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Press Release 08-17-2022

EEOC to Hold Commission Meeting in Buffalo Aug. 22 to Focus on Racial and Economic Justice

Federal Agency Will Examine How to Combat Systemic Racism in First Listening Session to Develop Its Future Strategic Enforcement Plan

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced details about a listening session to take place in Buffalo, NY on Aug. 22, 2022. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. EDT and run until about 3 p.m. EDT. It will be held at the City of Buffalo Common Council Chambers, Buffalo City Hall (65 Niagara Square, 13th Floor, Buffalo, NY 14202). The public may attend in person, and do not need to register in advance, although room capacity is limited.

To watch virtually, members of the public are encouraged to register in advance using the following link: https://eeoc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_YQhvsv0QT-qPlfx3y7S6Ig.  Virtual attendees can also access a livestream of the listening session via the EEOC’s YouTube channel after the meeting begins without registering in advance.

The listening session will focus on racial and economic justice and is the first in the agency’s three-part listening series to receive public input regarding priorities and activities that should be included in its Strategic Enforcement Plan for the next five years.

Titled “Advancing Racial and Economic Justice in the Workplace,” the EEOC’s Buffalo listening session will be the first Commission meeting held outside of Washington, D.C. since 2015. The Commission will hear from witnesses on suggestions for addressing racial and economic justice in the agency’s Strategic Enforcement Plan for fiscal years 2022-2026. The Strategic Enforcement Plan outlines the EEOC’s priorities and activities to advance equal opportunity in the workplace.

Witnesses will include:

  • Thomas Beauford, Jr., President and CEO, Buffalo Urban League
  • Mark Blue, President, NAACP-Buffalo
  • Trina Burruss, Chief Operating Officer, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
  • Kelly Hernandez, Member of the Board of Directors, Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York
  • Maureen Kielt, Director, EEOC Buffalo Local Office
  • Cindi McEachon, CEO, Peaceprints of WNY
  • Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
  • Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., Director, Center for Urban Studies, University at Buffalo
  • Rolanda Ward, Associate Professor and Endowed Faculty Director of the Rose Bente Lee Ostapenko Center for Race, Equity, and Mission, Niagara University

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.