Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

It’s important for all our residents to feel welcome in our city. We now know more about our residents, thanks to the 2020 US Census data, which gives us insight into how Maple Grove’s population has changed. Our total population has risen above 70,000, an increase of more than 11,000 residents, or 14%, since 2010. The percentage of non-white residents has increased to almost 23%, compared to about 15% in 2010. We should celebrate and honor the uniqueness of our neighbors!

We need to understand how we are doing with equity across a variety of aspects of community life, such as employment opportunities within the city (in line with the city’s goal to be an employer of choice ), entrepreneurship, home ownership, participation on citizen advisory boards and commissions, youth programming, and leisure opportunities in our parks and recreation facilities. Maple Grove could commission a study to explore these data. Other suburban cities have formed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task forces or hired a DEI Manager to advance thee initiatives. There are many ways to approach this issue, as long as we are seeking out the voices of the community, including outreach to folks who may not regularly engage with the city or its leadership.

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