Monday, Alaska celebrated Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, honoring the civil rights leader who helped make the state a pioneer in fighting discrimination.
Each February 16, Alaskans remember Elizabeth Peratrovich, a proud member of the Tlingit Lukaax.ádi clan, whose tireless advocacy led to the passage of Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945.
Signed by Governor Ernest Gruening, the law became the first anti-discrimination law in the U.S. or its territories, nearly two decades before the federal Civil Rights Act and 14 years before Alaska achieved statehood…