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Women's Empowerment  (Please click on the images below for a larger picture - use your Back button to return or close the new window)

Human Relations Videos 

REGULAR PROGRAMS

Race Relations

Black History Month

The City of Winston-Salem has hosted and participated in many Black History Month events. The events are aimed toward improving race relations and celebrating the contributions of esteemed African-Americans in the Winston-Salem community.

Honoring Local Medical Legends: NAACP President Stephen Hairston and Director Wanda Allen-Abraha of the Winston-Salem Human Relations Department honor local medical legends for their contributions to the African-American medical community.

Cultural Connections Film Series

Cultural Connections gives the public the opportunity to experience human relations issues through film. The series gives the public the opportunity to connect and learn about our society's cultures. Films give people a safe and inviting opportunity to become engaged in issues that can be difficult to broach.

Showing of Fordson: The showing of this film about life in a majority-Arab public school in Dearborn, Michigan from the perspective of football players and coaches was co-sponsored by the Community Mosque of Winston-Salem.

Juneteenth Festival

The Triad Juneteenth Festival, coordinated by Triad Cultural Arts and co-sponsored by the City of Winston-Salem Human Relations Department and various other community organizations, celebrates the freeing of the last group of slaves in America.  The festival educates the community about African-American freedom and commemorates the end of slavery. Different cultural entertainment and several forms of African-American Art are featured during the celebration.  

Student Race Relations Forum

High School students from each of the public high schools in Forsyth County discuss the state of race relations and stereotypes at their schools.  Since its inception in 2002, the annual forum has been held at a different high school each year. The 2010 forum was held at North Forsyth High School and was moderated by radio personality Busta Brown.

Interfaith Community 

The Interfaith Community programs are designed in accordance with the Interfaith Committee’s Mission Statement: “To initiate activities that facilitate the harmonious bringing together of people of various faiths and beliefs in an effort to foster a better understanding of how citizens can live together respectfully as they openly practice their spiritual and religious beliefs.”  Committee members strive to remain active in activities that promote positive interfaith relations while working to educate youth about the importance of an Interfaith community.

Martin Luther King Jr. Young Dreamers Award

Below are images from the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Young Dreamers Award presentations.  This award is bestowed upon several young citizens of Winston-Salem to commend and encourage young leaders who have brought about positive and real change in race relations in their communities. 

Housing

The Winston-Salem Human Relations Department is dedicated to ensuring that all area citizens are treated equally and fairly in their pursuit of renting or owning a home.  In addition to providing counseling on issues of housing discrimination, the Human Relations Department sponsors several Fair Housing themed events throughout the year.   

Fair Housing Month

(In partnership with HUD and the Winston-Salem Regional Association of Realtors)

Fair Housing Month is celebrated in recognition of the anniversary of the signing of the Fair Housing Act.  The Fair Housing Act came just over a century after the Civil Rights Act of 1866 – the first legislation to prohibit racial discrimination in the sale or rental of property.  The Fair Housing Act expanded the conditions of discrimination to include judgments based on color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status (families with children) and physical or mental handicap. 

To celebrate Fair Housing Month and the laws preventing housing discrimination, Forsyth County and Winston-Salem hold a series of themed events during the month of April.  Annual events include the Fair Housing Kick-off Luncheon hosted by the Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS® and the Fair Housing Summit.

March For Homeless Children

Since 2003, the March for Homeless Children has been an annual tradition in Winston-Salem.  It has has been incorporated into the Winston-Salem Holiday Parade for the past several years.  The March for Homeless Children raises awareness of the sobering number of homeless children in our community.  Donations are collected on-site by Project HOPE, a local program offered by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools that addresses the needs of homeless children and their families. 

Youth Outreach

30th Annual Human Relations Awards Banquet

Students in grades K-12 in the public schools are honored for exhibiting inclusive behaviors in their communities and schools despite barriers and obstacles.

Thank you to our sponsors: City of Winston-Salem, the Committees of the Human Relations Commission, Forsyth Technical Community College, the Law Office of Alan Doorasamy, Sr., PFLAG Winston-Salem, Piedmont Federal, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the Winston-Salem Police Department and Recreation & Parks Department, the Lexington Human Relations Commission, Elliot Pishko Morgan P.A., Hispanic League of the Piedmont Triad, Union Baptist Church, the Winston-Salem Housing/Neighborhood Development Department, Carolina Green Company, Kidane Mehret Ethiopian Church, Legal Aid of North Carolina, NAACP of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the Office of the Mayor, Temple Emanuel, the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Winston-Salem Fire Department.  

International Programs

Global Festival Series

The Global Festival Series highlights various emerging immigrant populations and global cultures in the local community. Through partnerships with local universities, such as Salem College and Winston-Salem State University, art, clothing, food, dance, and music from countries such as Ethiopia, Nepal, Germany, Jamaica, and many others are featured.

International Row at Rock the Block

 
International Row is a dedicated section of Rock the Block with Chris Paul that features food, crafts, and educational information about global cultures in Winston-Salem and the Triad. International Row debuted in 2010 and featured Ethiopian and Turkish crafts, Jamaican and Greek cuisine, and various international cultures represented by the Salem College International Club. The Human Relations Department looks forward to growing International Row in years to come.

PAST EVENTS

African/Mexican Photo Exhibits

In 2006, the Human Relations Commission co-sponsored three art exhibitions at the Sawtooth Building that called attention to the common heritage of many of Winston-Salem's Hispanic and African-American residents. One featured exhibit was titled "An African Presence in Mexico: The Photographs of Romualdo Garcia and Wendy Phillips." Also on display in the Sawtooth Building was "Colors of Mexico," an exhibition organized by the Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University, and "Going to Carolina del Norte: Narrating Mexican Migrant Experiences," an exhibition organized by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. Wanda Allen-Abraha, the director of human relations, said that the exhibit is part of the commission’s on-going efforts to improve relations between African-Americans and Hispanics in Winston-Salem. "The majority of the Hispanics in Winston-Salem are descendants of African slaves who settled in Mexico," she said. "They have a common heritage with our black residents."

Beyond Soul and Salsa    

At each Beyond Soul and Salsa forum, community representatives meet to discuss different issues and commonalities relevant to both the African-American and Hispanic populations.

Since its inception in June 2005, forums have been held at churches and community centers around the Winston-Salem area to facilitate dialogue between diverse groups of residents. Panelists have included elected officials, city and federal government officials, local religious leaders, community activists, and many other local organizations.

Forum One at El Cordero De Dios Moravian Church
Topics: Stereotypes and misconceptions in and about the African-American and Hispanic communities

Forum Two at Southside Baptist Church
Topics: Involving African-Americans and Hispanics in local elections, positive police relations, and community activism

Forum Three at the Winston Lake YMCA
Topics: Housing Code enforcement, public housing, and gang prevention

Forum Four at the Emmanuel Baptist Church
Topics: Challenges facing adult and student immigrants in the community

Forum Five at the Salvation Army
Topics: Economic development and small business concerns in the African-American and Hispanic communities

Forum Six at Union Baptist Church
Topics: Various diversity challenges in education

Forum Seven at Sprague Street Recreation Center
Topics: Voter rights, gang prevention, fair housing, and immigration

Forum Eight at Gateway YWCA
Topics: 287 (g) concerning immigration law, the city's neighborhood stabilization program, tax myths, and the results of a survey of Hispanic residents

Forum Nine at Gateway YWCA
Topics: Increasing workplace diversity in the Winston-Salem community

Forum Ten at the Enrichment Center
Topic: Secure Communities

Cartoon Crisis

Pastor Richard Groves, Imam Dr. Hamdy Radwan, Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn and Imam Khalid Griggs discuss the world-wide and local implications of the Islamic Cartoon Crisis and the impact on the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities, sponsored by the Human Relations Commission´s Interfaith Committee.

College Civil Rights Educational Exchange

(In partnership with Wake Forest University)

Students in the Student Eastern European Youth Leadership Exchange program at Wake Forest University discuss and compare civil rights issues with local college students.

Dr. Martin Luther King Day Observance

(In partnership with Mutter Evans and Winston-Salem NAACP)

Jena 6 Forum

College students and community leaders who traveled to Jena, Louisiana learned lessons regarding why Jena 6 is important to our local community. A town hall meeting was also held in Winston-Salem titled “Reflections on Lessons Learned.” Panelists included Rep. Earline Parmon of the North Carolina General Assembly, Stephen Hairston of the NAACP, and several community members from area high schools and colleges. Panelists spoke candidly about the impact of the Jena 6, whether or not a similar incident could occur in Winston-Salem, and what could be learned from the events.

Latin American Expo

Hispanic residents educate the community about various Spanish-speaking countries and cultures through dance, clothing, and music. In addition, information is available for Hispanic residents about community agencies and services.

The Latin American Expo-Fair is organized by the City of Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission, the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, the Hispanic Center at Forsyth Technical Community College, and the Hispanic Arts Initiative.

Race and Gender in the Presidential Election

The Human Relations Department and Wake Forest University sponsored “Race, Gender and the Presidential Election." The panel was made up of faculty from five colleges in the Winston-Salem area and moderated by the Wake Forest chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society. The forum was focused on discussing the influence of race and gender on the Presidential election, as well as the implications that the outcome would have on civil rights.

Transforming Race

A project of the Kenan Institute for the Arts, ACCORD initiative, Transforming Race is done in partnership with David Finn and the Wake Forest Art Department. The project encourages youth to use visual art media to communicate across racial barriers. Wake Forest University art students work in an open-ended format and in consultation with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County high school students. Transforming Race continues the conversation about race begun at the Student Race Relations Forum.

 

University UNCSA Women's Empowerment and Community Engagement Partnership 

Nexus Television

Human Relations staff interview various community partners regarding upcoming programs, initiatives, and events.  Recent guests have included Dr. Ken Hoglund of the Wake Forest University Religion Department, Cheryl Harry of Old Salem, and Human Relations Commissioner Mischi Binkley.

Tu Comunidad

Tu Comunidad is a quarterly TV-13 television show. It originated as a Spanish-speaking show that brings our Hispanic residents vital information on city services and city government initiatives; however, the show is now broadcast in English as well. 

Watch Nexus Television and Tu Comunidad on Channel 13, WSTV 13.