The City of Ypsilanti’s Human Relations Commission is entering a new chapter of community engagement, shaking off a period of transitional dormancy to host a highly anticipated informational town hall.
The Human Relations Commission’s primary function is to address discrimination and bias in areas like housing, employment, education and public services. While it doesn’t function as a court or law enforcement agency, it can review complaints, raise concerns and recommend action to city officials. Citizens can bring related concerns directly to the HRC.
HRC Chairperson Justin Harper shared the commission has faced an uphill battle with meeting consistency, largely due to difficulties maintaining a quorum and a string of structural transitions.
"It's been a lot of transition," Harper explained, noting that the group also had to adjust to a new chairperson. Because they were frequently unable to make quorum, the commission was temporarily stalled from executing major initiatives.
However, Harper believes a shift in momentum is underway. A dedicated group of community members has started consistently attending meetings.
"This newer group is just now going in and saying, 'Okay, let's go ahead and make some moves,'" Harper said. ”This [town hall] has been one of the first things that we've actually been able to push in a while."
The HRC will be hosting a town hall open to Ypsilanti residents. The primary goal of the meeting is to bridge the gap between residents of Ypsilanti and local government bodies designed to protect them and build trust through collaboration. For many on the commission, the event is an opportunity to show residents that they are actively fighting to make an impact, Harper said. The meeting agenda for the event describes plans to introduce the HRC, explain what it does and how community members can utilize it as a resource.
"We are really trying to do something out here, and we're really trying to make an impact," Harper said. "We have got some good people that care and want to do good stuff."
"The Human Relations Commission is here to support the community, encourage fairness, and help create positive relationships among all residents," Harper added.
The upcoming event, scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at 6 p.m., will take place at City Hall, 1 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti. Free refreshments will be provided to attendees.
Residents who plan to attend are encouraged to RSVP ahead of time by visiting the Human Relations Commission webpage.
