Dr. Joe Knippenberg, professor of politics, has been reappointed to another four-year term on the Georgia Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 as an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights informs the development of national civil rights policy and enhances enforcement of federal civil rights laws.

That mission is pursued by studying alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice. The Commission plays a vital role in advancing civil rights through objective and comprehensive investigation, research, and analysis on issues of fundamental concern to the federal government and the public.

The Commission maintains 51 State Advisory Committees (SACs), one for each state and the District of Columbia. Each is composed of citizen volunteers familiar with local and state civil rights issues. The members assist the Commission with its fact-finding, investigative, and information dissemination functions. The Commission seeks to ensure that advisory committees are broadly diverse and represent a variety of backgrounds, skills, experiences and perspectives to ensure vigorous debate and full exploration of the issues.