Leadership Conference in June 1996, he has worked diligently to address emerging policy issues of concern to the civil and human rights community and to strengthen the effectiveness of the coalition. Under his stewardship, The Leadership Conference has become one of the nation's most effective advocates for civil and human rights.

He currently serves on the National Quality Forum Board of Directors, which seeks to improve healthcare quality through performance measurement and public reporting; the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, which was created in 2006 to provide the FDIC with advice and recommendations on important initiatives focused on expanding access to banking services by underserved populations; the Board of Directors of the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting homeownership and family wealth by working to eliminate abusive financial practices; and the Board of Trustees of the Education Testing Service, a private, nonprofit organization devoted to educational measurement and research.

Prior to his role with The Leadership Conference, Henderson was the Washington Bureau director of the NAACP. In that capacity, he directed the government affairs and national legislative program of the NAACP. He was previously the associate director of the Washington national office of the ACLU, where he began his career as a legislative counsel and advocate on a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties issues. He also served as executive director of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO).

He is a graduate of Howard University and the Rutgers University School of Law. He is a member of the Bar in the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court. As a tireless civil rights leader and advocate, he has received countless awards and honors. He holds an honorary Doctorate in Law from Queens College School of Law, City University of New York. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and is affiliated with the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter.

The Breathitt – Combs Luncheon will honor two of Kentucky’s late governors who were responsible for the attainment of civil rights in Kentucky. Governor Edward Breathitt signed the Kentucky Civil Rights Act in 1966, making Kentucky the first state to lead the south to end segregation by establishing a state civil rights act, which made the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights the enforcement authority over civil rights protection in the Commonwealth. Gov. Bert T. Combs created the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights in 1960, again making Kentucky a leader in the south by establishing the first state human rights commission south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Following the luncheon, The Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame will induct 31 people for its 2010 membership, people who have fought for equality and civil and human rights and who have impacted the quality of life for countless people in Kentucky. Inductees’ names will not be announced until the ceremony.

The cost to attend the luncheon and the Hall of Fame ceremony is $25 to pay for the cost of the meal. The day also will offer a full day of related workshops that will examine minority business best practices, a survey of accomplishments that have impacted civil rights over the last 50 years, disability rights, the Southeast quarterly regional meeting of Kentucky Blacks in Higher Education, equality in the state’s political participation, human trafficking, stopping hate activity in Kentucky, and more.

Call Mary Ann Taylor at the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights for more information at 502-595-4024 or 1-800-292-5566, or go to the commission website to register online at www.kchr.ky.gov.

Sponsors of the conference include General Electric, Humana, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Metropolitan Sewer District, PNC Bank, Publisher's Press, UPS, YUM! Brands, Bellarmine University, and University of Kentucky.