In September of 2016, the City of Bloomington City Council adopted a strategic plan that includes six strategic priorities. Among the six priorities was advancing inclusion & equity by having a more diverse workforce, more diversity in the City’s advisory board sand commissions, and more diverse program participation. In both 2016 and 2017, small groups of City staff participated in the Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE) training which included work to develop a racial equity action plan, vision statement, and toolkit. In December of 2017, the City Council adopted a Racial Equity Vision Statement that reads: “The City of Bloomington will act courageously to advance racial equity. We will be a vibrant, safe, and healthy place where people of all races thrive.”