Kitsap County Council for Human Rights

Vision

Kitsap County shall be a caring, supportive, and safe community for everyone that values each individual, celebrates individual differences, and recognizes the importance of each person's contribution. 


Mission 

  > To advise county government and the Kitsap County community on issues related to discrimination, violence and harassment based on race or national origin, religion, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or economic status, and

  > To promote equitable treatment of all people and reduce prejudice through education, resource referrals, and advocacy.

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News & Announcements


Join the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights for a Reproductive Justice Forum: Navigating Reproductive Health in a Post-Roe America. This free event takes place 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 in the Eagle's Nest of the Kitsap County Fairgrounds, 1195 Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton. 

The forum will focus on a discussion of safe and comprehensive reproductive healthcare, featuring Wilder Kruzan of the Northwest Abortion Access Fund; reproductive healthcare champion Senator Emily Randall; Jewel Shepherd-Sampson, founder of the Kitsap Black Student Union and youth mentor; Annemarie Manskie, high school student journalist, photographer and active member of the Kitsap Black Student Union; Kitsap Public Health Officer Dr. Gib Morrow; and Linda Segur of the Kitsap Parent Child Assistance Program.

Panelists will discuss their work, advocacy, perspectives and experiences in Kitsap communities, and the audience will be invited to share their own stories. There will be opportunities to ask questions, find resources and get involved in supporting reproductive healthcare. Refreshments are provided.

Reproductive Justice is a movement launched in 1994 when a group of black women recognized that the needs of women of color and other marginalized women and trans people were being underrepresented in the women's rights movement. In 1997, a collective of  women of color formed SisterSong, an organization to support and uplift the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy and reproductive decision making; access healthcare; and nurture children in safe and sustainable communities. They built a network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems impacting the lives of marginalized communities.


More about forum participants:

Wilder Kruzan

Wilder Kruzan is a member of the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights and will moderate the event. She has taught childbirth education for parents and workshops for birth professionals since 2002. She experienced hundreds of births as a doula and served nearly three decades as a liaison between families and resources, providing a web of support and information. She connects with people from all backgrounds and locally has worked with organizations including the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center, Kitsap Strong, and Kitsap HOPE Circle.

Senator Emily Randall

Washington State Senator Emily Randall represents the 26th Legislative District. Born and raised on the Kitsap Peninsula, she is a longtime community organizer and advocate for expanding education opportunities and access to affordable healthcare for women, children and LGBTQ people. In 2019, she sponsored and helped pass the Reproductive Health Care for All bill prohibiting health care discrimination on the basis of immigration status or gender identity. She continues to champion the protection of reproductive health care services and make our health care system more equitable and affirming.

Jewel Shepherd-Sampson

Jewel Shepherd-Sampson, a native resident of Bremerton, is the founder and executive director of of Kitsap Black Student Union, a nonprofit organization that works with BIPOC students in Kitsap County,. Her activism began as a child under tutelage of the late Bishop Lawrence Robertson. As a young student at Marcus Whitman Junior High, she founded the Black Youth Organization under Blacks in Government and the Bridge Builders Multicultural Club. She continued to strive for excellence as a college student at Central Washington University, where she was inducted into the honor society. She now devotes her time locally as a mentor with Our Gems for the last seven years and volunteers with Kitsap Strong/Graduate Strong. She's very active in several other organizations including the Port Orchard Police Department Community Advisory Panel, Filipino-American Association of Kitsap County Board of Directors, the Puget Sound Regional Council Equity Board, Port Orchard Equity Club and Kitsap Community Resources Board. 

Annemarie Manskie

Annemarie Manskie is a sophomore at Central Kitsap High School. She enjoys writing and is a student journalist for the Cougar Chronicle, the student news site for the school. Annemarie won an honorary award at the Washington Journalism Education Association in Photojournalism for 2024. Annemarie has been an active member of Kitsap Black Student Union (KBSU) for over a year. She has been recognized as a culturally active student in school and community, and KBSU has provided a platform to amplify her voice even more. She believes that joining KBSU has been transformative and allowed her to tap into her leadership and advocacy calling. Everyone doesn't find their purpose so young, but Annemarie has found hers. Through collective voice, cultural awareness, celebration of culture, and skill building, she has found a sense of belonging, empowerment, and resilience within the community.

Dr. Gib Morrow

Dr. Gib Morrow is a physician, husband, father, and health officer for the Kitsap Public Health District. He considers reproductive freedom a fundamental human right. In 2021, Kitsap Public Health adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis and committed to taking meaningful actions to address institutionalized and systemic racism. The district focuses on equitable outcomes for all persons and compiles, analyzes and shares data on health disparities to identify and communicate about barriers people face through systemic discrimination, poverty and homelessness.

Linda Segur

Linda Segur, a strong proponent to ensure all women's voices matter, has served almost eight years as the clinical supervisor of the Kitsap Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP),a University of Washington evaluated case management program. Since 1991, she has provided advocacy and support, including assistance accessing family planning methods, to pregnant and parenting women across Washington who are also dealing with substance use disorder. She has worked with women and their families at Kitsap Mental Health, providing co-occurring substance-use disorder and mental health counseling. She was also a family services coordinator for the Head Start/Early Head Start and a parent educator for the Kitsap Drug Court program. She is an active member of the Kitsap Strong Speaker's Bureau and recently completed trained as a Science of Hope Navigator. 

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Applications are open to serve on the Council for Human Rights. We're adding two NEW youth positions. Details and the online application are at kcowa.us/advisorygroups.

Sign up to receive Council updates and information through the county's electronic notification system.


Linda Gabriel Human Rights Awards

The 2023 recipients of the Linda Gabriel Human Rights Awards were announced! Read the press release with details! Congratulations to everyone and thank you for the vital work you do in our communities!

The Linda Gabriel Human Rights Awards recognize people in our communities who have made significant contributions and are committed to advancing and promoting human rights for all. The awards are named in honor of Linda Gabriel, a founder of the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights, who passed away in 2014. 

For a complete list of past recipients, please click here.


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Past Statements & Open Letters

Kitsap County Conference for Human Rights

The Council for Human Rights organized an annual Kitsap County Conference for Human Rights each December for 32 consecutive years through 2022 to coincide with International Human Rights Day, which is observed every year on December 10 — the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The conference will not be held in 2024 as the council is focusing on expanding its outreach into the community by participating in other events, hosting spring and fall forums, attending community meetings, and supporting individuals and organizations in responding to racism and hate crime incidents and advocating for equity and inclusion. 

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Council for Human Rights Meetings

**The May 21, 2024 regular meeting will be held remotely only via Zoom, due to scheduling issues with the venue. The link to join is posted below and on the meeting agenda. **

The Council for Human Rights regularly meets the third Tuesday of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Eagle's Nest at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. A virtual option is also available to the public via Zoom. 
Click here to join the Zoom meetingTo join by phone, dial 253-215-8782 and enter the meeting ID number: 860 3956 6803

Public Comments

For members of the public wishing to comment during designated public comment, the following options are available. Each member of the public is limited to two minutes of Internet, call-in, or written comments. At the discretion of the meeting Chair, public comment that is overly repetitive or inappropriate (vulgar, disruptive, etc.) will be ended. 

Internet Users
Please click on the raise hand feature. The sound will be unmuted, and the Internet participant should announce her or his name.  The participant will be called upon to speak at the appropriate time.

Call-In Users
Callers will be unmuted one at a time and asked whether the caller wishes to offer public comment.  The last four digits of the call-in number will be announced, and call-in participants should announce their First and Last name before speaking.

Written Comments
Written comments will be read during the public comment period if submitted to rpirtle@kitsap.gov by 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments read are limited to two minutes. To ensure written public comments are read at the proper meeting, written statement should include: the date of the meeting the written comments are intended for; participant's First and Last Name and whether they live in Kitsap County; and agenda Item and/or subject the written comments refer to.


​2024 Work Plan

Council for Human Rights 2024 Work Plan

​2024 Agendas / Minutes

​January 21 (Annual Retreat)
​February 20
​March 19
April 16 - Virtual only

​2023 Agendas / Minutes 

​January 14 (Annual Retreat)
​February 21
​March 7 - Special Meeting
​March 21
April 18
May 16
​June 18
​July 18
August 15
September 19
​October 4 - Special meeting
October 17
​November 14 - Special meeting - Link to join via Zoom included on the Agenda
​December - No meeting - Council will be attending the County Commissioners' business meeting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 11 to present the Linda Gabriel Awards.

​Members

​Representative

​Position

​Term Ending

Melisa Wight
District 1
12/31/26
Barbara Dennis
​District 112/31/26
Jeffrey Hora
​District 1
12/31/26
VACANT
​District 1

Wilder Kruzan
​District 2
12/31/26
Rochelle Karlsen
​District 2
12/31/25
Jim Manlove
​District 2
12/31/25
Erika Anderson
​District 2
12/31/26
Cris Amburgey
​District 3
​12/31/24
Shannae Peters
​District 3
12/31/26
Elizabeth Holmes
​District 3
12/31/24
Kirsten Dahlquist
District 3
12/31/25
Augustine Lujan
​At-Large
12/31/25
Nicola D'Anella
​At-Large
​12/31/26
Morgan Pasquier
​At-Large
12/31/26
​**NEW**
​Youth Position 
​One-Year Term
​**NEW**
​Youth Position
​One-Year Term

Resources

Submit information about issues concerning discrimination, violence and harassment

The Kitsap County Council for Human Rights created a form for the public to inform us about issues concerning discrimination, violence and harassment.

The Council for Human Rights is not an investigative body and has no authority to initiate any specific interventions into issues reported to the Council. 

However, information submitted can serve to improve the Council's community outreach, education, promotion of diversity, inclusion, equity and efforts to eliminate racist, sexist and religious bigotry. This helps us collect data regarding incidents in Kitsap County and further our mission to advise and educate our community. 

SUBMIT INFORMATION HERE


Reporting Incidents & Complaints

Discrimination Complaints

The Kitsap County Council for Human Rights principal role is educational. It has no authority to investigate and make findings in a discrimination case. 

Hate Crimes & Bias Incidents

How to report a hate crime.

Learn how the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office responds to Hate Crimes.

10 Ways to Fight Hate from the Poverty Law Center

Rental Complaints

To file a complaint related to housing, including rentals, contact the Fair Housing Center of Washington at https://www.hum.wa.gov/fair-housing

Healthcare Agencies & Facilities Complaints

Contact the Washington Department of Health at its facility complaint website

Sexual Exploitation or Trafficking

Survivor Support Hotline & Services including crisis support, education, tools and resources at 360-362-5143 or help@scarletroad.org .
Drop-in support center (Bremerton)

Kitsap County Timeline of Human Rights

Compiled by the Kitsap County
Council for Human Rights

Updated November 2022

Click here to view and download.

(Email suggested edits and additions here.)


International Human Rights

Contact the United Nations Human Rights Council at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/Home.aspx.


Educational Tools to Explore Racial, Gender and Other Bias






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CONTACT US

For more information, contact Rebecca Pirtle at rpirtle@kitsap.gov


SIGN UP TO RECEIVE COUNCIL NEWS

Stay up to date on the conference and other events and opportunities with the Council for Human Rights. Sign up to receive electronic notifications here

(Be sure to check the box for Council for Human Rights News and Events under the Board of County Commissioners topics.)



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