In response to last Saturday’s tragic incident in Charlottesville, Virginia, the National League of Cities has called on cities to issue a statement or formal resolution affirming their commitment to values of equity, fairness, inclusion and justice.
NLC’s Racial Equity and Leadership team, in partnership with the Center for Social Inclusion and the Government Alliance for Race and Equity, developed this sample language that city leaders can use in these statements:
“We believe in and stand for values of inclusion, equity and justice. We condemn Islamophobia, racism, sexism and xenophobia in rhetoric or action.
We welcome all people and recognize the rights of individuals to live their lives with dignity, free of discrimination based on their faith, race, national origin or immigration status.
We will continue our work in making our services and programs accessible and open to all individuals.
We believe in the public sector for the public good. Advancing equity and inclusion is critical to the success of our communities and our nation.”