The Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) has released it’s ‘4-year strategic plan.’ Created in collaboration with the Tennessee Office of Customer Focused Government, the plan sets goals and outlines enforcement and education initiatives for the commission through fiscal year 2028 (FY28).

When discussing how the commission will utilize the plan, Executive Director Muriel Nolen said that it will help “guide our [THRC] actions and allow us to anticipate emerging challenges in order to adapt accordingly.” It is more important now than ever for the commission to operate at a high level and offer the citizens of Tennessee an avenue for civil rights enforcement.

The ‘4-year strategic plan’ is centered around four goals: enhancing case processing, modernizing THRC by leveraging technology, enriching THRC’s internal culture, and expanding awareness of the THRC and its mission. Nolen shared that the end goal of the plan would be to “provide a clear roadmap to more effectively and efficiently safeguard individuals from discrimination.”

The mission of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission is “safeguarding individuals from discrimination through education and enforcement.” THRC is the primary state agency responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in Tennessee for employment, housing, and public accommodations. These laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, disability (employment and housing), age (40 and over in employment), familial status (housing), and retaliation. The THRC also monitors Title VI compliance for the state of Tennessee. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, for any program receiving federal funds or financial assistance.

For more information on the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, call 800-251-3589; email <ask.thrc@tn.gov>, or visit the agency’s website at <www.tn.gov/humanrights>.