Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission Violates Public Trust With Overt Political Bias

The Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission (MNHRC) has established relationships with politically progressive organizations including the American Constitution Society (ACS) whose mission and projects target political conservatives and conservative policies despite the MNHRC alleged commitment to equality:

The mission of the Metro Human Relations Commission is to protect and promote the personal dignity, peace, safety, security, health, and general welfare of all people in Nashville and Davidson County. The Commission’s work is organized around a theme of ‘One City for All People.’  This motto guides all MHRC education, training, advocacy, and compliance services.

The MNHRC has repeatedly confirmed its collaborative relationship with the ACS. A presentation to the Commission’s board members during their fall 2016 retreat lists ACS among the organizations with which the MNHRC interfaces.

During its February 2017 meeting, the MNHRC confirmed an on-going collaboration with the Advisory Board of the ACS whose membership includes Melody Fowler-Green, the MNHRC’s Executive Director.

The ACS works to “articulate a progressive vision of our Constitution and laws” as well as:

debunking conservative buzzwords such as ‘originalism’ and ‘strict construction’ that use neutral-sounding language but all too often lead to conservative policy outcomes. Using both traditional and new media to communicate with policymakers, judges, lawyers and the public at large, ACS presents a compelling vision of core constitutional values such as genuine equality, liberty, justice and the rule of law.”

ACS’ mission is accomplished in part, by building a national network of local lawyers and student chapters with the goal of “nurturing the next generation of progressive lawyers, judges, policy experts, legislators and academics.”

The ACS supports “Special Projects” which include trying to influence the work of state Attorneys General and the “Constitution in the Classroom” which sends ACS members to teach their version of the Constitution to primary and secondary school students.

Local ACS chapters are listed for Nashville and Knoxville are both listed as convening local along with student chapters at Vanderbilt and Belmont law schools in Nashville, UT College of Law and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in Knoxville and University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys law school in Memphis.

Prior to completing his last term as mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean appointed Fowler-Green as the Executive Director of the MNHRC, a position in which continues to serve.

Fowler-Green’s resume is full of progressive social justice credentials including providing legal services for the TN ACLU and clients of  Southern Migrant Legal Services.

Fowler-Green is also listed as an Advisory Council member of the “Our Muslim Neighbor” project of the Faith & Culture Center whose director, Daoud Abudiab co-founded the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) and recently finished a two year term as board president of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition.

After assuming the leadership of the MNHRC, Fowler-Green published an opinion piece opposing the state’s voter ID law and what she labels, “strategic redistricting” suggesting that both were instituted to disenfranchise black and minority voters.