FBI Birmingham
FBI Birmingham
(205) 326-6166
May 20, 2016

FBI Director James B. Comey to Speak at FBI and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute 2016 Conference on Law Enforcement and Civil Rights

FBI Director James B. Comey will be the special guest speaker on the final day of the 2016 annual conference on civil rights and law enforcement sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Birmingham Division and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI). The two-day conference “Race and Law Enforcement: It’s More Than Just Black and White” will take place on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at BCRI and on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church.

“The response to the conference has been overwhelming,” stated Priscilla Hancock Cooper, BCRI vice president of Institutional Programs. “In fact, the May 24 training session has been completely sold out,” she added. “However, there is still plenty of space available for people to register for the May 25 program that features FBI Director James Comey.”

The May 25 program starts at 8 a.m. at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church at 1530 6th Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama. Director Comey’s speech is open to the public. Registration is required at www.bcri.org.

“The FBI is proud to once again partner with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for a conference on law enforcement and civil rights,” said Roger Stanton, special agent in charge of the Birmingham FBI Field Office. “Communicating, with a special emphasis on listening, is critical in the ongoing discussion regarding race and criminal justice in America. This conference offers an important avenue towards bringing together law enforcement and the diverse communities we serve and protect.”

About James Comey

James Comey is the seventh director of the FBI. A Yonkers, New York native, Mr. Comey graduated from the College of William & Mary and the University of Chicago Law School. Following law school, Mr. Comey served as an assistant United States attorney for both the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Comey returned to New York to become the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. In 2003, he became the deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Mr. Comey left DOJ in 2005 to serve as general counsel and senior vice president at defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Five years later, he joined Bridgewater Associates, a Connecticut-based investment fund, as its general counsel. On September 4, 2013, he was sworn in as the seventh director of the FBI.

About the FBI

The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating all allegations regarding criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. These laws are designed to protect the civil rights of all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike within U.S. territory. The laws include: hate crimes; “color of law” violations (actions taken by a person acting under authority of local, state, or federal laws to willfully deprive someone of their rights secured under the Constitution); human trafficking (the illegal “business” of trafficking persons into forced labor and prostitution); and freedom of access to clinic entrances.

About BCRI

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is a cultural and educational research center that promotes a comprehensive understanding for the significance of civil rights developments in Birmingham. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017, BCRI reaches more than 150,000 individuals each year though programs and services.