Civil Rights And Federal Contractor Communities Unite In Celebration Of 50 Years Of Equality At Work

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 24, 1965, the Nation took a historic step towards equal employment opportunity when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed and issued Executive Order 11246 ("EO 11246"). On September 24, 2015, in commemoration of that historic day, The OFCCP Institute ("The Institute"), a national nonprofit employer association based in Washington, D.C., will host and celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this significant civil rights milestone with a black tie gala event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in our Nation's Capital.

Receiving widespread support from the civil rights community, corporate supporters include The Memorial Foundation, builders of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the National Civil Rights Museum. The OFCCP Institute has announced that 100% of the proceeds raised from the event will go towards the EO 11246 Equality at Work Scholarship Fund, benefitting high school students. The black tie reception and dinner will feature a "Who's Who" from the civil rights community among its keynote speakers, honorees, and event attendees. The event will also honor the federal contractor community's achievements in furthering the goal of equality in the American workplace.

Signed more than two years after the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and more than a year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the law of the land, EO 11246 charged the Secretary of Labor, a Cabinet-level official with strong enforcement authority, with the responsibility of ensuring equal opportunity for minorities in federal contractors' recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices. Until that time, such efforts had been in the hands of various Presidential committees. EO 11246 further reinforced the requirement that federal contractors not discriminate in employment, and that they take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion and national origin. Amended by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 to protect women from employment discrimination, and most recently by President Barack H. Obama in 2014 to protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, EO 11246 continues to lead America's success in achieving equal employment opportunities in the American workplace.

Said David S. Fortney, Co-chair, The Institute, "Executive Order 11246 paved the way for historically underrepresented groups to be given an equal chance to compete for jobs in the American workplace. For 50 years federal contractors have led successful efforts to eradicate unlawful workplace discrimination and to encourage all to seek employment opportunities. The OFCCP Institute is proud to honor these significant achievements that have benefited America."

Said Harry E. Johnson, President, The Memorial Foundation, "The 50th Anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 11246 is an historical event for the civil rights and federal contractor communities, ultimately creating a more equitable workplace in the United States. We join The OFCCP Institute and the civil rights community at large in commemorating this truly meaningful action with this much-deserved anniversary event later this year, and encourage others within the civil rights and federal contractor communities to join in the celebration."

About Executive Order 11246: Executive Order 11246 prohibits federal contractors and federally–assisted construction contractors and subcontractors, who do over $10,000 in Government business in one year from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. The Executive Order also requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that equal opportunity is provided in all aspects of their employment.

About The OFCCP Institute: The OFCCP Institute ("The Institute") is a national nonprofit employer association based in Washington, DC. The Institute trains and educates federal contractors in understanding and complying with their affirmative action and equal employment obligations. The Institute also addresses related human resource management strategies to assist employers in creating and maintaining diverse organizations free from workplace bias. The Institute is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

CONTACT:  Rosalie M. Hagel
Finn Partners
[email protected]
954.765-3636 / 954.258-5859 (cell)

Erika Kim
The OFCCP Institute
[email protected]
202.293.2220

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150421/200111LOGO 
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150421/200112LOGO

SOURCE The OFCCP Institute