Dr Parveen Chopra, a well known American Civil and Human Rights leader, is the First Asian American in the United States to be honored with this prestigious Liberty Bell Award which was conferred upon him by Supreme Court justice Hon. Ira Warshawsky, Chair of the Law Day 2010 Committee and Hon. Judge Susan Katz Richman on April 29th, 2010 in Nassau County. The Liberty Bell Award honors an individual or organization whose community service advances and strengthens the American system of freedom under law, specifically: promoting better understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; encouraging greater respect for law and the courts; stimulating a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights; contributing to the effective functioning of institutions of government; and for fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law.

Dr Chopra was the first Indian American on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States who was appointed as Commissioner of Human Rights in 1988 which he served with dynamic leadership for over 20 years including Vice Chairman from 1996 onward and Acting Chair from 2004 to 2008 enforcing the laws and mitigating effects of discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, color, creed, marital status, national origin, disability and arrest and conviction in the matters of employment, housing and public conveniences.

He led the Human Rights Commission to prepare rules of procedure for discrimination cases in housing matters to be followed by the judges and also lead the team to interview and select Housing Court Judges. Dr Chopra also had the rare distinction of working as Commissioner of Planning simultaneously from 1996 to 2002 improving the quality of life of 1.3 million Americans on the issues covering land use, zoning, density, environment, transportation, population dynamics, urban planning and economy in open hearings to public.

Dr. Chopra successfully organized the Jackson Heights Merchants Association as well as Flushing Merchants Association to work with the Police Department, Queens Borough President and New York City Mayor to reduce the crime and improve the neighborhood conditions in Queens, New York.

On Long Island, Dr. Chopra worked with the Spanish Community on the English Plus campaign successfully to retain English as a Second Language in schools and thwarted attempts to pass such a bill in the Congress. He has also worked with African American community on civil rights and helped the Indian community to develop understanding and relationships with the African American Community by helping to raise funds for scholarships for poor and needy students to go to college under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Committee of which he is the Executive Board Member.

Dr. Parveen Chopra has also worked, in the Nassau chapter, since 2006, as a Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union which protects and defends the civil rights of people in America. He is also the Founder/President of Asian American Coalition USA Inc.since 1988, which includes leaders and groups of fourteen Asian countries. He also founded the Asian American Coalition USA Hall of Fame which honors outstanding Americans for their significant contributions to improve the American public life.

Hon. Supreme Court Justice Ira Warshawsky said, “It is evident that your dedication to community service and championing of civil rights for so many groups make you the kind of person for whom such an award is intended.”