LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At 9 a.m. on April 22, Arkansas State Representatives Vivian Flowers, Ken Ferguson and Charles Blake became the first state representatives in the country to publicly support a National Whistleblower's Appreciation Day, to be held on July 30. The Arkansas state representatives went public with their proclamation at a news conference that was part of a two-day Whistleblower Summit at the Clinton Presidential Library.
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In their proclamation, the lawmakers recognized the Founding Father's July 30, 1778 passage of America's first law to protect whistleblowers from retribution. The Arkansas lawmakers said "Whistleblowers risk their careers and reputations by reporting waste, fraud, and abuse to the proper authorities in order to promote accountability, integrity, honesty, fairness, and transparency." They added, "The commemoration of July 30 as national Whistleblower Day recognizes the first law protecting whistleblowers and it recognizes the importance of whistleblowers to our nation's transparency and accountability."
Summit organizer Michael McCray, a native Arkansan who moved to Washington, D.C. with the Clinton administration, said the proclamation was the opening salvo of a 50-state campaign to make the special day a reality. That effort will continue, he said, July 27-29 when The Whistleblower Summit® for Civil & Human Rights hosts its fifth annual event on Capitol Hill.
The Little Rock event opened with McCray and the Whistleblowers touring the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. They were accompanied by about two dozen middle school students from Northwest Arkansas. The group discussed the importance of the Civil Rights Movement. Attendees also talked about the importance of free speech, civics, and American History with 12 area high school students from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's College Mentoring Program. That occurred during a book signing at Little Rock's Pyramid Book Store.
The Whistleblower Summit also donated 100 meals to Potluck Food Rescue and other food pantries to feed the homeless in Little Rock.
For interviews or additional information, contact Michael McCray, 870-543-0024; Email.
SOURCE Michael McCray
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