Civil Rights Leader Carlos Muños, Chair Jacqueline Berrien to Address EEOC EXCEL Conference July 31

Commissioner Chai Feldblum to Speak at Federal Sector Training  Event on August 1

WASHINGTON—Carlos Muños, Jr., a central figure in the struggles for civil and human  rights and a recognized scholar of Latino and ethnic studies, will be  the keynote speaker at the July 31, 2012, opening of the U.S. Equal Employment  Opportunity's (EEOC) annual EXCEL (Examining Conflicts in Employment Laws) training  conference to be held in Dallas from July 30-August 2, 2012.

The conference will feature opening  remarks from Jacqueline A.  Berrien, Chair of the EEOC.  On  August 1, EEOC Commissioner Chai  Feldblum will present updates in sex and disability discrimination law at a  plenary session. 

The EXCEL conference,  now in its 15th year, is an annual training conference in the federal  sector employment discrimination field. Featuring a wide range of workshops on  cutting edge issues in the federal EEO arena, EXCEL also presents a series of  courses resulting in required certificates for federal EEO professionals  beginning the day before the general conference opens.  Attendees can take workshops in specific  tracks designed for Alternative Dispute Resolution Participants, Equal  Employment Opportunity Professionals, and Agency and Complaint Representatives.

A main feature of the conference  are the plenary sessions open to all attendees,   presenting key figures in the history of civil rights and major  government leaders.  Dr. Muños was named one of 12 "civil rights activists who accomplished  extraordinary deeds that changed the face of the nation and gave birth to the  Modern Civil Rights Movement" in a traveling exhibition funded by the National  Endowment for the Arts. His book, Youth,  Identity, Power: The Chicano Movement, is now in its second printing and  has garnered numerous awards.  It was a  major resource for the PBS television series, Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.

Registration for the  conference, including the closed training sessions, is still open, with spots  in the popular workshops filling up fast. Registration questions can be  directed to 1(866) 446-0940 or 1(800) 828-1120 (TTY) or eeoc.traininginstitute@eeoc.gov.   The conference will take place at the  Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas, where a special rate is available for  overnight stays for conference participants.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal  laws prohibiting employment discrimination.   Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.