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FY20 Work Plan
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The mission of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission is "To secure for all individuals within the City of Cedar Rapids freedom from discrimination because of age, color, creed, disability, familial status, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation."
To accomplish this, each fiscal year the Commission develops a work plan laying out its priorities and goals. By using the results of our SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), we determined our priorities and strategies for the upcoming year.
In 2020, our foci is threefold:
- Enforcement: Improve department infrastructure and address current community needs
- Outreach: Improve visibility and increase community partnerships
- Commissioner and Staff Development: Continue education and engagement of Commission members and staff
This work plan functions as a framework, which allows us to measure and assess our efforts and progress aimed at creating a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and preserves the personal dignity of all people.
You may find the detailed work plan
here.
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Visits from Mexican Consulate
and Senegal Minister
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Commission staff enjoyed attending recent visits from Mexican Consul, Gaudalupe Sanchez Salazar, and Senegal Minister (Counselor Chief of Economics), Mamadou Kane. Acting Executive Director Janet Abejo-Parker represented staff and provided opening remarks during the Mexican Consluate's visit on June 14, 2019. Salazar provided information on the Mexican Consulate's current programs, as well as current areas of focus and concerns. She is located in Omaha, Nebraska and covers the Iowa and Nebraska region. City Manager Jeff Pomeranz, Mayor Brad Hart, and several representatives from Young Parents Network, Alliant Energy, Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department were also in attendance.
Investigator Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven and Commissioner Esaie Toingar represented the Commission during the Senegal Minister's visit on June 24, 2019. Mayor Hart spoke of the positive contributions of Senegal's people in our community. A representative from the African American Museum, John Delaney's Presidential Campaign, and City Councilmember Dale Todd were present. Proclamations were presented during both events.
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Outreach Events: May - Mid-July 2019
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Commissioners and staff participated in several outreach events from May to mid-July 2019, including Farmer's Market Citizen Appreciation Day, Juneteenth, Pride in Action (Marion, Iowa), LGBTQ Forum, CR PrideFest and AsianFest. Check out the photos below!
Fred Brown (Marion Civil Rights Commission), Intake Specialist Alicia Abernathey,
Commissioner Salma Igram and Renae Forsyth-Christy (Marion Civil Rights Commission) at Juneteenth
Elisabeth Kissling, Kasperian Kittredge, Tricia Trunmaker and
Investigator Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven, panelists at the LGBTQ Forum
Commissioner Leland Freie and Acting Executive Director Janet
Abejo-Parker at CR PrideFest
Investigator Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven and Commissioner Linda Topinka at AsianFest
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Commissioners and staff will be present at the following events. Be sure to stop by our booth as you attend these great community events!
I Am Walk
Saturday, August 10th
8:30 AM
Prairie Park Fishery
Intercultural Festival
Saturday, August 24th
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuma Soccer Complex
Veteran's Stand Down
Friday, September 6th
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Veterans Memorial Stadium
Festival Latino
Sunday, September 16th
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
McGrath Amphitheatre
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Commission Accepts "Cedar Rapids Pride Day" Proclamation
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Cedar Rapids Mayor, Brad Hart, presented a "Cedar Rapids Pride Day" proclamation to CR PrideFest and the Commissionat PrideFest on July 6, 2019 designating July 6, 2019 as Cedar Rapids Pride Day.
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To obtain this information in accessible format, please contact the Civil Rights Commission at (319) 286-5036 or [email protected].
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Who We Are
Commission Staff:
Janet Abejo-Parker, Acting Executive Director / Senior Investigator Bernie Walther, Investigator Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven, Investigator Alicia Abernathey, Administrative Assistant / Intake Specialist
Commissioners:
Anthony Arrington (Vice Chair)
Leland Freie (Chair)
Salma Igram
Keith Rippy
Esaie Toingar
Linda Topinka
Ruth White
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Commission Meetings
Commission Meetings occur the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM, with the exception of the December meeting which takes place on the second Wednesday of the month.
Upcoming Meetings:
August 21, 2019
September 18, 2019
October 16, 2019
November 20, 2019
December 11, 2019
All meetings are held at the Veterans Memorial Building, 50 2nd Avenue Bridge, on the 4th floor. Agendas and minutes can be found on our website (
www.cedar-rapids.org/civilrights).
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Your Civil Rights
It is unlawful to discriminate in the areas of
Employment, Education, Public Accommodations, Credit, and Housing.
Complaints of unlawful discriminatory treatment must be based on a person's
Age, Color, Creed, Mental or Physical Disability, Familial Status, Gender Identity, Marital Status, National Origin, Race, Religion, Sex (gender), or Sexual Orientation. These categories are called protected class characteristics.
It is also unlawful to retaliate against a person because such person has lawfully opposed any discriminatory practice.
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