KCTFHR to host summer luncheons
The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations will host two summer luncheons featuring authors, documentary producers, academicians and an attorney, who will revisit past human rights victories in the region and provide future forecasts.
Thursday, May 18, the program topic is “The KCTFHR story as shared in three books, two documentaries, a student’s master’s thesis, a student’s Ph.D. dissertation and several national and international journals.”
May 18 event presenters will include Marcia Franklin, a producer and host at Idaho Public TV, who will share thoughts from her award-winning documentary “The Color of Conscience,” which features the KCTFHR. Gonzaga University professor Dr. Kristine Hoover will discuss her book “Countering Hate,” (2020) which shares the KCTFHR travels to cities across America promoting human rights as a counter to hate activities. Dr. Kathy Canfield Davis, former University of Idaho professor, will provide summaries from her national and international journal articles about the KCTFHR’s successful strategies; and Jeff Crowe, owner of Bunkhouse Media, will explain his documentary titled “What Are Idaho’s True Values: This Is Who We Are” that was commissioned in 2022 by the KCTFHR and funded by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
The maximum capacity for the May luncheon will be 80 people.
Thursday, June 22, the program topic is “The Rise and Fall of the Aryan Nations: Are Extremist Groups on the Rise Again in the United States?”
The June 22 luncheon presenters will include longtime Idaho attorney Norman Gissel and for many years the KCTFHR’s attorney who became the family attorney for victims Victoria and Jason Keenan, who will tell the story of the Aryan Nations including the civil case that ended their activities in North Idaho. Gissel’s remarks will be followed by Rhodes Scholar and Washington State University political science professor Cornell Clayton placing today’s extremism in a historical perspective and explaining why he believes it is more or less dangerous than previous periods in American history. Clayton is the executive director of the WSU Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. During April and May, Clayton is a senior Fulbright Specialist at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, giving lectures and workshops on human rights.
The maximum capacity for the June luncheon will be 130 people.
Both lunches will be from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn, 506 W. Appleway Ave. The luncheons will include a buffet meal with a variety of meats, salads and vegetables.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by sending a check to KCTFHR, P.O. Box 2725, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816, or calling 208-765-3932.
The 24th annual KCTFHFR human rights banquet will be Saturday, Oct. 7.