EEOC TO COMMEMORATE 35TH ANNIVERSARY AT LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING

PRESS RELEASE
9-25-00

Mediation Report To Be Issued, Former Chairpersons and Current Stakeholders to Speak

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public Commission Meeting commemorating the agency's 35th anniversary on Tuesday, September 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at EEOC Headquarters, 1801 L Street, N.W. (Clarence Mitchell Commission Meeting Room, ninth floor). A reception will immediately follow the meeting.

The Commission continues to ensure the promise of equal employment opportunity by working to fulfill the ideals embodied in the civil rights laws the agency was created to enforce," said EEOC Chairwoman Ida L. Castro. "It took the tireless efforts, courage, and dedication of virtually all segments of our society to widen the doors, broaden the halls, and raise the ceilings in the workplace such that all, without exception, who are willing and able can succeed."

During the meeting, presided over by Ms. Castro, the Commission will issue a comprehensive report prepared by noted academics evaluating the EEOC's National Mediation Program; unveil a new 35th anniversary section on the agency's Internet web site; present a special 35th anniversary publication prepared jointly with the American Bar Association; and discuss EEOC's past accomplishments and future challenges with former Chairpersons, key stakeholder representatives, and agency staff.

Opening remarks by Ms. Castro, Vice Chairman Paul M. Igasaki, and Commissioner Paul Steven Miller will precede presentations by the following scheduled panelists:

Panel: EEOC Through the Eyes of Its Leaders

• The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton (Chair from 1977-1981)
• Clifford Alexander (Chairman from 1967-1969)
• Stephen Shulman (Chairman from 1966-1967)

Panel: EEOC Through the Eyes of Its Stakeholders

• Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
• Susan Messinger, Chief Operating Officer, Society for Human Resource Management
• Gerald Reed, President, Blacks In Government
• Mark Dichter, Chair, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
• Dr. E. Patrick McDermott, Center For Conflict Management, Salisbury State University
  (primary author of An Evaluation of the EEOC Mediation Program)

Panel: EEOC Through the Eyes of Its Staff

• John Rayburn, former Headquarters Director
• Al Golub, former Deputy Executive Director
• Tulio L. Diaz, Director, Washington Field Office
• Joyce Andries and Bobbie Simpson, Louisville Area Office

On July 2, 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which created the EEOC, was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the East Room of the White House. On this same date one year later, the EEOC opened its doors to begin carrying out the Congressional mandate to eliminate employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

To commemorate this historic milestone, and to reaffirm EEOC's commitment to the eradication of workplace discrimination, the agency conducted a series of 35th anniversary events at field offices across the country. In addition, EEOC sponsored a National Student Artwork and Essays Contest entitled EEOC's Mission Through the Eyes of a Child. The events were designed to educate the public about the rich heritage of civil rights and to highlight EEOC's role in enforcement and discrimination prevention.

Since EEOC became operational on July 2, 1965, Congress has expanded the agency's enforcement jurisdiction to encompass other civil rights laws. In addition to Title VII, the EEOC enforces the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which protects individuals 40 years of age or older from workplace discrimination; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; prohibitions against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other provisions, stipulates the payment of monetary damages in cases on intentional employment discrimination.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Any matter not discussed or concluded may be carried over to a later meeting. The Commission agenda is subject to revision. You may call (202) 663-7100 (voice) or (202) 663-4075 (TTY) on the morning of September 26 to confirm the above schedule. Further information about the Commission and its 35th anniversary is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.

This page was last modified on September 25, 2000.