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South Carolina Civil Rights Committee

NRCS 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.

Civil Rights and EEO 

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we are recommitting ourselves to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all. It is USDA’s mission to actively advance racial justice and equity by rooting out systemic discrimination and inequities and strengthening our civil rights programs while building trust within the Department. 

No employee, former employee, or applicant for employment at the Department will be denied equal opportunity because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, retaliation, or any other non-merit based factor. This is not only the law, but an essential component of the Department’s mission. 

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) covers all personnel/employment programs, management practices and decisions, including recruitment, hiring, merit promotion, transfer, reassignments, training and career development, benefits, and separation. These civil rights principles are more than employees’ rights by law—they are core values at USDA. USDA strives to become a leader in EEO and a model employer. 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for any employer to deny anyone a job because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Title VII also prohibited discrimination in firing, promoting, training, salary, and all other privileges of employment.

Special Emphasis Programs
The objective of the Special Emphasis Program (SEP) is to take affirmative steps to identify and eliminate discriminatory practices and policies and to ensure that all employees and applicants for employment have an equal opportunity to compete fairly in all aspect of recruitment, hiring, training, career development, developmental details, promotions, and any other condition of employment. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service plays a key role in supporting the SEP by providing national level NRCS Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPMs) who coordinate SEP information within NRCS and serve as advisors to the FPAC Civil Rights Division on legislation, policies, employment, and program issues impacting SEP groups:

  • American Indian / Alaska Native Emphasis Program
  • Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Emphasis Program
  • Black / African American Emphasis Program
  • Individuals with Disabilities Emphasis Program
  • Federal Women's Program
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (+) Emphasis Program
  • Hispanic Emphasis Program
  • Veterans Emphasis Program

The Special Emphasis Programs are strengthened by two Executive Orders: Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government and Executive Order 13583, Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce. 

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