FREE CIVIL RIGHTS VIRTUAL SEMINAR
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Thursday, June 16, 2022
HAPPY LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH!
Regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month, Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in his May 31st Newsletter: "With this month also being Pride Month, we also celebrate our LGBTQ+ immigrant communities, who have made countless contributions to our history, whether in Baltimore or beyond. Know someone who deserves to be celebrated this month? Give them a shoutout on social media using the hashtag #BmoreWelcoming and tagging @mimabaltimore."
While celebrating the contributions of LGBTQ leaders, friends and family, it is important to emphasize that there are still many issues in the path to equality. Because Immigrant Heritage Month coincides with Pride Month, the Human Rights Campaign commented:
"Ensuring safe places and supportive environments are especially important for LGBTQ immigrants. According to information provided by ICE in response to a request by Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), LGBTQ immigrants are detained twice as long as other immigrants and also face lengthy stays in solitary confinement despite ICE regulations that stipulate its use as a last resort.
For transgender women, the situation is even more precarious. Trans women were detained on average more than twice the average length of detainment of all immigrants held in ICE custody during fiscal year 2017. Transgender people have also consistently reported harassment, assault and maltreatment from ICE officers due to their transgender status."
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Sources:
Mayor Brandon M. Scott's Bi-weekly Newsletter - "What's the 410?" - Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
HAPPY IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH!
Immigration Heritage Month first began in 2014 with proclamations in many U.S. states. Its purpose is to celebrate immigrants and share inspirational stories of immigration in the U.S. Every year on October 28 is National Immigrants Day. Internationally, the United Nations General Assembly declared 18 December as International Migrants Day in 2000; its 2021 theme was "Harnessing The Potential Of Human Mobility."
According to Mayor Brandon M. Scott's May 31st Newsletter: "June is Immigrant Heritage Month! During the pandemic, our immigrant and refugee communities have played crucial roles in keeping Baltimore safe. Join us on Facebook and Instagram this Immigrant Heritage Month as we highlight some individuals and organizations who have gone the extra mile to keep our communities strong, resilient, and healthy."
Have you visited the Baltimore Immigration Museum? Go! Located at 1308 Beason Street in Locust Point, the Museum features educational exhibits, ancestral research, many personal stories, and much more! You can research your immigrant ancestors with the free genealogical database at FamilySearch. Did you know that the Immigrant House was built in 1904 as a mission house to provide temporary housing to immigrants? Contact the Museum at 443-542-2263, 410-752-0676, or bim@immigrationbaltimore.org.
In his "A Proclamation on National Immigrant Heritage Month, 2022" on May 31, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. remarked:
"The United States is a Nation of immigrants — shaped by the courageous people from around the world who leave their homes, lives, and loved ones to seek refuge and opportunity on our shores. Their sacrifices and entrepreneurial spirit have contributed to the rich tapestry that has defined the character of our country for generations. Since our founding, the very idea of America as a Nation of limitless possibilities has been nurtured and advanced by immigrants. During National Immigrant Heritage Month, we honor the contributions of immigrants to our great Nation and celebrate their profound impact.
Immigrants fuel our economy and work in every profession, including health care, public service, law, education, engineering, construction, caregiving, manufacturing, service, agriculture, and countless other industries. They create new businesses, small and large, and generate millions of jobs in America. They are essential workers, providing critical services during COVID-19 and serving on the frontlines of research for vaccines and treatments. Immigrants have also helped the United States lead the world in science, technology, and innovation while contributing to the arts, culture, and government. They bring new traditions, customs, and perspectives that keep American innovation dynamic.
My Administration is committed to ensuring that our immigration system is accessible and humane. I have called on the Congress to pass long-overdue legislation to comprehensively reform our immigration system. Through multiple Executive Orders, I have also directed agencies across the Federal Government to remove barriers that improperly impede access to immigration benefits and to assure fair and timely adjudication of those benefits.
An important part of our commitment is recognizing that, too often, immigrants face discrimination, xenophobia, and violence. Hate and fear are being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America but do not understand America. To confront the dangerous ideology of hate requires caring about all people — including our Nation’s immigrants. After all, the fundamental promise of America is that all of us are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. As a Nation, we have never fully lived up to that promise, but we have never walked away from it either. That is why my Administration will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that all immigrants feel safe, valued, and respected.
The United States has long been a refuge for those seeking safe haven. In the wake of World War II, we opened our doors to hundreds of thousands fleeing the devastation in Europe and the horrors of the Holocaust. After the Vietnam War and other conflicts in Southeast Asia, we formed the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which has welcomed more than 3 million people fleeing persecution and war since 1980. More recently, we welcomed tens of thousands of Afghans and their families who served honorably alongside American forces, and we are now welcoming thousands of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. My Administration continues to extend Temporary Protected Status for vulnerable migrant populations throughout the world who cannot safely return to their countries of origin. Furthermore, my Administration is committed to promoting naturalization and breaking down barriers to United States citizenship for all eligible candidates — a promise that honors our Nation’s values and makes us more secure and prosperous.
When someone becomes a United States citizen, it gives them the opportunity to fully participate in and contribute their unique talents to our American story. Each generation of immigrants has made our Nation stronger and reaffirmed that diversity is — and always has been — our greatest strength. This National Immigrant Heritage Month, we honor our immigrants and recommit to remaining a country worthy of their dreams and aspirations, a Nation true to our enduring values, and a democracy that forever stands as a beacon of hope to the world."
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Sources:
Mayor Brandon M. Scott's Bi-weekly Newsletter - "What's the 410?" - Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
Monday, June 13, 2022
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Stay Connected with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights |
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
HUD CITES BALTIMORE CONDOMINIUM FOR DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION
On June 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entered into a Consent Order with a Baltimore condominium company, Scarlett Place Residential Condominium, Inc., and its management agent, Brodie Management, Inc., to resolve a Charge of Discrimination alleging disability discrimination. Read the Consent Order here.
"It is unconscionable that families caring for children with disabilities could also face housing discrimination," said Demetria L. McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "This consent order demonstrates HUD's commitment to protecting the fair housing rights of families and persons with disabilities."
HUD's Charge of Discrimination alleged that Scarlett Place Residential Condominium and Brodie Management violated the Fair Housing Act when they refused to waive their rule limiting occupants to two persons per bedroom to allow a family of eight - one a young child having bone marrow transplant treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital - to temporarily rent a three-bedroom condominium. The family needed to live together to provide for the child's medical treatment and care, including screening of all family members for a possible bone marrow donor. The condominium's board of directors levied a monthly fine against the rental unit's owner because the family occupied the condominium.
The Consent Order, entered into by a HUD Chief Administrative Law Judge, requires Scarlett Place Residential Condominium and Brodie Management to pay the family and the condominium owner $35,743.50 in damages, and other actions to ensure nondiscrimination because of disability. The Consent Order is not an admission of liability by either Scarlett Place Residential Condominium or Brodie Management.
"Housing providers must allow families to provide care for their children with disabilities when a simple waiver of condominium rules can be made," said Damon Smith, HUD's General Counsel. "HUD will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act's protections for persons with disabilities."
Monday, June 6, 2022
YOU ARE INVITED!
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On Being Muslim With ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan
On Being Muslim With ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan
A FREE event by the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS)
This Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom
Islam is a religion that nourishes body, heart, mind and soul. The word Islam literally means peace, surrender and submission. A Muslim is one who has made a conscious decision to freely surrender and submit to the one and only God, the creator of every thing and every being.
ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan will explain how Muslims try to embody these ideals in everyday life.
Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, where her research centers around Islamic theology and spirituality, Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and migration. Her personal experience of growing up in Germany as a child of Kurdish Muslim immigrants from Turkey informs her academic work and engagement in interreligious learning.
She is the host of the On Being Muslim podcast.
Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies
956 Dulaney Valley Rd
Baltimore, Maryland 21204
410.494.7161|icjs.org
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Source: ICJS email newsletter, June 6, 2022.
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