There will be two community forums in Oak Ridge this week that will be led by the outreach director of an organization that is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society, a press release said.

The forums will feature speaker Lecia Brooks, outreach director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. They are scheduled at 2 p.m. Monday, May 7, at the Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road and 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 8, in the sanctuary of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The forums are free and open to the public. They are hosted by Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge.

Brooks leads the Southern Poverty Law Center’s outreach efforts on key initiatives and social justice issues, the press release said. She frequently gives presentations around the country to promote tolerance and diversity, the release said. She also serves as director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama, an interpretive center designed to provide its visitors with a deeper understanding of the civil rights movement. [Read more…]