City Councilman Andrae McGary, Brother Ron Fender and Dr. Veliska Thomas presided as Truth Commissioners over the Chattanooga Truth Commission at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church downtown on Wednesday night.
Sponsored by Changers, the Truth Commission gives citizens a chance to testify regarding their alleged human rights violations. Last semester, students in the UTC Social Work Department conducted extensive research, documenting stories from homeless and poor Chattanoogans.
“My entire life is a human rights violation,’’ one man told a UTC student.
Officials of Changers said, "The United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created in 1948 as a response to the Holocaust. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the main authors of the UDHR, which is the foremost document in the world regarding a vision for how humans should treat one another.
"Human rights include the right to a living wage, adequate shelter, education, freedom from discrimination, free expression and twenty five other named rights."
The stories documented by students and told on Wednesday evening included testimony from an elderly woman living in substandard public housing, a single man living in the woods on a nearby mountain, working mothers who said they do not receive enough assistance to feed their children, and food stamp recipients who claim to receive expired and out of date food.
“When human rights are violated, where do these people turn?’’ asked Councilman McGary. “Where are the safety nets for these people?’’
Dr. Thomas praised the social work students, calling on them to continue to be “a voice for those who are disempowered. Reach out and stand with them.’’
Brother Fender, a Gregorian monk who works at the Community Kitchen, said the issue was a matter of faith.
“Christ promised us two things. The poor would always be with us. And he would always be with us,’’ said Brother Fender. “I think these are the same promise. They are one and the same thing.’’
Tonight, there will be a Poor People’s March beginning at 5 p.m. at Tatum Park near Riverside Drive. The public is invited to the march and the cookout to follow. For more information, visit www.chattanooogachanger.org