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Building Inclusive Communities

New action guide for city leaders
The cultural composition of Minnesota's 853 cities has changed significantly over the past decade. According to the 2000 Census data, the percentage of Minnesotans of African, Asian-Pacific, and Latino descent--as well as new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and other regions--rose 119 percent between 1990 and 2000. More than 100 cities experienced more than 100 percent growth in these "ethnic populations." Projections from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota State Demographer's office are for Minnesota cities to continue to become more multicultural in the future.

In response to the release of the 2000 Census data, as well as his own community's decade of demographic change, Willmar Mayor Les Heitke, the 2001-02 president of the League of Minnesota Cities, initiated the Building Inclusive Communities initiative. Mayor Heitke's goal was to provide all Minnesota cities with the information they need to begin building communities that are welcoming and inclusive of all people.

The Building Inclusive Communities Action Guide is the result of Mayor Heitke's inspiration and leadership, and the hard work and dedication of the League's Cultural Diversity Task Force (pdf document), made up of city officials, academics, and leaders of organizations that represent and serve Minnesota's ethnic populations. The League Board of Directors also unanimously endorsed this action guide and directed League staff to seek funding for continuation of the Building Inclusive Communities effort.

We hope this action guide prompts you to explore how you personally and how your city government as a whole can embrace this change and actively work to become an inclusive community.

To view and download the guide and individual chapters, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Download the full document (in pdf format):

Download and view individual chapters (in pdf format):

For additional information about the Building Inclusive Communities Action Guide, contact LMC Strategic Initiatives Manager Sarah Dirksen. E-mail: sdirksen@lmc.org. Phone: (651) 215-4036.

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