LANSING — This week, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) celebrated a landmark with its 50th anniversary milestone. The commission has been a prominent advocate since the 1960’s, when it defended the civil rights of African Americans, and comes full circle today in a post 9/11 era, with issues pertaining to the Arab and Muslim community. 

Established on January 1st, 1963, the MCRC is the only civil rights commission recognized in the state constitution. Today, it is one of the 18 state departments funded by the state. Originally, the mission statement of the MCRC was to protect three classes of people; Race, national origin and religion.

In the 1970s, the commission expanded after the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 required them to protect an extended number of classes that also includes gender, age and disability. Dan Kirchbaum, who was appointed as the director of the commission in July 2010 and had previously worked with Governor Jennifer Granholm as a chief operating officer, draws parallels between issues the commission had advocated for in the 1960s, and issues it tackles today.

Michigan, being one of 17 states with an international border, has to consistently deal with issues stemming out of border patrol. Kirchbaum acknowledges that some procedures may have become too aggressive in recent years at the Michigan-Windsor border.

“In Southwest Detroit and in Dearborn, they have become too proactive, picking up people and going into houses of worship, or into schools trying to look for documentations and those sort of things. I think probably at some point really soon, the civil rights department or the federal government may start looking into those kinds of things. The border patrol shouldn’t be doing that unless there is some sort of valid reason behind it,” Kirchbaum stated.

Kirchbaum says there has been a large focus in recent years on Arabs and Muslims who have been turning to the MCRC because they feel they are being discriminated against. He says recent trends have shown a large spike in discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in the last decade, but at the same time, discrimination against other minority groups are still occurring too. 

“Since 9/11, there has been more issues regarding speaking Arabic or looking Arab. We’ve paid attention to that. There’s a good reason to believe that whether or not they are being discriminated against, they feel like they are being discriminated against, because of pressures regarding proper identification and background checks. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean there isn’t discrimination against African Americans and Latinos anymore,” Kirchbaum says. 

Several local leaders from the Dearborn community have also had great involvement with the MCRC. Attorney Nabih Ayad, who is now the chairman of the Arab-American Civil Rights League, served on the Executive Board from 2009-2012, when he was appointed by Governor Granholm. 

Ayad says during his time with the MCRC, he tackled several issues pertaining to the Arab community in Dearborn, including the right for Muslim women to wear their hijab in the courtroom after an incident involving a Judge who had requested that a Muslim woman remove her headscarf when speaking in front of him. He also addressed issues regarding immigrants with drivers license and advocated for affirmative action in colleges. 

“I directed the focus on Arabs and Muslim groups because I thought I was a representative from the community. I was the only member from the community at the time and I helped bring these issues to the forefront in a very effective fashion,” Ayad said. 

But despite the involvement of local Arab leaders at one time, Imad Hamad, the Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee-Michigan, says the MCRC now lacks Arab involvement ever since Governor Rick Snyder came into office and appointed new people onto the Executive Board. Hamad,  who is a member of the Michigan Advisory on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission says the MCRC may have backpedaled when it comes to advocating for Muslims and Arabs.

 “I think their role right now pertaining to this community is average, and it merits a further push because our issues are tremendous and as residents of Michigan, the civil rights commission of the state carries the burden to address these affairs.  The community has proven to be a great asset in every governmental entity. Our participation was much more active and visible a few years ago and I see it as a great disservice to the state when we claim to be multi-cultural yet lack an Arab American presence in this area. It’s up to Governor Snyder and the commission to include more Arab American participants, so it can properly represent the make-up of this state,” Hamad said.

Perhaps the MCRC can address some of these issues this year. As part of its 50th anniversary, the commission will embark on a 50 city tour in the state. Stops will include both larger and smaller cities, including Dearborn, Ferndale, Sterling Heights, Troy and Pontiac.  The commission plans to hold both education and training seminars on how individuals can file complaints and what resources are available to them.

Kirchbaum says the best way for individuals to address discriminatory concerns is to visit their centers and speak to an intake agent. The commission has a center  in Detroit at the Cadillac Place, located at 3054 West Grand Boulevard, Suite 3-600.