Orange County NC Website
29 <br /> subcommittee business that will be presented to the full HRC membership for <br /> consideration. The Executive committee also meets with staff monthly to <br /> determine the agenda for the upcoming meeting. <br /> Brief Statement of Board/Commission's Assigned Charge and Responsibilities. <br /> The Orange County Human Relations Commission was officially formed by a <br /> resolution on June 16, 1987 in response to a Ku Klux Klan rally in Chapel Hill. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners expressed its desire to "encourage <br /> mutual understanding and fair treatment of all citizens," and "encourage actions <br /> which reduces tensions among groups of citizens in Orange County." Currently, <br /> the HRC's charge includes, but is not limited to: <br /> a. Studying and making recommendations concerning problems in the field <br /> of human relationships; <br /> b. Anticipating and discovering practices and customs most likely to create <br /> animosity and unrest, and seeking solutions to problems as they arise; <br /> c. Making recommendations designed to promote goodwill and harmony <br /> among groups in the County irrespective of their race, color, creed, <br /> religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, affectional preference, disability, <br /> age, marital status or status with regard to public assistance; <br /> d. Monitoring and investigating complaints of discrimination; <br /> e. Addressing and attempting to remedy the violence, tensions, polarization, <br /> and other harm created through the practices of discrimination, bias, <br /> hatred, and civil inequality; and <br /> f. Promoting harmonious relations within the County through hearings and <br /> due process of law. <br /> The Human Relations Commission drafted the Orange County Civil Rights <br /> Ordinance which was enacted on June 6, 1994 (amended August 3, 1995). Staff <br /> was thereafter hired to enforce the Ordinance and carryout the other functions on <br /> behalf of the HRC as mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban <br /> Development (HUD) through its cooperative agreement with the County. <br /> What are your Board/Commission's most important accomplishments? <br /> 1. The HRC held its annual Human Relations Month Forum on April 30, 2-18, <br /> titled "Flag Regulation." The Forum was an opportunity for residents to <br /> engage with one another around the very contentious matter of patriotism, <br /> racism, and government regulation. <br /> 2. The HRC also held the 27th Annual Pauli Murray Awards on February 25, <br /> 2018. The Awards recognized a youth, an adult, and a business that <br /> embody the characteristics of the late Dr. Pauli Murray in their dedication <br /> to social justice in the community. The Annual Student Essay Contest was <br />