Human Rights Day Celebration to be Held at First Amendment Center

Released on: November 03, 2014, 10:32 am (EST)
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Industry: Education

Nashville, TN, November 03, 2014 -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- Tennesseans are excitedly making plans to attend the celebration of Human Rights Day at the First Amendment Center, after a recent announcement that the event would take place there. This event commemorates the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed in 1948. “The First Amendment Center is the ideal place to have this event due to its nature and legacy,” says Rev. Brian Fesler who chairs the planning committee and pastors the Church of Scientology.

Founded by John Seigenthaler, the First Amendment Center is an operating program of the Freedom Forum and is associated with the Newseum and the Diversity Institute. The center has offices in the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The center’s programs provide education and information to the public, including educators, government policy makers, legal experts and students, according to firstamendmentcenter.org.

The Human Rights Day celebration in Tennessee centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and new to this year’s program: Outstanding Human Rights Service awards. In 2008, John Seigenthaler was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award. Fesler says the committee plans to pay special tribute to Mr. Seigenthaler who passed away in July of this year.

Last year, three lifetime advocates received awards for their work, including the Rev. James "Tex" Thomas, pastor of Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church; Elliott Ozment, the founder and managing attorney at Ozment Law; and Carrie Gentry, who was active during the civil rights movement in Nashville. Rising Advocate awards were given to Gatluak Thach with the Nashville International Center for Empowerment and Stephanie Teatro with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Fesler says that the committee is reviewing nominations for this year’s awardees but would not yet reveal any names.

For more information or to register for the event, visit nashvillehumanrights.org.

Contact-Details: Julie Brinker, juliebrinker226@gmail.com, 615-687-4600

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