Washington, D.C. – The National League of Cities has selected four municipalities for their innovative programs, promoting inclusivity and diversity as the winners of its 2022 Cultural Diversity Awards.
The awards celebrate programs that support the arts, community building, and the history of communities of color. Submissions for the awards program were grouped by size, and evaluated for creativity, impact on the community and scope of the program. The winning communities were selected from more than a dozen municipalities across the country that applied:
Winning Communities
Population of 500,001 and above
City of Mesa, Arizona: City of Mesa Día de los Muertos Festival
Population 200,001-500,000
City of Chandler, Arizona: Chandler Contigo at Galveston
Population 50,001-200,000
City of Rochester, Minnesota: Equity in the Built Environment; Establishing Career Pathways for BIPOC Women
Population under 50,000
Town of Lake Park, Florida: Lake Park Diversity and Inclusion Council
“Despite the challenges that communities continue to face today, local leaders remain deeply committed to diversity, innovation, access and inclusivity to the benefit of all their residents,” said NLC President and Mayor of Union City, GA, Vince Williams. “The National League of Cities is proud to recognize the winners of this year’s 2022 Cultural Diversity Awards and celebrate these programs aimed at fulfilling the promise of America’s cities, towns and villages.”
In addition to the top four winners, NLC also recognized three second place winners.
Second Place Winners
Population of 200,001-500,000
City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina: African American Heritage Initiative
Population 50,001-200,000
City of South San Francisco, California: Commission on Racial and Social Equity
Population UNDER 50,000
City of Edgewood, Kentucky: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Awardees were recognized at the 2022 Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C.
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The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.