Subject
title
Human Rights Commission Annual Report
end
Department
City Manager's Office (CMO)
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council receive the presentation of the Rockville Human Rights Commission Annual Report.
Discussion
The Rockville Human Rights Commission is pleased to present its annual presentation to the Mayor and Council. The HRC annual report includes its achievements in 2023 and initiatives for 2024 and beyond.
The HRC is an 11-member group of volunteers charged with minimizing the effects of conflict and promoting an appreciation of diversity within the City. To meet these goals, the HRC provides services and educational and cultural programs that promote global thinking, encourage civic awareness, and reflect the rich diversity found in the City. The HRC also advises the Mayor and Council on human rights issues that affects residents and community members.
The HRC held twelve monthly meetings in 2023, as well as meetings for various subcommittees, task forces, and event planning groups. The HRC accepted five city proclamations and celebrated the city’s accomplishment of earning a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, an annual assessment of cities throughout the U.S. and their commitment to inclusivity of and equality for LGBTQ+ people who live and work there.
In 2023, the HRC supported planning and execution of two events. Rockville’s MLK Day Celebration, held each January to remember the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., includes speakers, cultural performances, information booths, and opportunities for service projects. After several virtual MLK Day celebrations, HRC in person events kicked off once more in 2023. This year was the 52nd year and the event uplifted the theme “Celebrating Service to the Community,” in saluting over a dozen participating nonprofits. Our program included the film screening of “Finding Fellowship”, with a Q&A with Rev. Dr. Gerard A. Green Jr., a panel discussion with JEDI professionals Selena Mendy Singleton and Tyree Davis IV, and a children’s performer Groovy Nate. We were honored to hear Mayor Monique Ashton as the event’s keynote speaker. Finally, Soul in Motion closed the event with a drum performance.
Since 2017, the HRC has funded, organized, promoted, and operated Rockville Pride, an annual festival that celebrates Rockville’s LGBTQ+ community. The celebration features live performances, information booths, intimate dialogue, participation from local businesses and nonprofits, and children’s activities such as crafts, face-painting, airbrush tattooing, and a moon bounce. On June 24th, 2023, the HRC hosted Rockville’s Pride Celebration in Rockville Town Square, for the first time extending the length of the event from 2 hours to 3 hours. This year’s Pride Celebration will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2024, 2pm-5pm, in Rockville Town Square. We are thrilled to be kicking off new partnerships with Artists in Residence and Montgomery County Public Library who will be featured at the event this summer. We encourage the Mayor and Council and all Rockville residents to attend this year’s Pride event.
In addition to these two events, the HRC has implemented the Student Ambassador Program (SAP) since 2019. The SAP is an annual leadership opportunity for students (sophomores, juniors, and/or seniors) who live or attend high school in Rockville to serve as a Student Ambassadors for a nine-month term. The SAP goals are to educate participants about human rights and the HRC, provide them opportunities to develop leadership skills as they aid the HRC in planning and executing its programs, establish and maintain an on-going relationship between the HRC and the youth it serves, and improve the reach and effectiveness of the HRC programs and initiatives. This year, the HRC is working with three Rockville student ambassadors who are currently supporting Pride event planning.
Since 2019, the HRC has also recognized Human Rights Day, December 10th, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and has celebrated the day by creating online web pages or running social media campaigns to educate about and promote human rights. For example, in 2021, the HRC’s student ambassadors created a series of social media slides about Human Rights Day. In 2023, the HRC launched a subcommittee to evaluate the steps required to make the City of Rockville a Human Rights City. The HRC plans to present findings and recommendations to the Mayor and Council regarding the desirability and feasibility of Rockville becoming a Human Rights City, as well as associated initiatives “Cities of CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women)” and “Child-Friendly Cities.”
In addition to our programming, the HRC liaises and supports other boards and commissions throughout the City. These include and are not limited to:
• Montgomery County Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission - The HRC has a non-voting member on the MCRRC, which was created in 2019 to help the County claim and install the County’s monument commemorating the three locations in the County where racial terror lynchings have been documented. On November 11, 2023, MCRRC honored Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Sidney Randolph, two victims of racial terror lynching who were murdered in Rockville. Two markers were installed at the Montgomery County Council Building, the site of the lynchings. The HRC is deeply honored to have supported this important event and continues to work with MCRRC on their current and future initiatives. We strongly encourage the Mayor and Council to spend time visiting the markers and reflecting on Rockville’s history.
• Human Services - in 2021, the HRC helped develop, implement, promote, and analyze the Community Wellbeing Survey with the Human Services Advisory Commission, sharing our joint report to the Mayor and Council in 2022. We also provide support to the Human Services Commission by reviewing applications to the City’s caregiver grant program, amounting to $750,000 each year.
Similarly, the HRC also participates in community events to connect with Rockville residents, promote HRC initiatives, and recruit volunteers. Some of these events have included National Night Out, Rocktobierfest, and Hometown Holidays. The HRC often sets up tables with or near the Rockville Board of Supervisors of Elections and provides education to voters and an opportunity to register to vote. The HRC is also responsive to our community partners and members. In November 2023, the supported a request from Mainstreet for City funding for their Conversation Continues event, a gathering in partnership with the City of Rockville and BlackRock Center for the Arts focused on ways in which we feel safe and unsafe amidst turbulent current events. Through outreach, the HRC empowers community members to engage civically, including helping Rockville residents and community members to speak at Community Forum. Lastly, in November 2023, a HRC member attended the Rockville Police Department Fair and Impartial Policing training.
Through consultation with the JEDI team and direct feedback to the Mayor and Council, the HRC supports the City’s opportunities to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. In 2023, the HRC, advocated for more inclusive and accurate language in City resolutions, provided feedback to the Advisor to the City Manager for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on the drafted equity toolkit, mission, vision, and shared definitions, and provided comments to the Mayor and Council re: the Charter Review Commission Recommendations. In 2023, the HRC also spoke to the Mayor and Council, as well as the Rockville Police Department, about protecting the safety of those engaged in First Amendment expression in the aftermath of an incident in the city.
In addition to the programming detailed above, the HRC’s current affairs subcommittee monitors media, Mayor and Council meeting agendas, and other sources to identify current affairs pertaining to human rights that would impact Rockville residents. In 2023, the current affairs subcommittee developed our “Media Monitoring and Rapid Response Process” and “Rapid Response Template” to better organize HRC strategies for responding to current affairs. This subcommittee leads the HRC’s responses to current affairs, including advocating with/providing resources to victims of hate, advocating directly to the Mayor and Council, and distributing information re: opportunities to advocate to affected communities.
Looking ahead, the HRC is excited to continue developing meaningful programs to celebrate the City’s diversity, promote civic engagement, and advocate for human rights protections. The HRC is excited to dive deeper into Civic Education and Engagement, including continued engagement with the Mayor and Council as well as partnership with other organizations/institutions to provide educational opportunities for community members to better understand not only how local civic institutions operate but also how human rights affects local matters. For example, the HRC is excited to be connecting with the Education Commission to identify opportunities to collaborate on human rights issues affecting students. The HRC also looks forward to developing more intentional and specific programming on disability rights and disability issues in the Rockville community. Lastly, in partnership with the Mayor and Council and the City Manager’s Office, the HRC looks forward to supporting City initiatives to develop an interfaith conversation that will foster community engagement, invite meaningful conversations, and promote opportunities to connect across differences.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council has been presented with an Annual Report by the Rockville Human Rights
Commission periodically in the interests of informing the Mayor and Council on HRC activities
and raising awareness of their role in advising and supporting the City's Human Rights objectives.
Next Steps
The Human Rights Commission will be back next year to provide another annual report.