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11. Human Rights and Relations
Chapter Highlights
This Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan describes
Edina’s goals and policies that have been developed
by the Human Rights and Relations Commission to
ensure that City departments, programs, officials
and staff are working to “Build a Human Rights City
with Race Equity For All.” Before outlining these
specific goals and policies, the chapter discusses the
important difference between achieving “equality”
and striving for “equity” in all aspects of City
governance.
This chapter:
• Describes the public policy of Edina to
secure for all residents freedom from
discrimination in all aspects of city life, and
the City’s establishment of the Human
Rights and Relations Commission to further
its public policy of nondiscrimination
• Discusses Edina’s commitment to reduce
discrimination, inequality and racism
through Resolution No. 2016-72 that
established the City as a “Human Rights
City”
• Describes the City’s participation in the
Government Alliance on Race and Equity
and explains the differences between the
concept of equality and the goal of
advancing race equity
• Discusses the current state of human rights
and relations in Edina
• Outlines areas of concern where work
needs to be done to achieve race equity, and to advance opportunities and ensure a welcoming
community for all
One of the aims of this chapter is to ensure that steps are taken to ensure that the City looks at its
departments, program, services, and practices through the lens of race equity and thus reinforces the
City’s status as a “Human Rights City.” Of particular concern is equity in the areas of: housing,
community services and facilities, parks and recreation, and environment. Goals discussed in this
chapter are focused on:
• Establishing a race equity plan,
• Ensuring equal access and opportunities for all residents,
• Ensuring that the City welcomes all members of the community to participate in its social,
employment, economic, political, and recreational activities,
Human Rights and Relations
Commission
Themes
The Edina Human Rights and Relations
Commission identified seven themes to
consider when developing policies.
1. Race equity
2. Gender justice
3. Social inclusion
4. Economic justice
5. Education
6. Environment
7. Police and justice system reforms
The Commission has identified the following
ten social capital/social well-being indicators to
consider when making policy decisions:
1. Race
2. Age
3. Ability
4. Sexual orientation
5. Gender identity
6. Ethnicity
7. Religion
8. Health
9. Poverty/socio-economic status
10. Education
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• Ensuring that the City supports and fosters economic equity and justice for all residents,
students and visitors, and
• Ensuring that economic harm should not be an intended or unintended consequence of City
programs, initiatives, or activities.
Introduction
The City of Edina has long been recognized as an exceptionally livable and desirable community.
Livability is best described by Bruce Appleyard in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the
Transportation Research Board (2014), as “an individual’s ability to readily access opportunities to
improve personal quality of life for living, working, playing, shopping, learning, worshipping, resting and
moving within [a] city, town, or neighborhood.” However, not all Edina residents, students and visitors
experience these opportunities in the same way, nor with the same degree of success.
It is the public policy of the City of Edina to secure for all residents of the City freedom from
discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression,
marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, familial status, or national origin in
connection with employment, housing and real property, public accommodations, public services, credit
and education [Edina City Ordinance 15.01]. In 1970, the City of Edina established the Human Rights
and Relations Commission (Commission) to promote and help implement its public policy of
nondiscrimination. The Commission is charged with the responsibility to advise the City Council on
matters relating to discrimination and human relations and to implement programs of education and
community action designed to advance public policy regarding human rights [Edina City Ordinance
1501.02]. The Commission advocates for human rights and needs in the community and promotes
responsibility and integrity in human relationships by providing service, information and
recommendations, cooperating with other communities and governmental organizations, and sponsoring
forums and community events.
In 2016, the City of Edina became a Human Rights City. This is a commitment to “reducing
discrimination, inequality, racism, and xenophobia in all aspects of civic life: housing, education, economic
opportunity, religious and cultural expression, access to public institutions and opportunities, and safety
and security” [City of Edina Resolution No. 2016-72 Establishing Edina, Minnesota as a Human Rights
City].
In 2017, Edina joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), which is a national network
of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. The work involves
using a race equity framework to create long-term sustainable results on race equity in all aspects of
government. Achieving race equity means that race will no longer predict a person’s success, while also
improving the outcomes for everyone.
This Comprehensive Plan chapter outlines goals and policies that will foster an inclusive and engaged
community, i.e., a welcoming community where every person can contribute, thrive, and enjoy the
benefits that the City of Edina has to offer.
The Commission recognizes in its work that there is a difference between equity and equality and that it
is critical that this difference is taken into account when addressing human rights and relations. Equality
implies that the same resources are provided for everyone regardless of background or circumstance.
Equity implies that everyone is given the resources needed to have an equal chance of succeeding, with
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those facing more obstacles to success receiving the resources needed to overcome them. This
concept is illustrated below on Figure 11.1.
The Commission’s recent activities have included
1) Advocacy for rights for domestic partners
2) Advocacy for gay marriage
3) Programming to promote inter-ethnic, inter-generational, and inter-religious understanding
4) Advocacy for affordable housing
5) Public recognition of those who advocate for and promote human rights
6) Advocacy to end all forms of discrimination against women
7) Community response to bias offenses
8) Participation in the City’s Race and Equity Initiative
9) Ex Officio involvement in the City’s participation in the Government Alliance on Race and Equity
(GARE)
Current Conditions
In 2015, the City of Edina formally adopted a Vision Statement that describes Edina as “a … preeminent
place for living, learning, raising families and doing business.” In order for Edina to live up to its adopted
vision and reputation for livability, discriminatory acts and inequities that might be experienced by
residents and visitors to Edina should be prevented. Moreover, efforts should be made to ensure that
when such acts occur, appropriate action will be taken. These efforts require an understanding of
current demographic and socio-economic information.
The Edina Community is made up of families and individuals of all ethnicities, but a majority of residents
are European Americans (85 percent). Additionally, 7.1 percent are Asian Americans, 2.2 percent are
African Americans, 2.1 percent are more than one race, 1.8 percent are other races, and 0.2 percent
are Native Americans. African-American families played a prominent role in settling Edina, but
European-American families became dominant during the 20th century. This was in part due to
restrictive covenants which prevented people of color from owning or leasing property in entire
neighborhoods. Parts of Edina were subject to these covenants, which have been outlawed since the
Shelly v. Kramer United States Supreme Court ruling of 1948.
Negative Race-Related Experiences in the City of Edina
Discrimination and inequities may be experienced by residents and visitors in an array of contexts. In
recognizing the unwelcoming dynamic experienced by some community members, including people of
color, the City began a race and equity initiative in 2017 to “identify and eliminate race-based disparities
in Edina city government facilities, services and institutions” [City Manager Scott Neal, in December 6,
2016 Staff Report to City Council on Establishing an Edina Race & Equity Task Force].
Figure 11.1: Food for Thought: Equality Vs Equity Vs Justice
Source: The InclusionSolution
Equality Equity Justice
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The initiative was led by a task force of Edina residents who oversaw the collection of data and the
development of recommendations for the City Council, with the objective “to determine what changes
could be made to ensure that Edina is a welcoming community for all people” [Race & Equity Initiative
Final Report & Recommendations, Version 2.0, Finalized June 26, 2018, (“Report”) Purpose and
Objectives, page 18].
As set forth in the Report, “[t]o understand the scope of race-based discrimination and feelings of being
unwelcome, data was collected from a range of Edina community members during the summer, fall, and
winter months of 2017.” The Report found that “20 themes consistently emerged surrounding
experiences, observations, and awareness of race-based discrimination” including the following.
• Parks: “Edina parks are places where community members have experienced racism primarily
through racial slurs and race-based vandalism.”
• Other Facilities: “There are observations and experiences of race-based harassment and race-
based violence at various city facilities….”
• Lack of Representation / Decision Making: “Many observe that there are few or no people of
color that represent the city of Edina in government leadership, nor in government-appointed
groups.”
• Hiring Practices and Procedures: “There is uneasiness and suspicion around how race plays a
role in government hiring practices.”
• Responsiveness to Race-Based Concerns: “Many feel the city responds poorly to reports of
race-based discrimination, or that the city does not respond at all.”
• Police Department: “There is significant concern about police conduct with people of color.”
• City Housing Programs: “Perceptions exist that city-based housing programs and policies are
contributing to the lack of people of color in Edina.”
• Other Services: “There is a perceived lack of inclusion in the process for how city services are
designated and delivered.”
Report, Community Findings, pages 25-30. See Report for more complete findings.
As Edina prepares for the next two decades, addressing these experiences will be essential to ensure
that Edina is a welcoming, inclusive, and engaged community.
Edina: A Community of Learning. Edina has a prized education system of high-
quality public schools. This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of
extending the benefits of education to the entire community by Increasing multi-generational
learning through expanded mentoring and tutoring opportunities that involve school-age children,
and their parents, senior citizens, local businesses and institutions, and health care facilities.
Collaborating with the Edina public schools, Edina’s Human Rights and Relations Commission
can play an important role in the community by engaging students and educating them on the
City’s programs and initiatives that address equality and equity for all. Opportunities exist for the
Human Rights Commission, in partnerships with the Arts and Culture and Heritage Preservation
Commissions, to expand residents’ understanding of equality and equity by recognizing and
honoring people of color and other marginalized groups who have contributed to Edina’s growth
and prosperity.
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Trends, Challenges, and Themes
To grasp the policy implications of current and future human rights and relations issues, it is essential to
know the demographic composition of Edina and how those demographics relate to income and other
factors. The Human Right and Relations Commission notes that national data collection is based on
categories that may not reflect the same demographic composition of our community; for example,
recent immigrants from African may or may not be included in a category, i.e., African American.
Trends
The population of Edina grew from 45,569 in 2009 to 49,976 in 2016. Population growth by race
between 1980 and 2016 can be seen in detail below in Table 11. 1. While the white population of Edina
has grown since 1980, the proportion of Edina that is white has decreased from 98.4 percent in 1980 to
86.5 percent in 2016. As Table 11.1 indicates, there has been a trend toward racial and ethnic diversity
in Edina. The largest increase in population share was the Asian American population, which grew from
nearly 1 percent in 1980 to 7 percent of the City’s population 2016, with 4 percent of that growth
occurring since 2000.
Table 11.1: Percent of Edina Population by Race, 1980-2016
1980 1990 2000 2010 2016
White or European American 98.4% 97.2% 94.3% 88.1% 86.5%
Black or African American 0.5% 0.7% 1.2% 3.0% 2.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2%
Asian American 0.8% 1.7% 3.0% 6.1% 7.1%
Other Race 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 0.7% 1.8%
2 or More Races n/a n/a 1.1% 1.8% 2.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5% 0.7% 1.1% 2.1% 3.0%
Source: US Census Bureau
Challenges
In the past ten years, median incomes of most racial and ethnic groups have broadly diverged.
American-Indian/Alaska-Native and African-American residents have seen significant reductions in
median household income throughout the past ten years: Native-American residents by roughly two-
thirds and African-American residents by about one-third. African-American residents have also had the
lowest median household incomes through nearly the entire 2008-2016 period. By contrast, the median
household incomes of European-American and Asian-American residents have steadily increased by
roughly one-quarter. Hispanic/Latino, Two or More Races, and Other Races have had fluctuating
median household incomes in the same period.
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Through participation in GARE and the City’s Race and Equity Initiative, the Commission recognizes that
the City’s policies and practices may currently work better for white people than for people of color
who live, work, or study in Edina, even though unintentionally and inadvertently. The impact of such
policies, combined with the recognized history of discriminatory practices such as Edina’s restrictive
covenants, creates a system that can negatively impact communities of color. Making race equity a
priority will help close the gap on race as a predictor of a person’s success. This will improve outcomes
relative to all social capital/social well-being indicators.
Goals and Policies
Goal 1: Establish Race Equity Plan
Eliminate any disparate impact of City policies and operations caused by race. Ensure city policies,
practices and programs are equitable for all community members. The five policies below are based on
the Edina Race and Equity Task Force’s five thematic recommendations.
Policy 1: The City will develop accountability measures to monitor, assess, and evaluate progress
toward race equity goals.
Policy 2: The City will build relationships with communities of color.
Policy 3: The City will gather and analyze data in a way that provides an understanding of the difference
in experiences of people of color.
Policy 4: The City will take steps to address inclusion in city staffing, communications, and
appointments.
Policy 5: The City will focus on eliminating policies that create and maintain inequities based on race.
Source: US Census Bureau
Figure 11.2: City of Edina Median Household Income by Year and Race
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Goal 2: Ensure equal access and opportunities for all residents regardless of their gender
or sexual orientation.
Policy 1: The City will ensure that all public policy decisions account for the differential impacts on
women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Policy 2: The City will use the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), passed in Edina in 2016, as a framework for improving the conditions of women
and girls in Edina.
Policy 3: The City will support efforts to ensure equal pay and fair employment practices for all people
regardless of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Policy 4: The City will promote preventive education about gender-based violence, sexual assault, and
sexual harassment in schools.
Goal 3: Ensure that the City welcomes all members of the community to participate in its
social, employment, economic, political, and recreational activities.
Policy 1: The City will create an intentional community engagement plan.
Policy 2: The City will continue to improve transparency and access to local government for all.
Policy 3: The City will ensure accessibility to city facilities, services, and programs for residents with
physical and other disabilities.
Goal 4: Ensure that the City supports and fosters economic equity and justice for all
residents. Economic harm should not be an intended or unintended consequence
of City programs, initiatives, or activities.
Policy 1: The City will support social and economic policies that make human rights a primary
objective.
Policy 2: The City will explore policies that support the development and success of minority-run and
minority-owned businesses.
Policy 3: The City will promote access to affordable and nutritional food for all residents.