Contact information 

(If you wish to file a complaint of discrimination or discuss filing a complaint of discrimination please visit the Office of Equity and Human Rights)

Human Rights Commission
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
319-356-5022

To contact the entire Commission, email HumanRightsCommission@iowa-city.org. All correspondence addressed to the Human Rights Commission becomes a permanent public record.

Public meeting 

The Commission holds monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Special meetings are held as needed. The meetings are open to the public. 

Agendas

January 24, 2023

Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant Submissions for 2023 

View archived

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Watch previous meetings

Beginning April 29, 2021, City Channel 4 began providing video of Human Rights Commission meetings. You can watch or listen to previous meetings on City Channel 4's website. Video and audio will be uploaded within two business days of the scheduled meeting.

Staff contact 

Stefanie Bowers

Board Members

Term: 01/01/21 - 12/31/23, Roger Lusala

Term: 01/01/21 - 12/31/23, Bijou Maliabo

Term: 01/01/21-  12/31/23, Kelsey Paul Shantz

Term: 01/01/22 - 12/31/24, Jahnavi Pandya

Term: 01/01/22 - 12/31/24, Sylvia Jons

Term: 01/01/22 - 12/31/24, Doug Kollasch

Term: 01/01/23 - 12/31/25, Suyun Channon

Term: 01/01/23 - 12/31/25, Ahmed Ismail

Term: 01/01/23 - 12/31/25, Badri Kuku

 

Origin 

Contact staff

Number of members 

Nine

Appointed by 

City Council

Term 

Three years

Duties 

Duties of the Commission include:

1. Disseminating information to educate the public on illegal discrimination and civil rights, such as organizing and facilitating educational public forums that address one or more of the broad range of topics included within the rubric of human rights
2. Making recommendations to the City Council for such further legislation concerning discrimination as it may deem necessary and desirable
3. Cooperating within the limits of any appropriations made for its operation with other agencies or organizations both public and private whose purposes are not inconsistent with those of Title 2 of the City Code (Human Rights Ordinance)
4. Planning programs and activities designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural and other intergroup tensions including but not limited to sex, color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age and national origin.

Sponsorship Reimbursement Funding Request Form 

The Iowa City Human Rights Commission is allocated $2000 annually to provide financial reimbursement to organizations for educational public events designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, or other intergroup tensions, including but not limited to, sex, color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, and national origin.

Sponsorship requests are due by 5 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission will review the request at their monthly meeting and staff will contact the organization to notify whether the request has been approved. To apply click on this link. 

If you have any questions, contact Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at 319-356-5022 or sbowers@iowa-city.org

To qualify for reimbursement: 

The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.

The program date must be prior to the submission of the application.

Applicants cannot be governments, public schools, and colleges/universities. 

Applicants can request no more than $350.00 per event.

Costs that are not covered by reimbursement:

Operational costs of the organization.

Costs associated with honorariums. 

To receive reimbursement, copies of receipts or paid invoices must be submitted no later than 30 days from the event date. 

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement of the Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation and the Human Rights Commission.