WiCo Human Rights Advisory Committee town hall on housing, environmental justice, immigrants’ rights

Salisbury, Md. – On Thursday, Wicomico County residents met at the First Baptist Church in Salisbury to listen in as community leaders and human rights advocacy groups presented ways they could work with their local government to solve key issues on housing, environmental justice and immigrants’ rights for a town hall hosted by the Wicomico County Human Rights Advisory Committee.

“The idea tonight is really to bring the community together, to start to talk about and to address human rights issues,” HRAC member Mikele Dahlen said, stating that while the committee is fairly new after having been established earlier this year, it is looking forward to engaging with residents. “We need to hear from the community, and we’re here to start that conversation.”

Community leaders from the local NAACP chapter and law firms also made presentations on what resources are available to renters dealing with negligent landlords, affordable housing access as well as environmental justice issues like PFAS contamination.

“One of the things on environmental justice is that, you know, where you live should not determine your health,” Ron Richardson said. Richardson is a senior attorney at Peter Angelos Law.

Another key issue discussed during the town hall was concern over racial profiling for Black and brown immigrants and the equitable treatment of former Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

“There’s a lot of people out there that frustrated, don’t know what to do day to day. There’s some afraid to come out their homes, and I feel for them,” HRAC Vice President Daniel Todd said. “It’s … dehumanizing for those who can’t even come outside to experience the American dream.”

Some residents said that forums like the one held by HRAC were places to start conversations that build community and lead to action, helping the most vulnerable in the county.

“I can say just we right now, we have to get up and vote. I mean, and we have to believe in ourselves that we can change things,” Salisbury resident Michael Hayward said.

The Wicomico County HRAC will host a “Chat and Chew” on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at Inspire One at 803 N. Salisbury Blvd, Suit 2400 and hosts monthly public meetings on the second Thursday on the third floor of the Wicomico County government building.