The city of Rochester and its school district reaffirm support for city’s DEI programs

Despite uncertainty about the impacts of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton says the city has no plans to change course on its diversity goals.

“This work still needs to continue in our community,” Norton said in an interview. “We have a diverse population of people who are embedded into our community, and to think we’re now going to turn on them is abhorrent to me.”

In late January, the president issued several executive orders halting DEI efforts within the federal government. The orders also seek to curtail DEI activities elsewhere by putting restrictions on federal contracts and grants.

In response, a slew of Minnesota companies and at least one county have rolled back their programs, many of which were launched over the past five years following the national reckoning over race brought on by the murder of George Floyd.

In Rochester, however, Norton said the city plans to press on with its DEI programs ― even if it means missing out on federal grant funding.

“If it’s about a title of a position, that can be changed,” Norton said. “But the work that we’re doing should not change, because we need to make sure everybody’s treated fairly and has opportunity.”

While Trump’s orders do not mandate that cities discontinue DEI programs, they do require federal contractors and grant recipients to certify that they “do not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable federal antidiscrimination laws.”

The orders also put an end to equity-related grants and remove DEI requirements for contractors and grant recipients.

Norton said she is still awaiting additional information about what the changes could mean for the city, though she has already identified several funding sources that could be upended by the new administration.

One of them, a $750,000 grant awarded to the city under the Biden administration, is being used to help women of color find jobs in the city’s booming construction industry. The city has used $250,000 of the funding so far; Norton admitted additional funding is now unlikely.

The city is also reviewing grants in other areas that could see changes under Trump, such as transportation and renewable energy. In late 2024, Rochester was awarded an $85 million grant to build out a planned transit system connecting downtown with parking and other amenities.

Norton said she is concerned the project could be set back if federal funding is pulled back for the purchase of electric buses.

“We applied for those grants, started programs and have started planning for things that are now, we’re being told, are going to be potentially pulled back or withdrawn,” Norton said. “It’s disappointing.”

While Rochester has for years been touted for its high standard of living, the area is home to some of the worst racial disparities in the country.

In Olmsted County, which includes Rochester, the poverty rate is 7.6%, nearly half the national average. However, 30.5% of Black residents here live under the federally designated poverty line, according to county statistics.

Seeking to address those disparities, the city hired its first DEI coordinator in 2021. The role, filled by Chao Mwatela, is responsible for putting into place “equitable city policies, projects, programs and processes in all facets of organizational work.”

Norton said that work has included looking at hiring practices and improving outreach to underrepresented communities. Mwatela has also helped oversee a city initiative to root out discriminatory language from housing deeds.

The mayor also noted that the city’s DEI work goes beyond racial discrimination and includes efforts to address disparities among women, LGBTQ residents and people with disabilities, the latter of whom account for 10% of the city’s population.

“We have spent some time looking into hiring practices and making sure that our language is equitable and that we’re not using language that’s discriminatory, whether that be gender-based, culture-based or race-based,” Norton said.

In addition to the city, a number of other local organizations — including Rochester Public Schools, Destination Medical Center and Mayo Clinic — have also taken steps to address diversity in its ranks.

The school district, which was the subject of a complaint from a conservative advocacy group in December over a program designed to boost minority representation among teachers, said it also has no plans to deviate from its efforts related to DEI.

“RPS will continue this work, and the reason is that these efforts are critical to achieving our mission of helping all of our students thrive in school and in life,” Superintendent Kent Pekel said in a memo to the community in late January.

Mayo Clinic, meanwhile, has committed $100 million toward efforts to eliminate racism and advance equity within the organization.

Mayo declined a request for an interview about what, if any, impact Trump’s orders will have on its DEI initiatives. Mayo has received $550 million over the past two years through the National Institutes of Health to fund hundreds of ongoing research projects.

“We have and continue to analyze the situation to ensure that we support our staff and patients and comply with applicable laws,” a Mayo spokesperson said.