United States Commission on Civil Rights

1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425

202-376-8128
800-977-8339 (FedRelay)
http://www.usccr.gov



CHAIR	Catherine E. Lhamon
Vice Chair	Patricia Timmons-Goodson

Commissioner	Debo P. Adegbile
Commissioner	Gail Heriot
Commissioner	Peter N. Kirsanow
Commissioner	David Kladney
Commissioner	Karen K. Narasaki
Commissioner	Michael Yaki

Staff Director	Mauro A. Morales

The Commission on Civil Rights informs the development of national civil rights policy and enhances enforcement of Federal civil rights laws.

Organizational Chart

The Commission on Civil Rights was first created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, as amended, and reestablished by the United States Commission on Civil Rights Act of 1994, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1975).

http://www.usccr.gov/about/index.php

Activities

The Commission conducts hearings on important civil rights issues, including issuing subpoenas for the production of documents and the attendance of witnesses; publishes studies and reports on a wide range of civil rights issues to inform and advise policymakers; holds public briefings, issues press releases, makes information publicly available online, and provides a complaint referral service to promote greater public awareness of civil rights issues, protections, and enforcement; and sustains advisory committee involvement in the national program planning to strengthen factfinding.

http://www.usccr.gov/about/powers.php

Regional Programs

The Commission maintains 51 State Advisory Committees (SACs), one for each State and the District of Columbia. Each SAC is composed of citizen volunteers who are familiar with local and State civil rights issues. SAC members assist the Commission with factfinding, investigating, and disseminating information. The Commission ensures that advisory committees are diverse and represent a variety of backgrounds, skills, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity promotes debate and broadens exploration of the issues. All appointments are made in a nondiscriminatory manner.

http://www.usccr.gov/about/sac.php

Sources of Information

Complaints

The complaint referral service helps place individuals in contact with the appropriate office for obtaining information on the complaint process. Phone, 202-376-8513 or 800-552-6843.

http://www.usccr.gov/filing/complaint.php | Email: referrals@usccr.gov

Employment

Career opportunities—vacancy announcements and available internships—are posted online. Contact the Human Resources Division for more information. Phone, 202-376-8364.

http://www.usccr.gov/about/careers.php | Email: careers@usccr.gov

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Information on how to file a FOIA request is available online. A request may be sent by email or fax, or by mail to the FOIA Officer, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425. Phone, 202-376-8351. Fax, 202-376-1163.

http://www.usccr.gov/foia/index.php | Email: foia@usccr.gov

Library

The Robert S. Rankin Memorial Library welcomes visitors. It is open on weekdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (except on Federal holidays). For more information, contact the Robert S. Rankin Memorial Library, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20425. Phone, 202-376-8110. Fax, 202-376-7597.

http://www.usccr.gov/about/library.php | Email: publications@usccr.gov

Publications

For a complete list of Commission publications, consult the online catalog. It includes briefings; clearinghouse publications; hearings, consultations, and conferences; periodicals; publications in Spanish; staff reports; State advisory committee reports; and statutory and interim reports. To order a publication, contact the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425. Phone: 202-376-8128.

http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/index.php | Email: publications@usccr.gov

Regional Offices

A list of the six regional offices—including addresses, telephone numbers, and areas served—is available online.

http://www.usccr.gov/contact/regional.php

http://www.usccr.gov/contact/index.php

For further information, contact the Office of the Staff Director, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425. Phone, 202-376-7700. Phone, 800-977-8339 (FedRelay).

Getting Started