History of SHROC
Past Conferences
SHROC I - Sept 19-21, 1996, Oxford, Miss.
SHROC II - Dec 4-6, 1998, Jackson, Miss.
SHROC III - Dec 1-3, 2000, Atlanta, Ga.
SHROC IV - Dec 5-8, 2002, Miami, Fl.
Building a Human Rights Movement in the Deep South
The first Southern Human Rights Organizers’ Conference (SHROC I), held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford from September 19-21, 1996, was called at the initiation of veteran community organizer and civil rights attorney, Jaribu Hill, while working as a Skadden Public Interest Fellow. On May 17, 1996 at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi, Hill convened a meeting of representatives from more than 30 organizations. At this meeting, a Planning Committee was formed to organize SHROC I. SHROC I brought together more than 200 activists and organizers from the deep South and other parts of the United States.
One of the most important outcomes of SHROC I, was the formation of the Southern Human Rights Organizers’ Network (SHRON). From December 11-13, 1998 at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, SHRON convened SHROC II.
The Third Bi-annual Southern Human Rights Organizers’ Conference (SHROC III), held at Clark Atlanta University from December 1-3, 2000, was a Preparatory Conference for the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance (WCAR). WCAR was held August 31-September 7, 2001 in Durban, South Africa.
The Fourth Bi-Annual Southern Human Rights Organizers' Conference (SHROC IV) was held December 5-8, 2002 in Miami, Florida. More than 200 activists and organizers gathered for this historic event. SHROC IV was a powerful gathering. Speakers and panelists represented powerful human rights struggles. Conference participants listened to speakers and spoke during open-mike sessions. But more importantly, they took to the streets for a direct action that targeted three community struggles- Haitian refugees; African Americans at Scott Carver Homes in their fight against urban removal and gentrification and the Immokalee workers in their boycott against Taco Bell.
