Shasta County Citizens Advocating Respect (SCCAR)

Activities, Challenges & Lesssons Learned

ACTION HIGHLIGHTS

We’ve done advocacy on numerous local civil rights and discrimination cases and campaigned to post 75 “No Room For Racism” signs in the county, area cities, schools and churches. We have hosted youth and adult conferences, multicultural celebrations, numerous school presentations, including showings of “Not in Our Town, Northern California – When Hate Happens Here,” and co-sponsored three presentations to over 700 local citizens by Simon Wiesenhal’s T.J. Lyden, reformed white supremacist. SCCAR co-hosted one of six statewide workshops on the under-reporting of hate crimes, a joint effort of the CA Attorney General’s Office and the CA Association of Human Rights Organizations. We host an annual Civil Rights and Social Justice Awards Dinner, SCCAR’s major fundraiser, and currently are focused on outreach to youth and involving them in SCCAR leadership development, and the Isaac Lowe Scholarship Fund.

CHALLENGES

SCCAR exists in a community with no Human Rights Commission/Council, and SCCAR currently serves as a de facto agency in that regard, even for non-racial issues. In a 2006 meeting with all top law enforcement agencies (including the FBI), the subject of establishing a HRC in Redding was broached. The consensus response was against creating an HRC because of budget considerations and concerns that appointments would become political. There was general satisfaction with SCCAR continuing to fulfill this role de facto. While this was a welcome confirmation of the viability of SCCAR’s relationship with law enforcement (on which we have worked so hard), there is a lingering sense for some that not all issues are being aired due to the lack of an HRC.

LESSONS

Early on, we focused on our relationships with law enforcement, and over time became a credible resource and partner to local authorities. In 1994, we developed a “No Room For Racism” sign campaign that resulted in the City of Redding endorsing official signs with the slogan and city seal. The campaign eventually spread to neighboring cities, resulting in 75 signs bearing the slogan.

ALLIES

We work with a number of organizations including Southeast Asian Christian Ministry, People of Progress, Shasta County Women's Refuge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, NAACP, Celebration of Life and Diversity, Women's Feminist Health Center, Anderson Police Department, SCOACHE, Office of the Shasta County Superintendent of Education, Youth Violence Prevention Council of Shasta County, City of Redding Police Department, Shasta County Sheriff, Victim Witness Assistance Center, the Department of Public Health, and the California Attorney General’s Office

---