Human Relations Commission Will Take Stock of Accomplishments, Chart Its Next Course

After a year spent building Pasadena’s most structured anti-hate programming to date — including expanded United Against Hate Week events, a new public feedback survey, and ongoing tracking of hate incidents reported by the Pasadena Police Department — the city’s Human Relations Commission will take stock of its progress and chart its next course at a Special Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 16, at 3:30 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Avenue.

Commissioners will review and approve the Report of Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, elect officers for the coming year, and begin establishing a work plan for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. The commission is an advisory body whose recommendations to the City Council carry no independent legal authority, and the annual report is submitted to the Council “for information purposes only.”

The report covers July 1, 2025 through June 16, 2026, and documents work organized around three objectives — strengthening interaction with the City Council and city departments, collaborating on community projects, and improving responsiveness to the community.

The commission’s signature effort was its expanded involvement in United Against Hate Week, which ran Oct. 19 through Oct. 25, 2025. A “Strength in Unity: Countering Hate Together” event on Oct. 23 at the Western Justice Center drew approximately 75 attendees and featured a panel with Rachel Carroll Rivas of the Southern Poverty Law Center and Robin Toma of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission on hate group trends and the SPLC Hate Map. A “Walk to Freedom” event on Oct. 25 at Day One drew about 50 participants and included poster-making activities and speakers coordinated by the Center for Restorative Justice. The commission also developed toolkits for faith leaders and nonprofit organizations to support the week’s programming.

Other accomplishments included the presentation of Human Relations Trailblazer Awards at the May 11 City Council meeting, the launch of the Human Relations Commission Concerns Survey, and outreach to the Pasadena Public Library to research existing physical representations of positive and negative expressions on public property. The report lists several action items as complete, several as ongoing, and a few as incomplete or discontinued, including a discontinued effort to invite City Council district liaisons to meetings, which was reframed as monthly outreach to liaisons.

The draft work plan for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 currently lists no objectives, meaning commissioners will set priorities and ad hoc committee assignments during the meeting. The Presentation Calendar for the coming year lists three presentations to be scheduled — one from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network on its work supporting the undocumented community; one on the history and evolution of West Pasadena Little League and Central Pasadena Little League, including past community dynamics and lessons learned; and a tentative presentation from a fire-recovery nonprofit or related organization on the status of Pasadena residents one and one-half years after the fire.

Current Chair Jonathan Horton represents District 2 and Vice Chair Katie Young represents District 5. Other commissioners are Paul McGee (District 1), Nat Nehdar (District 4), Sandy Greenstein (District 6), Rev. Michael Roffina (District 7), and Lauren Martinez (At-Large). The District 3 seat and the mayoral appointment remain vacant.

For more information call (626) 744-7925 or visit www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/human-relations-commission.