Statement of Purposes

The purposes of the Baton Rouge Council on Human Relations are: To foster mutual understanding and acceptance among all persons in the area; to discourage discrimination based on race, age, gender, religion, or national or ethnic group membership; to counteract prejudice and discrimination directed toward any person or group; to seek to remove impediments to equality of opportunity, especially for those in poverty and to cooperate with appropriate local, state, regional, national, and international agencies in the attainment of these purposes.

Since its founding in 1965, the Baton Rouge Council on Human Relations has promoted equal opportunity for all in its peaceful approach to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to foster better human relations in the greater Baton Rouge area. Racially integrated from its origin, the Council helped to desegregate the public school system, restaurants, parks, theaters, doctors' offices, charitable agencies, the bus system, and other community facilities. It has helped to desegregate legal facilities such as the police department, Jury Commission, jails, and prisons. It has worked to get a fairer representation of blacks and women on local and state government boards. The Council has attempted to eliminate discrimination in employment and housing. It has held meetings to foster better understanding among Christians, Jews and Muslims, and it cooperates with other local organizations that have similar aims. Since 1978, the Council has made annual humanitarian awards to local citizens. In 1985 the Council "adopted" Istrouma Senior High School, located in a low-income neighborhood.

The annual meeting of the membership is held in May or June, at which time election of officers and board members takes place. During the year, meetings of the full membership are held with programs of concern. These meetings are ordinarily announced in the Council's quarterly newsletter. Generally, the Council's affairs are conducted by its board of directors and committees. The board normally meets on the second Thursday of each month. To ascertain the place and time of a meeting, members may call one of the board members.