Veronica Laizure » 2017 Awards

Biographical Info

Veronica Laizure is defining what it means to protect the human rights of one of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable communities: the Oklahoma Muslim Community.  Although not Muslim herself, Veronica has long had a passion for civil and human rights and that has shown through her compassionate and dedicated defense of the Muslim community.  She had protected and defended the rights of the Oklahoma Muslim Community through her establishment of CAIR, Council on American Islamic Relations, Oklahoma’s 1^st ever civil rights department.  Veronica has helped hundreds of Oklahomans that have faced discrimination or rights violations in our state over the course of her 3 years with CAIR Oklahoma.

In addition to the above, her commentary on the state of civil rights in Oklahoma has been published in dozens of local media outlets, and she has been asked to speak at a variety of organizations, including the Oklahoma Department of Education, the John Hope Franklin Symposium, the Arkansas Fair housing Commission and many interfaith programs.  She is proud to serve the Muslim community of Oklahoma and to build bridges of tolerance, justice and mutual understanding in the state that she calls home.