Community Relations Commission

About the Community Relations Commission

The Community Relations Commission (CRC) works to promote an atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation among all members of the Worthington community. The Commission acts in an advisory capacity to Worthington City Council on community issues related to fair and equal treatment for all persons. The CRC annually sponsors the Good Neighbor Award, the Neighborhood Grant Program, and the Martin Luther King Community Celebration and many other programs of community interest. Community members are encouraged to get involved by volunteering with the CRC on one of its working groups focusing on Age-Friendly, Youth, and Racial Justice initiatives. For more information, contact staff liaison Lori Trego by email or by phone at 614-854-7171.

CRC Programs and Initiatives

Let's Get (Un) comfortable: A Social Justice Discussion Series

Talking about issues related to race, racism and social justice isn't easy, but if we want to see positive change in ourselves and our community, we have to be willing to address what makes us uncomfortable. Join us each month and, with the help of books, movies, art and/or guest speakers, we'll discuss where we’ve been, where we are and the future society we hope to build. Presented in partnership with the Worthington Community Relations Commission and Worthington Libraries 

Upcoming programs: 

  • August 24 -- 7:00 p.m. -- Discussion of the documentary "13th" August program details 
  • September 21 -- 7:00 p.m. --  Kiara Yakita, founder and president of Black Liberation Movement Central Ohio, will present on organizing and lessons learned from the past year of frontline activism for Black lives. September Program details
  • October 26 -- 7:00 p.m. -- Join Dr. Pranav Jani, director of Asian American Studies at The Ohio State University, to learn some basics about the long history of Asians in the U.S.; the racialization of Asians in relation to Black, Native, Latinx and others; and the roots of the many narratives about Asians that make them subject to discrimination and marginalization in the U.S. October Program details

Worthington Adopts Legislation Prohibiting Source of Income Discrimination

On July 19, 2021, the Worthington City Council unanimously adopted legislation to amend the City's Non-Discrimination Ordinance in order to prevent discrimination against tenants based upon their source of income.  This followed a robust public engagement process led by the Worthington Community Relations Commission who made a formal recommendation to Council to adopt legislation after listening to residents, landlords, and other community stakeholders.  

Joint Statement of Support for Asian American and Pacific Islander Citizens

Worthington City Council, Community Relations Commission, Worthington International Friendship Association and City Administration join together in support of our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) neighbors. As community leaders, we are speaking out with one voice to strongly condemn acts and expressions of hate and discrimination toward AAPI citizens. Read the statement here

Martin Luther King Community Celebration: Bringing us Together

Worthington community partners invite you to view the 2021 virtual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration. The program is being presented virtually with a collection of music, remarks and reflections about King’s legacy from people in the Worthington community.

Documentary Discussion about Racism and Grassroots Activism 

In January 2021, the CRC partnered with the Wexner Center for the Arts for a discussion focused on racism and the power of grassroots activism as reflected in the powerful documentary, Cincinnati Goddamn.  The program included a conversation with filmmakers April Martin and Paul Hill. The film was created over the course of several years with support from the Wexner Center’s Film/Video Studio program. 

The Making of Metropolitan Inequality

The Making of Metropolitan Inequality: The Role of Suburbs in Perpetuating Metropolitan Inequality

View it now in the window here >>>>

Presented by the Worthington Community Relations Commission, The Making of Metropolitan Inequality explores the policies and processes that segregated our society through the lens of the creation of suburban spaces. Speaker Glennon Sweeney, Senior Research Associate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University, focuses on 20th-century development policies, how they were designed to segregate our society, and what policies and processes have been utilized to maintain that segregation over time. This particular talk focuses on Worthington, Ohio and the role that the suburb plays in metropolitan Columbus. Key topics include housing, development, and education policies, neighborhood and school segregation, and the impacts of these policies and processes on our metropolitan opportunity landscape.

This video was recorded from a live presentation on August 22, 2020.

on-Discrimination Ordinance

City Council approved the Non-Discrimination Ordinance in May 2019. It clarifies that people may not be treated differently in Worthington because of a protected characteristic. The CRC recommended the ordinance to promote tolerance, respect and inclusion in the Worthington Community. See details here 

Meetings (note, meetings are currently virtual, using MS Teams)

  • 7:00 pm
  • First Tuesday of each month
  • Worthington Municipal Building
    6550 N. High St.
    Worthington, OH 43085

Members

  • Eddie Pauline, Chair
  • Glennon Sweeney, Vice-Chair
  • Nick Linkenhoker  
  • Meg Kane
  • Beth Mirmelstein
  • Maria Ramirez
  • Shawna LaRue Moraille
  • Charles Fannin
  • Lori Trego, Staff Liaison

Email the Community Relations Commission