New human rights task force advocates for, brings justice to vulnerable people

Dean Lynch discusses the new human rights task force.

As president of the new non-partisan, non-government, nonprofit Spokane County Human Rights Task Force, Dean Lynch helped launch on March 8 the organization to confront discrimination, bigotry, hate speech and other attacks on human beings and institutions.

“Hatred, spewed by individuals, groups or organizations, usually comes from an individual or a small number of people,” he said.  “The Southern Poverty Law Center reports eight hate groups in Washington and eight in Idaho.”

Dean listed recent acts of hate: the January 2011 backpack bomb planted on the Martin Luther King Day march route, the October 2014 painting of a swastika on an interior courtyard at Temple Beth Shalom, the July 2015 painting of “death to “Islam” on the Bosnia-Herzegovina Heritage Association of Spokane building where 40 people were at a Ramadan event, and the March 2016 desecration of the Sikh Temple of Spokane.

“In each instance, those whose religious institutions were defaced felt violated, victimized, hurt, scared and angry,” Dean said.  “Each incident violated the dignity and civil rights of people.  When one is attacked, it makes all of us feel less safe.”

He said one can respond with anger or as the Sikh community did by offering tea to the intruder.

“We can also respond by standing up for those victimized by prejudice, discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes,” he said.

Dean said plans for the task force arose several years ago in a conversation of Lisa Rosier, then chair of the City of Spokane Human Rights Commission, and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich. Believing a county human rights organization was needed, they consulted with Tony Stewart and others in the 35-year-old Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations; Raymond Reyes, vice president of diversity at Gonzaga; local elected officials and human rights advocates.

From those discussions, they formed a group that met for 18 months to develop the following goals and tasks for the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force (SCHRTF):

• It will monitor, document and oppose hate activity, hate crimes and incidents of malicious harassment. It will assist individuals and communities victimized by prejudice and bigotry.

• It will monitor and assist individuals or communities that experience discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or social and/or economic status.

• It will promote human rights education that advocates positive, accurate information and celebrates the acceptance of diversity and pluralism by people in the county. This includes reaching out to the public, as well as the educational community from kindergarten through higher education.

• It will partner with other human rights groups in the region to serve as allies in ongoing work and support people who face discrimination or hate activity.

The 23 board members are from a cross section of the community, human rights groups, the faith community, education, business, government; racial, ethnic and cultural diversity; gender and gender identity; disability, and sexual orientation.

The SCHRTF is an umbrella organization, networking with other human rights and civic groups. 

In addition to monthly meetings, there will be committees—legislative, legal, finance, community involvement, victim support and education—that involve more people.

He anticipates partnering with entities such as local universities, the Interfaith Council, the Human Rights Education Institute in Idaho and public schools.

The directors understand that each community includes diversity and no one can speak to all aspects, differences and unique qualities and issues of the community to which they belong.

“We are more than our labels.  We each are complex individuals, speaking only of our personal experiences, but we can speak to feelings of being hurt, to being victims, to injustice, to the outrage of individuals targeted.  We can speak out with love, compassion and empathy, with our presence and our resources,” said Dean.

Dean then shared some of the diverse components of his life, growing up on a farm in Quincy, graduating in 1974 in sociology at Washington State University, doing an internship with Lutheran Community Services, working at Expo 1974 and then hitchhiking nearly eight months in 17 nations from the Pacific to Europe, where he visited his paternal grandmother’s homeland, Denmark.

In Spokane, he has worked as a group home director, a licensed foster parent, in child protective services, in foster parent training, and as agency licensor.  His volunteering included Boy Scouts and teaching Sunday school at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Dean became involved in the Browne’s Addition Neighborhood Council shortly after moving there in 1982, and now he is on the Rockwood Neighborhood Council where he lives. 

After retiring in 1999, Dean became more involved in the larger community and politics.  He was appointed to fill a City Council term and helped the Human Rights Commission develop a nondiscrimination ordinance that included the LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) community.

He has also been involved with the Spokane AIDS Network, the Eastern Washington AIDS Resource Council and as a HIV/AIDS instructor with the Department of Social and Health Services.  He is also a member of the Spokane Transit Authority Citizens Advisory Committee.

Dean, who is from the LGBT community, shared about his life to exemplify how each board member brings perspectives beyond one constituency.

Others on the board include Yvonne Lopez-Morton of the Hispanic community; Hershel Zellman, the Jewish community; Raymond Reyes, the higher education community; Ben Cabildo, the Asian-American community; Sima Thorpe, the disability community; Happy Watkins, the faith community; Anna Cutler, the immigrant community; Admir Rasic the Muslim community; Jamie Sijohn, the Native American community, and Mark Richard, the business community.  The four members at large are Marilee Roloff of VOA, Regina Malveaux of the YWCA, Rob McCann of Catholic Charities and Lisa Rosier. They are still recruiting people for open seats.

“I don’t know if I am culturally competent, but I hope I’m culturally always sensitive and ready to learn,” said Dean, who has traveled globally as well as interacting with various ethnic groups in Spokane.

“My life’s purpose is to advocate for those less able to advocate for themselves and to bring justice for all,” he said.

For information, call 838-6743 or email flynch10@comcast.net.

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