Human Rights Video

Human Rights Topics on Video

Criminal Background Checks

Videos on the Criminal Background Checks workshop examined the consequences of employers' increased use of these checks, the current state of the law and where the law might be heading in the near future. The workshop was presented at the December 2012 Human Rights Symposium, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Financial Literacy and Predatory Lending

"On the Margins: People and Communities Locked Out of the American Dream" was produced as part of Financial Literacy Month in Minnesota (April 2013) and includes two separate half-hour episodes. (April 2013)

Moving Beyond Tolerance to Allophilia

Commissioner Kevin Lindsey's keynote speech, "Moving Beyond Tolerance to Allophilia" for the Governor's Commission on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration, Mon. Jan 21, 2013 at St. Paul Central High School. (January 2013)

School Bullying

In this 2012 Human Rights Symposium workshop on the prevention of school bullying, School Bullying Task Force members discussed the current state of the law, the testimony they received, the report, and why they believe the recommendations in the report need to be acted upon to reduce school bullying.

Your Right To Know Video Series

Weight Bias

Weight Bias: The Next Civil Rights Issue? Americans who are overweight face discrimination daily. They're not hired, they can be fired, or denied a raise or promotion, simply because they're considered "too fat." Yet such discrimination is often legal. Should that change? (November 2010)

Your Credit History

Your Credit History: What Should Employers Know? Should an employer be able to consider a person's credit history in making a hiring decision? Does a credit score say something about a job applicant's character, or are most people with bad credit in that situation through no fault of their own? (November 2010)

Domestic Violence, a Human Rights Issue

Domestic Violence, a Human Rights Issue. Should "victim of domestic violence" be a protected characteristic, like race or gender? Some argue that those who experience domestic violence are often victimized a second time, when rejected by an employer or landlord who is concerned about their past. (November 2010)

Human Rights Quick Tips

• Are you similarly situated?
• Don't wait to file
• Keep good records

Mistakes Employers Make

• Failure to put it in writing
• Improper medical questions
• Reprisal

From the MDHR Mailbag

• Can employers require "English only" policies?
• Can an employer ask about marriage plans?
• Can your employer require you to join a civic club?

Case Histories

• Born-Again Christian Harassed
• Discrimination at a Hair Salon
• Sexual Harassment in Housing

Civil Rights History Clips

One- to two-minute video clips about some of the people that have helped to shape Minnesota's human rights history.

Human Rights Videos at Your Local Library

The Right Focus On... is a public affairs program produced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in cooperation with Saint Paul Neighborhood Network. These programs are one half-hour to one-hour long and feature expert panelists speaking on important human rights issues of today.

A collection of DVDs featuring four programs in "The Right Focus on..." series — on Pregnancy and Discrimination, Age Discrimination, Sexual Harassment; Predatory Lending; Crime, Race and Justice; Equal Opportunity in the Restaurant Industry; and Mental Disability — has been provided by the Department of Human Rights to more than 400 libraries throughout Minnesota. Visit your local library to check out a copy. A list of the programs and publication dates are as follows:

• Pregnancy and Discrimination, July 2008
• Age Discrimination, May 2008
• Sexual Harassment, Feb. 2008
• Mental Disability, Oct. 2007
• Predatory Lending, May 2007
• Behind the Kitchen Door, March 2007