(1986) Induction into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 1948, Denver Mayor Quigg Newton appointed Helen Peterson -- A Lakota woman from Pine Ridge, S.D. -- to address racial inequities. This was long before the passage of U.S. Civil Rights Acts and the U.S. Voter Rights Act created "civil rights". Racial restrictions in home sales were legal. Safeway and Walgreens had not yet hired their first African-American sales clerks. Municipal swimming pools had separate swim days based on race. The proactive work of the Commission on Community Relations (as we were then known) helped Denver be spared some of the racial unrest that occurred in other cities in the post-war years.

Minoru Yasui led the Commission on Community Relations from 1970 to 1983. During these years, the Commission provided some of the court-ordered training for the recently desegregated Denver Public Schools. We provided public information through "Let's Pull Together" radio and "Focus: Denver City Government" television shows and the Spanish language news show "Noticias". Yasui himself was instrumental in getting the Congress to approve partial redress for Japanese-American who lost their possessions as our government interned them during World War II.

Throughout our history, the Agency has served as an incubator for a variety of new projects, initiative and non-profits. Due to our small size and lack of restrictions and regulations, we could foster the entrepreneurial nature of new projects. These included Denver Indian Center, AMEND (Abusive Men Exploring New Directions), Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award, Housing Information Referral Service, Action's Technical Assistance (for non-profits and businesses), and Volunteer Financial Management for Seniors unable to handle their own financial affairs without help, We have also have housed City programs when independence was desirable: The Public Safety Review Commission, Office of Volunteerism, and in previous years: Denver Domestic Violence Task Force, Mayor's Office of Child Care Initiatives, Commission on Youth, Mayor's Gay and Lesbian Advisory Committee, "Weed- and- Seed", Commission on Cultural Affairs, Neighborhood Watch, Office of Environmental Affairs, Ryan White Funding Office, and the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) Coordinator for City Employment.

From an original focus on relations between African-Americans and whites, the agency mission broadened to include emerging issues: Latino, Asian-American, and American Indian issues. In the 1980s issues related to women, people with disabilities, youth, seniors and gays and lesbians were added to our scope. More recently HR/CR has tackled issues related to immigration. Former Executive James Mejia drafted Mayor Webb's policy on Immigration. The Office of Family Violence secured funding for the Muslim Women's Association program to prevent domestic violence. Executive Director Phil Hernandez has worked with the Mexican Consulate identify how the state law restricting Denver's recognition of the matricular (Mexican ID card) will impact City services.

From our work on policy issues affecting the City's most vulnerable, to partnerships with non-profit organizations addressing community needs, to direct services such as enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, assistance for seniors, and sign language interpretation, HR/CR is a citizen-friendly face of Denver City Government.


--Chaer Robert
720-913-8465