Urge City of Hattiesburg to Pass an NDO!
Mayor Toby Barker and Councilmembers Delgado, Brown, Ware, Carroll, and George
Hattiesburg is home to a diverse population of students, young professionals, working families, manufacturing companies, artists, small businesses, faith communities, immigrants, retirees, unhoused folks, and more. Our residents and workers deserve to be protected by the City that serves them - that’s why we’re joining forces with other community based organizations, businesses, and faith communities to ask that Mayor Toby Barker and the Hattiesburg City Council pass a Non Discrimination Ordinance.
About an NDO:
NDO stands for Non Discrimination Ordinance. It is an ordinance - or legislation passed on a municipal / City level - that creates a statute allowing Municipal Courts to hear cases of discrimination based on criteria outlined in the Ordinance.
The Ordinance can also detail filing fees for discrimination suits and penalties should a party be found guilty of discrimination.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Toby Barker and Councilmembers Delgado, Brown, Ware, Carroll, and George
From:
[Your Name]
We as citizens, workers, students, business owners, and lovers of Hattiesburg are concerned about the safety and protection of our friends and neighbors who live, work, seek services, and go to school in our City.
We want to see Hattiesburg continue to grow and experience new and exciting things, and we believe we will not be able to do this as a City and a community if we do not make it clear that we welcome and value everyone. An Ordinance addressing discrimination is an easy way to do that.
There are currently no statewide protections for discrimination, and we would like to change that for our area. As a premier city in MS, Hattiesburg should follow the 5 other cities - three of which smaller than ours - who have passed Non-Discrimination Ordinances and protect the underserved populations who contribute so much to our city. This Ordinance would protect everyone from the disabled to military veterans to Black communities and would help show businesses and families that our City is welcoming for all.
We demand that the Mayor and City Council take action and make passing a Non Discrimination Ordinance in Hattiesburg.