Montgomery County Archives: Guide to the Records of the Human Relations Commission

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ARCHIVES

Guide to the Records of the

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION

1957-1996

Record Group 15: Boards and Commissions

May 5, 1999

Montgomery County Archives
The Red Brick Courthouse
29 Courthouse Square
Room G-09
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(301) 279-1218

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

On January 16, 1962, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) was established by Section 4 of Ordinance No. 4-120 to initiate, receive, and investigate complaints of discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin; to study and investigate conditions having an adverse impact on intergroup relations; to institute and conduct educational and other programs promoting equal rights and opportunities for all; and to recommend legislation to promote and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all persons. The Commission consisted of nine members appointed by the Montgomery County Council and was required to meet at least once a month. The County Manager or his designee served as Executive Director. A complaint charging a violation of the ordinance could be brought by the Commission itself or by affected individuals. The commission first attempted to resolve conflicts through conciliation and persuasion. At this stage, its proceedings were not made public, although it was permitted to publish the terms of any settlements it had brokered. Failure to resolve complaints led to public hearings and then to referral to the State or County Attorney.

By the 1970's, the Human Relations Commission had expanded to fifteen members and become the agency responsible for enforcing observance of the County's equal opportunity laws. Charged with determining which acts were discriminatory, the Human Relations Commission expanded its scope to include not only racial discrimination but also discrimination on the basis of gender, marital status, handicap, sexual orientation, age (for employment and real estate only), or the presence of children (in housing).

The Commission's workload was organized around six committees: Community Relations, Budget, Employment, Housing, Public Accommodations, and Justice. These sections discussed and identified issues; conducted studies; worked with other County agencies, individuals, and organizations; and recommended action to the full Commission and legislation to the County Council. The Employment, Housing, and Public Accommodations panels received staff investigative reports and recommendations and determined the final disposition of discrimination cases at the administrative level. If conciliation failed, the appropriate panel sat as a fact-finding body in a public hearing, decided whether the discrimination charge was valid, and, where appropriate, determined the proper redress.

Besides enforcing anti-discrimination laws in housing, commercial real estate, employment and public accommodations, the Commission now provides training and technical assistance in civil rights laws. It continues to address community conflict motivated by prejudice and intolerance and to promote increased understanding and acceptance for all of the County's diverse population.

PROCESSING PROCEDURES

General processing procedures consisted of discarding duplicates, unnecessary binders, and routine transmittals. Oversized documents and photographs were removed from the original location in their assigned series and placed in separate containers. Separation sheets were inserted in the original location within the folder to indicate the new location of any records placed elsewhere.

Preservation copying of newspaper clippings was performed whenever feasible. Records in folders were arranged, unless otherwise indicated, in forward chronological order, with undated records appearing at the end of the folder.

PROVENANCE

Not applicable.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records document the difficult and wrenching progress that transformed Montgomery County from a bastion of white segregation to an open, diverse community pledged to reject all discrimination based on race, gender, handicap, sexual orientation, or age. They comprise 3.5 cubic feet of material from the years 1957 to 1996, and primarily consist of the records of the Human Relations Commission and its various committees. They include memoranda; correspondence; official and unofficial complaints; testimony, statements and transcripts from public hearings; legal briefs; reports; minutes and agendas; clippings; brochures; notices and press releases; proposals and agreements; petitions; newsletters and other printed material, and telegrams.

The records are arranged in ten series:

Series I: Administration

Series II: County Attorney

Series III: Education/Community Relations

Series IV: Employment

Series V: Housing

Subseries I: Subject Files

Subseries II: Housing Committee

Series VI: Justice

Series VII: Public Accommodations

Series VIII: Annual Reports

Series IX: Newsletters

Series X: Printed Material.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I: Administration, 1967-1995 (0.5 cu.ft.)

These are the files of the Executive Secretary, and document the functioning of the Commission. They include correspondence, memoranda, reports, fact sheets, lists of members, minutes, appointments, testimony and transcripts, and concern such matters as the Commission's budget, proposed rules of procedure, and the lack of funding and guidance provided by the County Council and the County Executive.

The series is arranged in alphabetical order.

Series II: County Attorney, 1967-1976 (1 folder)

This series contains legal opinions as well as memoranda and correspondence. One of the topics covered concerns a proposal to restructure the Commission by separating its activities into panels charged with hearing complaints and investigating and making recommendations for their solution, while the Executive Secretary would conduct preliminary investigations and negotiations.

Series III: Education/Community Relations, 1968-1977 (0.3 cu.ft.)

This series contains the records of the Education and Community Relations Committees, which were merged together soon after their establishment. The new committee was assigned four responsibilities: community education, Commission education, HRC liaison with public schools, and community relations. Thus this committee was charged not only with educating the public about human relations problems and the role of the HRC, but also with bringing these problems to the attention of the Commission. To fulfill these mandates, the committee conducted briefing sessions for the commissioners, made advance information available on HRC meetings, devised information programs and brochures for the public, compiled a speakers bureau, and offered human relations training to interested groups. In September 1969 the Board of Education established its own Department of Human Relations to handle complaints and provide programs. After this, the committee acted primarily as an observer and advisor.

The records include reports, correspondence, memoranda, testimony and statements, minutes, agendas, clippings, brochures, and legal briefs, and document specific complaints and cases of perceived discrimination against Hispanics, blacks and Jews in such areas as tenants rights, neighborhood centers, vandalism, cross burnings, and literacy programs. They also contain status reports from the first years of the Montgomery County Board of Education's Department of Human Relations, minutes of the Committee on Minority Relations of Montgomery County Public Schools, accounts of incidents and procedures at the schools, and material relating to busing. The folder titled "Compliance Complaints" is restricted because it contains the names of students who were juveniles at the time of the complaint.

This series is arranged in alphabetical order by folder title.

Series IV: Employment, 1968-1977 (0.25 cu.ft.)

The Employment Committee was responsible for working to remove inequities in employment practices in the County; conducting studies and investigations of conditions to determine the extent to which discrimination existed in employment in the County; and working with interested citizens, civic groups, organizations, and the business community in carrying out these ends.

Since Montgomery County did not have a local law which prohibited discrimination in employment, the Commission lacked enforcement powers. Further, state and federal fair employment practices laws did not cover County agencies. However, the Commission by virtue of its enabling legislation was empowered to initiate or receive complaints alleging discrimination in employment for reasons of race, color, creed or national origin; investigate and seek conciliation of such complaints; and, if warranted, hold hearings. The Committee also reviewed Affirmative Action programs and provided advice to many county businesses.

The records of the committee contain correspondence, memoranda, brochures, press releases, reports, proposals and agreements relating to such subjects as a proposed Fair Employment Practices Bill, the establishment of an annual Equal Employment Opportunity award by the County, and the Youth Service program. The series also contains charts showing the breakdown of minority employment by county department.

This series is arranged alphabetically.

Series V: Housing, 1961-1985 (1.5 cu.ft.)

This series contains material relating to discrimination in housing in Montgomery County. It is arranged in two subseries: Subject Files, and Housing Committee. Each subseries is arranged in alphabetical order by folder title.

Subseries I: Subject Files, 1961-1977 (0.25 cu.ft.)

These files contain correspondence, statements, reports, agreements, memoranda, bills, newsletters, and a petition and deal with such topics as the practices of developers, real estate and apartment companies, and lending institutions; the Fair Housing Affirmative Action Plan; and a 1971 report on the status of women in Montgomery County. One folder, Compliance Complaints, is restricted due to privacy reasons.

Subseries II: Housing Committee, 1968-1985 (1.25 cu.ft.)

The Housing Committee was responsible for working to remove inequities in housing; helping to inform the general public, governmental agencies, and the real estate industry of their rights and responsibilities with respect to the intent and purposes of the County open housing law and related federal and state statutes; holding seminars; conducting studies and investigations of conditions which might assist in eliminating prejudice and discrimination in housing; and working with interested citizens, civic groups and organizations, and the business community in carrying out these goals.

The committee was hampered by a lack of funds and staff for investigation and a reluctance to offend business interests, and its role was confined primarily to conciliation and hearings, few of which reached the public stage. The records include testimony, correspondence, findings, memoranda, transcripts, and reports relating to some of these hearings. One folder, Compliance Complaints, is restricted because the complaintants requested anonymity.

Series VI: Justice, 1967-1976 (0.15 cu.ft.)

This committee monitored police/community relations and all other matters that did not come within the purview of other HRC committees, and also made recommendations to the County Council on specific laws. The records contain correspondence, memoranda, reports, statements, and transcripts of hearings. One folder, Compliance Complaints, is restricted due to privacy reasons.

The series is arranged alphabetically.

Series VII: Public Accommodations, 1957-1975 (0.4 cu.ft.)

This series contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, statements, telegrams, and a petition relating to discrimination perpetrated in Montgomery County facilities such as businesses, pools, and country clubs. It also includes the transcript of a 1961 public hearing on a proposed ordinance prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations, the statements of many County citizens, and transcripts of hearings on its proposed repeal. Two folders containing compliance complaints are restricted due to privacy reasons.

This series is arranged in alphabetical order.

Series VIII: Annual Reports, 1961-1981, 1990 (0.15 cu.ft.)

This series contains annual reports for several of the years between 1961 and 1981, and the report for 1990. The cover for the July 1973 to June 1974 report is mislabeled.

The folders are arranged in chronological order.

Series IX: Newsletters, 1984-1993 (1 folder)

This series contains three newsletters published by the Coordinating Committee on Hate/Violence of the HRC from 1984 to 1993. Initially entitled Newsletter, the name of the publication was later changed to the Network Newsletter for Neighbors and Teens Assisting Victims of Hate and Violence.

The newsletters are arranged in chronological order.

Series X: Printed Material, 1961-1990 (0.33 cu. ft)

This series contains printed material generated by the Human Relations Commission, including annual reports, and information booklets. Also included is a technical report of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which discusses the development of a framework based on an approach to racial and religious animosity developed in Montgomery County by the Human Relations Commission.

This series was not part of the original Human Relations Commission collection, but was culled from various accessions of printed material and added to the collection in January, 1999.

This series is arranged chronologically and alphabetically within each year.

BOX INVENTORY

Box 1

Series I: Administration

Correspondence, Memoranda, Reports, 1967-1977

Guidelines, Orientation, Procedure, Correspondence, Memoranda, Meeting Minutes, 1968-1976

Guidelines, Orientation, Procedure, HRC Self-Study, Public Hearings, 1972-1973

Guidelines, Orientation, Procedure, HRC Rules of Procedure, Public Hearing, 1975

Meeting Minutes, 1967-1976

Meeting Minutes, 1983-1986

Meeting Minutes, 1987-1992

Meeting Minutes, 1993-1995

Partnership Board on Victims of Hate/Violence, 1988-1994

Personnel - Appointments, 1970-1990

Quarterly Reports and Pamphlets, 1972-1978

Series II: County Attorney

Legal Opinions, 1967-1976

Series III: Education/Community Relations

Compliance Complaints, 1967-1970 (RESTRICTED)

Correspondence, Memoranda, Reports, 1971-1977

Montgomery County Public Schools, 1968-1976

Public Hearing: Alta Vista Elementary School et al. vs. Francis Gist, Exhibits and