North Dakota Human Rights Coalition director to speak at Jamestown Arts Center

Dalton Erickson, the recently named executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, is scheduled to present in Jamestown on how local groups can coordinate human-rights advocacy, but local event listings conflict on the date. The Jamestown Sun lists the program at The Arts Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 and says the event is free and open to the public, while a community calendar entry lists an appearance on Feb. 19; the Stutsman County Human Rights Coalition is the listed host.

Erickson brings a background in grassroots organizing and labor leadership to the statewide role. The Jamestown Sun notes he served as UND United president, chaired the Red River Valley Democratic Socialists of America, worked on housing advocacy with the North Dakota Homeless Coalition, and has organized protests and lectures on housing rights, reproductive rights and LGBTQIA2S+ issues. In regional coverage, Erickson said, "Information is power." A 2024 profile quoted him saying, "To protect our individual rights, we need to do it collectively."

The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition describes itself as a statewide, member-based organization focused on educating, advocating and organizing around human-rights issues. Jamestown Sun and Grand Forks Herald reporting say Erickson aims to build connections between organizations across the state and give local groups practical tools to engage in advocacy.

Erickson and NDHRC have taken public positions on recent state policy debates. Legislative testimony posted on the Ndlegis site records Erickson urging lawmakers to vote "Do Not Pass" on HCR 3013 and to "be kind to your neighbors" in defending LGBTQ+ residents. The Ndlegis excerpt also recounts that the North Dakota House voted 52-40 on a related marriage-definition resolution and that more than 1,000 people signed a separate letter of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Jamestown’s program comes amid wider statewide conversations about the role and structure of local human-rights bodies. North Dakota Monitor coverage of Fargo noted the Fargo City Commission voted 3-2 to dissolve its Human Rights Commission in its current advisory role and gave the board two months to propose a restructured model. The Monitor quoted Erickson saying, "Engagement is key to building connections and empathy that can lead to stronger communities," and cited a standing-room-only county forum on homelessness as an example of local turnout.

The Arts Center is listed as the venue for the Jamestown presentation; Jamestown Sun provides the 7 p.m. time for Feb. 25 while the community calendar lists Feb. 19 with no time. The Stutsman County Human Rights Coalition is the stated host; event listings describe admission as free and open to the public. Local residents seeking to attend should note the two different dates on community postings as organizers finalize logistics, and the program is expected to cover NDHRC coalition-building strategies and recent advocacy efforts across North Dakota.