Achieving  Racial Equity and Inclusiveness in 2018
It's been 50 years since 1968, what Smithsonian Magazine calls "the year that shattered America." Certainly, several tragic events happened in 1968, including the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Still, there was cause for hope, with so many people speaking out for civil rights and other causes, the passage of the Fair Housing Act and increasing diversity in politics, entertainment and sports. Join us this summer for a discussion of what is still needed to truly achieve racial equity and inclusiveness, at the  National Conference on Local Governance .
 
President, National Civic League

Calling Our 500+ All-America Cities throughout the country to #ShareYourShield
We are sponsoring an All-America City #ShareYourShield Photo Contest to showcase all the ways in which cities have used the All-America City logo to recognize their award, with the winner receiving free registration for four people from your community to attend the 2018  National Conference on Local Governance  and the 2018 AAC Award Event.

Aurora, CO Mayor Hogan on The League's 124 Years of 
Service in Civic Engagement
The League traces its roots back to President Theodore Roosevelt, and Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. As we approach our 125th anniversary, more will be shared about our origins, our work, and our involvement in the future.  As the Mayor of Aurora, Colorado, I am honored to be the Chair of the Board of Directors in 2018.  

Hayward, CA Community Task Force Updates Anti-Discrimination Action Plan
The All-America City of Hayward, CA, has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusiveness and equity, adopting a "Commitment for an Inclusive, Equitable and Compassionate Community Action Plan." The plan is an update of the 1992 Hayward Anti-Discrimination Action Plan, and was adopted following months of work by a Community Task Force.

Partner Highlight: 
The Geos Institute's Free Guide to Climate Resilience 
While building climate resilience is a key goal of many small-medium sized communities, they often don't have the funding needed to hire a consultant to develop their climate resilience plans. To fill this need, the Geos Institute is launching the Climate Ready Communities program to help communities build climate resilience. The free, step-by-step guide to climate resilience planning leverages resident engagement to help communities move forward with confidence. 

Furthering Fair Housing: A Reckoning with Government-Sponsored Segregation 
"Segregation of our metropolitan regions by race and class is more than simply about where people live or work; it structures opportunity, defining and determining the resources, public and private, that shape our lives," Stephen Menendian wrote in the most recent edition of the National Civic Review. Menendian is assistant director and director of research at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley. This passage helps to illustrate the impact of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing...

Kerner Wisdom:
Race and Inequality
50 Years Later
By Carla J. Kimbrough.  On Friday morning, attorney Jack Regenbogen said he was "so overjoyed right now." He had just learned that 10 Denver City Council members had pooled money to start an eviction defense fund. The idea of having legal representation for people who cannot afford it is not new. Fifty years ago, the Kerner Commission identified grievances between African-American tenants and white landlords and merchants as one of the major conflicts that led to riots...

Upcoming Events & Additional Information

National Day of Racial Healing 
January 16, 2018 - Nationwide
The Kellogg Foundation established the National Day of Racial Healing in  January 2017 as an extension of its ongoing  Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) efforts. Through a wide range of events, discussions and activities, groups brought together by civic, community, government and private organizations will focus on healing the wounds created by conscious and unconscious bias (racial, ethnic and religious).

109th National Conference on Local Governance
June 22, 2018 in Denver, CO
The Conference will focus on inclusive civic engagement, innovation and collaboration as essential elements for making progress on complex issues like health equity, education and relations between community and police.

All-America City Awards Competition & Event
June 22-24, 2018 in Denver, CO
Since 1949, the National Civic League has recognized and celebrated the best in American civic innovation with the prestigious All-America City Award. The Award, bestowed yearly on 10 communities ( more than 500 in all) recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronger connections among residents, businesses and nonprofit and government leaders.

UC Berkeley Event: The Kerner Commission at 50 Conference
February 27 - March 1, 2018 at UC Berkeley (main); Johns Hopkins University (satellite)
Three-day conference exploring race, segregation, & inequality

               
Thank you to National Civic League Sustaining Member  Cities and Towns:

Asheboro, NC
Aurora, CO
Chula Vista, CA
Decatur, GA
Denver, CO
Dublin, CA
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Illinois Municipal League
Gladstone, MO
Hayward, CA
Lakewood, CO
Little Rock, AR
Norfolk, VA
Rancho Cordova, CA
Roanoke, VA
San Antonio, TX
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa Housing Authority
Tupelo, MS
Thank you to National Civic League Partner Organizations:

Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
CGI
Comcast
Delta Dental
Greenberg Traurig
ICMA-RC
International City / County Management Association
Kaiser Permanente
Kettering Foundation
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Southwest Airlines
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Walmart

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