Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The City of Redlands recognizes the importance of community engagement with Redlands’ stakeholders to ensure the City’s initiatives are properly communicated to them. Moreover, the City recognizes the importance stakeholders play in the development of these initiatives to ensure the City’s vision not only aligns with the vision of the community, but also where diversity, equity and inclusion are key considerations in the development of truly impactful initiatives. It is only through this collaboration that stakeholders can ensure the City is not only hearing the needs and wants of the community, but also that the City is implementing policies that promote the Redlands where its residents desire to live and work and are treated as equals.

Human Relations Commission

The Human Relations Commission was established to foster peaceful relations among persons of different races and national origins.  This commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council and to aid the City in achieving better human relations by providing assistance to all persons or groups in promoting good will and better relations among all people.

The Human Relations Commission meets on the second Monday of March, June, September, and December at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

DEI Training

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, City management staff participated in the first in a series of quarterly Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainings facilitated by Dr. Shindale Seale from Seade Coaching and Consulting.

The two-hour DEI 101 session explored the numerous accounts of exclusion throughout history and how these acts have impacted us today.  This was followed by the second training of the series on September 28, 2022, Unconscious Bias and the third training January 25, 2023, on Understanding and Mitigating Microaggressions.

The fourth and final session took place on April 19, 2023 (Creating Psychological Safety).

City Council Policies

The City Council has adopted proclamations and resolutions in support of diversity, equality, and inclusion in Redlands.

On February 3, 2026, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of February 2026 as Black History Month and encourages residents to fight racism, intolerance, and prejudice through education, compassion, and understanding.

Black History Month Proclamation 2026

On October 7, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of October 2025 as Hindu Heritage Month and encourages residents, educational institutions, and community organizations to observe the month through activities, events, and educational initiatives that promote understanding, cultural exchange, and respect for Hindu traditions and contributions.

Hindu Heritage Month Proclamation 2025

On September 2, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the period of September 15 through October 15, 2025 as Hispanic Heritage Month and encouraging residents to support activities that develop understanding and enjoyment of Hispanic heritage, culture, art, and music.

Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation 2025

On September 2, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing September 26, 2025 as California Native American Day and encouraging residents to learn more about the music, art, and food of the Native peoples in our region.

California Native American Day Proclamation 2025

On June 3, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing June 19, 2025 as Juneteenth and the many contributions made by valuable residents and community leaders past and present who are committed to preserving African-American history in the City of Redlands.

Juneteenth Proclamation 2025

On June 3, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation proclaiming June 2025 as Pride Month in recognition of the Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and the contributions made by members of the LGBTQ+ community to actively promote the principles of equality and liberty.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month Proclamation 2025

On May 6, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation proclaiming May 2025 as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City of Redlands and encourages residents, businesses, and institutions to learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, and work to combat racism and xenophobia as we celebrate this month.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Proclamation

On April 1, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing April 1, 2025 as Dolores Huerta Day in the City of Redlands and encourages all residents to create positive impacts in the community to better the lives of others.

2025 Dolores Huerta Day Proclamation

On April 1, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of April 2025 to be Autism Acceptance Month in the City of Redlands and invites all residents to celebrate the individuals with autism in our city who are so full of joy, love, and hope.

2025 Autism Acceptance Month Proclamation

On March 18, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing March 31, 2025 as Cesar E. Chavez Day in the City of Redlands and encourages all residents to promote service to the community in honor of Cesar E. Chavez’s life and work.

2025 Cesar E. Chavez Day Proclamation

On March 4, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of March 2025 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness month, and hereby encourages all residents, businesses, schools, government agencies, and public and private institutions to recognize the ability of individuals with developmental disabilities to make significant contributions to their communities.

2025 Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Proclamation

On March 4, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of March 2025 as Women’s History Month, and hereby encourages its residents to learn more about the rich and diverse history of women through available programs, reading, ceremonies, and educational activities.

2025 Women’s History Month Proclamation

On February 4, 2025, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of February 2025 as Black History Month, and hereby encourages its residents to fight racism, intolerance and prejudice through education, kindness, compassion, and understanding.

2025 Black History Month Proclamation

On February 6, 2024, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of February 2024 as Black History Month, and hereby encourages its residents to fight racism, intolerance and prejudice through education, kindness, compassion, and understanding.

2024 Black History Month Proclamation

On October 15, 2024, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing the month of October 2024, as Hindu Heritage month, and encourages residents to observe Hindu Heritage month through activities, events, and educational initiatives that promote understanding, cultural exchange, and respect for Hindu traditions and contributions.

 Hindu Heritage Month Proclamation 2024

On June 20, 2023, City Council signed a proclamation recognizing June 19, 2023, as Juneteenth and encourages all residents to reflect on and honor the significant contributions that Black Americans have made to our nation, and in addition encourages its residents to share their unique story by visiting:  https://www.akspl.org/news-events/redlands-community-history-initiative/.

Juneteenth 2023 Proclamation

On June 6, 2023, City Council signed a proclamation declaring the month of June 2023 as Pride Month in recognition of the Anniversary of Stonewall Uprising and the contributions made by members of the LGBTQ+ community to actively promote the principles of equality and liberty.

LGBTQ+Pride Month Proclamation 2023

On May 2, 2023 City Council signed a proclamation declaring May 2023 as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City of Redlands and encourages residents, businesses, and institutions to learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, and work to combat racism and xenophobia as we celebrate this month.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

On March 21, 2023 City Council signed a proclamation declaring March 31, 2023 as Cesar E. Chavez Day in the City of Redlands and encourages all residents to promote service to the community in honor of Cesar E. Chavez’s life and work.

Cesar Chavez Proclamation

On March 7th, 2023 City Council signed a proclamation declaring the month of March 2023 as Women’s History Month and encourages its residents to learn more about the rich and diverse history of women through available programs, reading, ceremonies, and educational activities.

Women’s History Month

On February 7, 2023 City Council signed a proclamation declaring the month of February 2023 as Black History Month, and encourages its residents to fight racism, intolerance and prejudice through education, kindness, compassion, and understanding.

Black History Month 2023

On February 7, 2023, City Council signed a proclamation, proclaiming February 18, 2023 as the celebration of  of Mahaparamashivaratri as a gesture of support for those persons in our community who observe and celebrate this occasion.

Mahaparamashivaratri 2023

On November 15, 2022, City Council signed a Proclamation proclaiming November 20, 2022, as “National Transgender Day of Remembrance.”  Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual event which began in 1998.  The city of Redlands honors the bravery and resilience of all transgender individuals who live, work or play in our city. 

National Transgender Day of Remembrance

On October 15, 2022, City Council signed a Proclamation proclaiming the period of September 15 through October 15, 2022, as Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Redlands.

Hispanic Heritage Month

When COVID-19 began, inflammatory rhetoric blaming Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) for the pandemic led to a national surge in hate crimes and incidents against this community. On April 6, 2021, the City Council took a stand against these acts by adopting a Proclamation  Condemning Violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Proclamation Condemning Violence Against Asian Americans

On March 15, 2022, City Council approved Resolution No. 8315 adopting the six-year Redlands Strategic Plan for FY 22-23 through FY 27-28.  The plan identified Equity and Inclusion as a priority.  The measurable outcomes listed were as follows:

  • Develop and implement a Communications Plan by December 31, 2022.
  • Method established to measure effectiveness of City’s communication methodology to provide baseline for improvement in future years.
  • 100% of City staff receive initial DEI training by December 31, 2023.
  • Comprehensive employee training plan developed.
  • Establish baseline metrics for current staffing demographics in comparison to community.
  • Identify gaps or areas of focus for future recruiting, hiring and training.
  • Develop plan to address the identified gaps.
  • Increased diversity of City workforce.   

Resolution 8315

On July 21, 2020 City Council adopted Resolution No. 8113  Affirming that Racism is a Public Health Crisis.  The issue of racism as a public health crisis came to the forefront following the global response to the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community and discussions with local community advocates.

The resolution states that racism results in disparities in family stability, health and mental wellness, education, employment, economic development, public safety, criminal justice, and housing.

Resolution 8113

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the A.K. Smiley Library is presenting the following:

Presentation by Dr. Kathy Feely: “Securing the Vote: Women’s Suffrage in the IE and Across the Nation”

March 27, 2025, 4:00pm-5:00pm in the Assembly Room at A.K. Smiley Library
Dr. Feeley is a historian whose interdisciplinary teaching and research focuses upon media, gender, and popular and political culture in modern America. She is author of Mary Pickford: Hollywood and the New Woman (2016), which uses the life and times of early Hollywood’s most important female celebrity, entrepreneur, and philanthropist to explore the possibilities and problems of life an emerging American empire. Feeley is co-editor (with Jennifer Frost) of When Private Talk Goes Public: Gossip in American History (2014), an anthology that traces the meanings and functions of gossip across four centuries of American life, culture, and politics, from the New England witchcraft crisis to the antebellum black press to the post-World War II Cold War blacklist to the twenty-first-century vlogosphere. Her work has also appeared in American Studies, Jewish History and Culture, History Compass, and Reviews in American History. She serves on the board of trustees of the Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Shrine—a Civil War-era library, museum, and archive—at A.K. Smiley Library in Redlands and as a co-coordinator of the Los Angeles History and Metro Studies Group of the Huntington-USC Institute for California and the West.

New Exhibit at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine

Come see the Lincoln Memorial Shrine’s new exhibit, “That All Men are Created Equal: Slavery in America.” Featuring selections from the Shrine’s extensive collections, including its newly acquired “Slavery in America Collection,” the exhibit examines enslavement in the United States. The Lincoln Shrine is located at 125 W. Vine Street. The museum is open Tuesdays-Sundays, 1pm-5pm. Visit www.lincolnshrine.org for additional information.