Office of Equity and Inclusion
The City of Richmond’s Office of Equity and Inclusion was established in 2021 and aims to work alongside city leadership and staff, community members and partners to build a strong foundation for the collective work of advancing equity, inclusion and justice within the City’s internal and external facing policies, practices, operations and overall culture. As a member of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of government localities working to achieve racial equity, our goal is to create a more equitable and inclusive culture that benefits all Richmonders, particularly the City’s most historically marginalized communities, as well as city staff.
Mission and Purpose
The City of Richmond’s Office of Equity and Inclusion seeks to provide guidance, facilitation, tools and resources to city staff that will increase awareness around critical concepts such as racial equity, inclusion, belonging, cultural competency, why these concepts matter and the role that local government plays in advancing equity and inclusion on a daily basis in Richmond.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion aims to increase the collective understanding of the City’s role and responsibility in advancing equity within and across all city offices and departments in order to dismantle institutional racism and other oppressive elements that have been historically engrained within city policies, practices and culture and that have led to generations-long disparities along racial and socioeconomic lines within the City of Richmond.
The goal: to purposefully and intentionally institutionalize equity, inclusion and justice in ways that will lead to meaningful, long-term, population-level outcomes across all issue areas for the City’s most historically marginalized, overlooked and underserved communities.
The work of the Office of Equity and Inclusion is collaborative in nature.
Objectives include:
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To help develop a collective, cohesive understanding of racial equity, inclusion, cultural competency and belonging amongst city leadership and staff
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To help city leadership and staff better comprehend and embrace the role of government in advancing racial equity and justice
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To help create the groundwork for normalizing and operationalizing equity and inclusion throughout all city departments/offices so that all leadership and staff operate with an equity lens and that equity and inclusion become embedded within all city policies, daily operations and overall culture
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To work with community members and other stakeholders to collaboratively advance equity work within the City
Human Rights Commission
The Office of Equity and Inclusion also oversees the City of Richmond Human Rights Commission. The Human Rights Commission was established to advise the City Council and the Mayor on matters involving human rights violations occurring within the city of Richmond. The mission of the City of Richmond Human Rights Commission is to safeguard the rights of all its citizens. It seeks to protect individuals from unlawful discrimination because of race; color; religion; sex; pregnancy; childbirth or related medical conditions; national origin; age; marital status; disability; sexual orientation, transgender status or gender identity.
Learn more about the Human Rights Commission by clicking here.
The City of Richmond belongs to all of us. To ensure RVA is truly a place where everyone feels at home, the Office of Equity & Inclusion wants to hear directly from you.
If you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and live in Richmond, this is your space to be heard. This isn't just another form—it’s a way to tell us how safe and supported you feel and help us see where we have more work to do.
We want our data to reflect the real diversity of every corner of our city.
Learn more here.
OUTLOUD RVA is a free community Pride Month kickoff event celebrating creativity, connection, and community at Richmond’s newest gathering space on the riverfront.
Join us at Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront for an evening of live art, entertainment, lawn games, community organizations, local vendors, giveaways, and food & drinks in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
OUTLOUD RVA is not a concert, but rather a laid-back social gathering designed to bring people together to connect with neighbors, local businesses, artists, and advocacy groups from across the city while celebrating Pride Month together in the heart of Richmond.
Come as you are, stay as long as you’d like, and enjoy the space with friends, neighbors, and community partners from across Richmond.
All are welcome. We can’t wait to see you on the lawn!
Event Details:
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Entry via the 5th Street Entrance
In this Emmy-nominated feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking “Bowling Alone” research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis.
Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Priya Parker, Pete Buttigieg, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Jane McAlevey, Hillary Clinton, and Eddie Glaude Jr. — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?
Event Details:
Join us for a documentary screening and community conversation on June 17, 2026, from 3:00–5:30 PM at the Main Street Library Auditorium (101 E. Franklin St.). Please complete this form to register.
Equity and Inclusion Advisor: Aneesah Smith
900 E. Broad Street, 5th Floor, Suite 501
Richmond, VA 23219
