Tuesday, December 14, 2004

THE IDAHO BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM, PERMANENT EXHIBIT:  “THE INVISIBLE IDAHOAN:  200 YEARS OF BLACKS IN IDAHO” OPENS JANUARY 15, 2005

The Idaho Black History Museum's next exhibit, The Invisible Idahoan: 200 Years of Blacks in Idaho, will be unveiled on January 15th, 2005.  The opening ceremony begins at 12:00 noon. The exhibit details the unheralded and substantial contributions African Americans have made to the laws, culture and society of Idaho.  Idaho's unique and storied history is peppered with accounts of Black homesteaders, politicians, religious groups, artists and musicians, as well as peacemakers.  Their contributions, often unnoticed, have played an important role in shaping Idaho and its citizens into who we are today.

Tuesday, May 29, 2001

Contacts:
Ada County Human Rights Task Force--Asa Nims, President
Idaho Human Rights Education Center-- Les Bock, Executive Director 345-0304
The Rev.Dr.Nancy Taylor, Idaho Voices of Faith for Human Rights,
First Congregational United Church of Christ 344-5731
Assn. of Idaho Cities Human Rights Campaign-- Michael Shaw, Coordinator 800-344-8594
Idaho Human Rights Commission-- Leslie Goddard, Director 334-2873
(Media Contact Coordination: Don Curtis, Sr. 344-3434)


IDAHO HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS ANNOUNCE ANTI-HATE POSTER CAMPAIGN

Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Human Rights Education Center and the Ada County Human Rights Task Force today announced an ongoing poster campaign to counter the image, perception and the reality of Idaho as a state where hatred and hate messages may exist. These two well known human rights organizations, in conjunction with other Idaho human rights groups, unveiled a new poster message which they are hopeful will be conspicuously placed by Idahoans in home and car windows, restaurants and other public places of business, and on workplace cubicles and desks all across our state. Other statewide sponsoring organizations for the poster campaign include the Association of Idaho Cities Human Rights Campaign and the Idaho Human Rights Commission.

The message which the small poster conveys is simple, clear, powerful and leverages the well-known ACHRTF logo as well as the Billings, Montana "not in our town" response to an anti-Semitic hate crime during Hanukkah a few years ago. The new message poster reads:
"Not in Our Town…
Not in Our State…
Idaho is Too Great for Hate"

Recent distribution, once again, of hate literature throughout many neighborhoods in Boise has prompted this follow-on response by Idaho human rights organizations. "Frankly, these groups come here to distribute their hate literature because they believe that they have a sympathetic audience", said Susan Curtis, President of the Ada County Human Rights Task Force. " We believe strongly that the vast majority of Idahoans really do want to stand up and say, 'No!…. Not in our state!' Our new poster with this message now gives them the chance to do this easily, either in response to a hate incident or, in an ongoing, visible manner."

As of this week, the new message poster has been made available all across Idaho's strong growing network of human rights organizations.

Les Bock, Executive Director of the Idaho Human Rights Education Center and one of the first organizations to sign on to sponsor this latest anti-hate effort said, " We are 100% behind this and are very excited about the opportunity this poster message presents . It is our hope that all Idahoans who oppose all forms of hate will now speak out and be counted as they place this anti-hate symbol and words in their window and on their desks in the workplace."

The Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor, a co-founder of both Voices of Faith for Human Rights and the Idaho Human Rights Education Center, and also one of Idaho's best known anti-hate activists, said the following in response to the new campaign: " Nothing could say more about our true commitment to human rights than to see this symbol clearly visible in Idaho homes and businesses everywhere throughout the towns and cities of this great state. Everyone will know where we stand."

The poster, with support from local area businesses, is being printed for distribution in many Idaho communities and has been made immediately available to the public via two WebSites for individuals to print using their home/office PC, for posting and distribution within their own neighborhoods and workplaces.
---Ada County Human Rights Task Force: www.humanrightsidaho.org
---Association of IdahoCities: www.idahocities.org/humanrights.htm;

The Ada County Human Rights Task Force is a collective voice and resource supporting human rights in Idaho, affirming the fact that all persons have equal worth and dignity.
The Idaho Human Rights Education Center promotes respect for human dignity and diversity through education and fosters individual responsibility to work for justice and peace.
The Idaho Human Rights Commission enforces Idaho's Anti-Discrimination laws.
The Association of Idaho Cities Human Rights Campaign is committed to advancing human rights in Idaho through: awareness, discussion, training, leadership, and monitoring human rights progress.