3-24-25 What is the Commission on Human Relations?

Speaker: Rachel Shepherd

The City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations is the top investigative body for Civil Rights for the City of Pittsburgh. Our mission is to enforce local, state and federal antidiscrimination laws. Our jurisdiction extends to areas of Employment, Housing, and Public Access and Accommodation. We also work toward outreach and public education. Tonight we will be giving a brief history of our organization, along with an overview of our current work especially as it pertains to the disability community. We also want to hear from participants what issues we can help with.

Join us for our upcoming Community Lecture Night! This will be a hybrid event, so people may attend either in person or online. Please register for the event whether you plan on attending in person or online so we can notify you of any change. All registered attendees will receive the zoom link regardless. Walk-ins are still welcome. Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9ZgRoPMmQXWkDDKypjWcHg

  • When: Monday, March 24th from 6:00-7:30 PM
  • Where: East Liberty Carnegie Library located at 130 S. Whitfield St., 15206 AND online via Zoom AND streaming on YouTube
  • Parking: on-street (pay until 6pm) or in the lot behind the building (pay until 10pm)
  • Public Transit: Nearby buses include the 71B, 71C, 74, 77, 82, 86, 88, and 89
  • Building Accessibility:
    • Meeting is on the 2nd floor; there is an elevator inside the building, accessible from either the front or back entrance, and the meeting room is immediately across from the elevator.
    • Restrooms on the 2nd floor are accessible.
  • Meeting Accessibility:
    • There will be sign language interpreters at all lectures available in-person and on zoom, and closed captioning available at least on Zoom. A limited number of wired headphone connections to the sound system will be available for personal sound amplification. You may use our headphones or bring your own. First come first served. Chat will be disabled on Zoom during the lecture to better serve people using screen readers. Participants will still be able to message the hosts.
    • When it comes time for the Q&A, people may ask in person, by asking in the chat so the host can read it out loud, or by raising their hand on Zoom so the host can call on them to ask by voice or by ASL.
    • For more information, check out our Technical Info page.
  • Masking / Air Quality:
    • For the safety of immunocompromised and vulnerable community members masks with a minimum rating of KF94 or KN95 will be required for all in-person attendees. (Speakers and interpreters may be unmasked, but will be required to take a COVID test on the morning of the event.) If you are unable or do not wish to wear a mask you should attend via Zoom. 

If anyone has any other access needs please contact accessmobpittsburgh@gmail.com as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, March 19th.

Speaker Biography:

Rachel Shepherd (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations (PghCHR), the City’s civil rights enforcement agency. Rachel is a third-generation City of Pittsburgh employee committed to serving the community. Charged with enforcing the rights of marginalized community members, she strives to empower individuals to assert their rights under the law, dismantle discriminatory practices, and foster a more inclusive and equitable society. By leveraging partnerships and collaboration within the community, she envisions a future where every individual will be afforded dignity, respect, and equal opportunity. Rachel has a degree in Psychology, a background as a paralegal, and since 2016, has held multiple positions with the PghCHR.

Funding for this lecture comes from a grant from the Three Rivers Community Foundation.