A little history: the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1996, a few years after the founding members started doing work in the County to create an ongoing response to white supremacist activity and outright hate crimes, which culminated in a cross burning at a migrant worker housing complex outside Bellingham. Since the beginning, education and advocacy have been central to the mission of WHRTF. Early on, we founded the Whatcom Civil Rights Project and maintained a call-line to connect people with help and resources without involving law enforcement. In 1999, we organized and hosted the first Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference.
By the mid 2000s much of the advocacy work had been taken on by other groups such as LAW Advocates and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, and for many years our main focus was on the annual conference and other community events such as International Human Rights Day (December 10th). Community involvement tapered off, and as so often happens, all of the work was carried on by a small handful of passionate volunteers. During this time, we very nearly lost our 501(c)(3) status.
The aftermath of the 2016 elections brought a renewed sense of urgency. A group of people who had been active in WHRTF in the past got together to form a steering committee to re-establish WHRTF as an independent organization. By 2018, our nonprofit status was fully restored.
2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference. In response to the pandemic, we moved the entire conference online in 2021 and simultaneously diversified the format by adding a poetry night and a separate opening ceremony and keynote featuring local artists and social justice creatives. Through it all, participation in the conference, long recognized as one of the most significant human rights gatherings in our region, continued to grow. The effort took its toll on the small group of volunteers who made it all happen year after year, and so we made the collective decision to step down. If the conference is to continue, we believe it must become a collaborative effort guided by the goals and priorities of a broad-based cross-section of the community.
Moving forward, WHRTF can serve a larger purpose by amplifying a new generation of voices that bring the necessary energy and perspectives to the fight against settler colonialism and white supremacy culture. At present, WHRTF provides fiscal sponsorship for the Bellingham Unity Committee, Birchwood Food Desert Fighters, and Whatcom Coalition for Anti-Racist Education. Each of these community groups are led by engaged and experienced individuals who are well-positioned to respond to emerging needs. We continue to operate with a small handful of volunteers so we do not have the capacity to provide sponsorship to any additional groups at this time.
As we witness continued violence against the most vulnerable in our community along with the prioritization of wealth over human beings and an unwillingness to name and dismantle systems of oppression and white supremacy culture, it is imperative to uplift the work being done by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, poor people, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S, immigrants, farmworkers, and other community members who are most impacted by the institutions currently in place.
We must go deeper to see the structures and systems that govern our lives for what they truly are: means of upholding and protecting the interests of those who have control of wealth, property, and power. By intent and design, the places of power remain overwhelmingly white (male)-dominated institutions. Undeniably, they were created by and for the benefit of privileged, white able-bodied men. Asserting otherwise betrays a willful ignorance of the history of this country and of this place we call Whatcom County.
We extend our deepest respect and gratitude to those who came before us and to those who will lead us forward.