You’re invited to attend Orange County’s annual Human Relations Month forum, this Sunday from 2:30-5:00 pm at the Carrboro Century Center.

February is Human Relations Month in Orange County, and each year the county hosts a forum focusing on a specific problem or issue in the area of human rights and inequality. This year’s forum will focus on women’s rights, in commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed women’s right to vote.

“The focus is on improving human relations through eradication of discrimination and by addressing unfair inequities,” says Audrey Spencer-Horsley, the new director of the Orange County Department of Housing, Human Rights and Community Development. “That’s something that the (Orange County Human Relations) Commission does year-round, but this (forum) is an opportunity to draw more attention to that issue.”

The forum is entitled “Voting Rights to Human Rights: The Continuing Struggle.” It will address the history of women’s right to vote, but it will also focus on other enduring issues as well – including sex trafficking, economic inequality, and domestic violence. Panelists will include Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Orange County Commissioner Renee Price, UNC professor Donna Bickford, Mary Ray of the Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women, and Compass Center executive director Ardith Burkes. There will be food and music as well.

Orange County civil rights specialist James Davis says the forum is a great opportunity for everyone – whether you’re currently active in the women’s rights movement, or you’ve never even thought about it before.

“We want to entice those who have never been part of our conversation to come out, get involved, voice your opinion, ask questions – and then we’ll see if we can tear down, or begin to tear down, some of the barriers to (gender equality),” he says.

The forum is free and open to the public.

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