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North Carolina Civil Rights Advisory Committee

NRCS in North Carolina works to ensure compliance with Agency policies for conservation and equal opportunity programs, and accountability for the delivery of quality and timely service to our customers. USDA is an equal opportunity employer, provider and lender

Mission Statement

To facilitate fair and equitable treatment of USDA customers and employees while ensuring the delivery and enforcement of civil rights programs and activities.

Guiding Principles

The North Carolina (NC) Civil Rights Advisory Committee (CRAC) believes in the strength of diversity, the value of maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace, and in our relationships with fellow employees and our customers. We are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and have made it a priority to both listen and learn.

Objectives

1. Ensure representation from various grades, disciplines, and workforce diversity.

2. Provide the communication link through which NRCS employees can bring matters to the attention of management.

 

 

 

USDA graphic image celebrating  Asian American,  Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island Heritage Month, May 2023

 

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and, as such, we have an opportunity to celebrate and honor the history, culture, and the countless contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and throughout the United States. According to the 2020 Census, there are 20.6 million people who identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander alone (not in combination with another race), making up 6.2 percent of the nation’s population.

The origins of AANHPI Heritage Month can be traced back to the late 1970s, when a group of educators and community leaders in California began advocating for greater recognition of Asian American history and culture. In 1978, a Congressional resolution was passed declaring the first ten days of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1992, the week was expanded to a monthlong observance, and the term Asian American and Pacific Islander was added to the name of the celebration in 2009. The Biden Administration began to explicitly recognize Native Hawaiians in Presidential declarations in 2021 to bring visibility to the needs of the Native Hawaiian community.

Key Contacts

Leadership
Name Position Phone Number Email
Channa Proctor
Committee Chair
Roger Toledo
Committee Vice-Chair
Area Representatives
Name Position Phone Number Email
Katie Gibbs
Area 1 Representative
April Smith
Area 2 Representative
Sara Sweeting
Area 3 Representative
Special Emphasis Program Managers
Name Position Phone Number Email
Tramell Forney
Veterans Program Manager
Twanda Smith
Asian American, Pacific Islander Program Manager
Julius George
Black Program Manager
Kim Poteat
Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender Program Manager
Gabriela Velez Rodriguez
Hispanic Emphasis Program Manager
Rebecca McCarty
Disability Emphasis Program Manager
Lance Parker
American Indian/Alaska Native Program Manager
Kristian Turner
Federal Women's Program Manager

What Can You Do if You Believe Discrimination Has Occurred?

Contact the EEOC promptly if you suspect discrimination. Do not delay, because there are strict time limits for filing a charge of discrimination (180 or 300 days, depending on where you live/ work). You can reach the EEOC in any of the following ways:

Submit an inquiry through the EEOC’s public portal at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov/Portal/Login.aspx

Call     1–800–669–4000 (toll free)
           1–800–669–6820 (TTY) 
           1–844–234–5122 (ASL video phone)

Visit    an EEOC field office at http://www.eeoc.gov/field-office

E-Mail     info@eeoc.gov
Additional information about the EEOC, including information about filing a charge of discrimination, is available at www.eeoc.gov.