The Matthew Shepard Foundation is Coming to Memphis for a Hate Crimes Summit

    MEMPHIS, TN, October 15, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Matthew Shepard Foundation is joining forces with other local and national civil rights groups for the Western Tennessee Hate Crimes Summit, taking place on Tuesday, October 23rd from 8:30am until 5:00pm at the National Civil Rights Museum.

The event is a training for law enforcement, first responders, community, and academic leaders, and students who are interested in the history and the future of hate crimes from a national and local perspective. The summit will review federal and state hate crime laws, share significant prosecutions, provide updates on the Department of Justice's and Tennessee's Civil Rights Cold Case Initiatives, and discuss hate crime reporting in Western Tennessee.

"We are thrilled to be taking our program to the National Civil Rights Museum. The venue makes the perfect backdrop for discussing the landscape of hate crimes in America right now," said Cynthia Deitle, former Special Agent and head of the FBI Civil Rights Unit. Deitle is the Foundation's newest hire and has jumped right into her new position as the Programs Director for the Foundation.

Judy and Dennis Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard-whose brutal and homophobic murder was the impetus for the Matthew Shepard Foundation as well as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act-will be giving the keynote. Other distinguished speakers include David Barkey of the Anti-Defamation League, Chief Deputy Floyd Bonner of the Shelby County Sheriffs Office, Supervisory Special Agent Tracey Branch from the Memphis Division of the FBI, Barbara Bosserman, Deputy Chief of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and others.

The event is free, open to the public, and you can sign up to attend here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/5329-west-tennesee-hate-crimes-summit.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation's longstanding mission is to erase hate by replacing it with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through local, regional and national outreach, we empower individuals to find their voice to create change and challenge communities to identify and address hate that lives within their schools, neighborhoods and homes.

For media inquiries, please contact Sara Grossman at [email protected] or call 303-830-7400 x10. For other inquiries, please contact Cynthia Deitle at [email protected].

# # #