A New Civil Rights Era for USDA
For decades, the United States Department of Agriculture
has had an unfortunate and checkered history with regards
to civil rights. Since the day he was sworn in, Secretary
Vilsack has made civil rights a priority for the USDA, working
to turn the page on the Department’s tragic record.
He pledged that we would correct past errors, learn from mistakes,
and take definitive action to ensure that there is no disparity
in program benefits based on race, color, sex, age, sexual
orientation or disability.
In April 2009, Secretary Vilsack sent a memo to all USDA
employees calling for “a new era of civil rights”
for the Department. He made it clear that USDA would have
zero tolerance for any form of discrimination. And he directed
the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to
lead a comprehensive program to improve USDA’s record
on civil rights and move us into a new era as a model employer
and premier service provider.
To learn about the steps that Secretary Vilsack’s USDA
has taken on civil rights please click here: (HTML)
(PDF
60KB)
You can read the Secretary’s Civil Rights policy statement
here: (HTML) (PDF
684 KB).
Or read his April 2009 memorandum – A New Civil Rights
Era for USDA – which outlined a comprehensive approach
to ensure fair treatment of all employees and customers: (HTML)(PDF
184KB).
About the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights (ASCR)
ASCR provides overall leadership, coordination, and direction
for USDA's civil rights programs, including matters related
to program delivery, compliance and equal employment opportunity.
They ensure compliance with applicable federal civil rights
laws, and are a resource for customers or employees who wish
to file complaints of discrimination.
Last Modified:
09/16/2010
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