Prince William County Government: Cohort 6 Of The Human Rights Student Leadership Council Recently Convened

Press release from Prince William County Government:

Wednesday, 10 Nov 2021

The Prince William County Human Rights Commission has assembled Cohort 6 of its Human Rights Student Leadership Council or HRSLC.

As council members, the high schoolers representing schools from across the county, will prepare for leadership roles and learn about human rights, civil rights, and anti-discrimination laws.

“You are not just our leaders of the future, you are our leaders today,” Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent LaTanya D. McDade, Ed.D., told the council members and their parents at a recent HRSLC orientation at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building. “Your voice can be magnified to make a change today. It’s important that you seize opportunities like this.”

The students will collaborate with organizations across the county, implement human and civil rights projects at events in the county, share their unique experiences through outreach and public speaking at conferences, attend small group discussions, online forums, and a variety of other media.

“Being a part of the Human Rights Commission Student Leadership Council is not just a great opportunity for you to hone your leadership skills. It’s also an opportunity to grow your knowledge and understanding of human rights, civil rights, and anti-discrimination law. I can’t think of a time when it was more critically important than today for you to understand that and to use your voice and actions advocacy for yourself and others,” McDade said.

McDade told the council members and their families that calling out inequities when they see them requires gumption. “We have to unapologetically call out inequities that exist and are systemic, not just in our county, but in our entire nation. We must be brave and courageous when we do that. We have to acknowledge what our challenges are because we don’t get better if we aren’t willing to call out where we see challenges or adversity or even inequity that exists within our system.”

This council’s theme this year is “Coloring Outside the Lines” which is meant to help council members think about their mission in different ways. “What we need is to be able to look beyond and think about things that we’ve never done before and see the hope for the future,” said Prince William Public Schools Associate Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services Denise Huebner. “You are our future. By stepping up and taking on this leadership role, you will learn, you will grow, you will challenge yourself, and we are all here to support you in that journey. We see the potential in you,”

In 1992, The Prince William Board of County Supervisors passed an ordinance to establish the County’s Human Rights Commission. The commission’s charter was to prevent discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, marital status, or disability in employment, education, credit and housing, and public accommodations in Prince William County. The board activated the commission in 1993. “Over the past 28 years, hundreds of residents and the community at large have benefitted from the commission’s services to address the discriminatory acts as well as use the commission as a resource for training in human and civil rights law,” said Prince William County Human Rights Commission Chair Curtis Porter.

The commission founded the award-winning HRSLC in 2016. “I’m excited for the Cohort 6 and we’re looking forward to an excellent year,” Porter said.

This press release was produced by Prince William County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.