Sign The Resolution

RESOLUTION NO.______

A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, CALIFORNIA ACKNOWLEDGING THE CITY’S

RACIALLY EXCLUSIONARY PAST AS A 'SUNDOWN TOWN'

WHEREAS, racial disparities have existed since the birth of this nation, to the

detriment of Black communities and people of color, and persist across wealth, health,

education, the criminal justice system, and beyond; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Census reported that the Black or African American

population of La Canada Flintridge in 1980 was 0.0026% and in 2010 was 0.54% and 2019 estimates place it as 0.8%;

WHEREAS, although no official ordinance or law of the City of La Canada Flintridge has

been found imposing sundown restrictions, oral/written history as well as public accounts, plainly demonstrate La Canada’s history as a “sundown town” for a

significant portion of the 20th century;

WHEREAS, such sundown towns throughout the state of California, along with

towns and cities in many other states, excluded—often by social and cultural means,

including police profiling—members of non-white racial and ethnic groups, particularly

African Americans, from living in said jurisdictions or even being inside the city limits

after sundown;

WHEREAS, many real estate subdivisions created in La Canada Flintridge adopted and

enforced racially restrictive covenants and deed restrictions that kept African Americans

and people of color from purchasing property and living in those subdivisions for several

decades in the 20th century in La Canada Flintridge;

WHEREAS, the City of La Canada Flintridge understands the importance of examining what

role it has played in institutional racism, both historically and currently, and is ready to

embark on a journey towards racial literacy; and

WHEREAS, the La Canada Flintridge City Council envisions a city that fosters diversity,

equity, and inclusion throughout every community in La Canada Flintridge;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

La Canada Flintridge does hereby resolve, declare, and determine, as follows:

(A) The City of La Canada Flintridge acknowledges, apologizes for, and condemns all

racially-motivated, discriminatory, or exclusionary aspects of the City’s

history, and deeply regrets the pain, hurt, and suffering such policies have

Caused;

(B) The City of La Canada Flintridge City Council and staff will continue to engage in

individual and collective work to understand bias;

has played in La Canada Flintridge by committing resources to draft a historical context

statement with a racial/ethnic theme to better understand and address

historical development patterns within La Canada Flintridge;

(D) The City of La Canada Flintridge will review and revise its policies, procedures,

ordinances, values, goals, and missions through an anti-racism lens to

foster an unbiased and inclusive environment that is free of discrimination

and harassment toward any person or group;

(E) The City of La Canada Flintridge will promote inclusion and equity, and will stand up to

bigotry, hatred, intolerance, racism, and violence; and

(F) The City of La Canada Flintridge unequivocally rejects racism in all its forms and is

committed to working towards building an antiracist La Canada Flintridge where people

of all races and cultural backgrounds are welcome to live and prosper.

We anticipate that this resolution will adapt and evolve as we conduct more research as a community, but we encourage you to sign your name to support this important step in acknowledging past wrongs so that we can secure a more just and equitable future.

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