Longmont Multicultural Action Committee looks to expand footprint

Matthew Bennett, Daily Times-Call, Longmont, Colo.
·2 min read

May 14—For more than 20 years, the Longmont Multicultural Action Committee has worked to promote cultural understanding and inclusivity throughout the city, mostly through community events.

Now, a recent assessment done by the group shows that 35 out of every 100 respondents "occasionally-to-frequently" experience discrimination in Longmont. Some 259 respondents answered questions in the cultural assessment. Members of the group presented the results of the assessment to the City Council Tuesday concerning its ongoing efforts in the city.

Perhaps as one result of the assessment, the group plans to ask for more money from the city, with most of it going to support community events that are free and open to the public. Since 2002, the group has received $25,000 annually in government funding. The group intends to request an additional $50,000 annually, starting in 2025, to help support its push to market community events and other undertakings.

"I think it might be one of the most diverse committees in all of Boulder County," Adriana Perea, Longmont's social equity coordinator who is also the city staff liaison to the group, said in an interview prior to Tuesday's council meeting. "Some of them are retired teachers, business owners, engineers, community activists, leaders, members of the church."

The group supports a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, Lunar New Year, Cinco de Mayo, Nepali Jatra, Day of the Dead and other events.

"Our city is growing, and the diversity is growing as well," Perea said. "There are more cultural groups who are wanting to celebrate their culture."

The council did not vote on the forthcoming budget request at its meeting Tuesday. However, in the coming months, the council is expected to discuss what will and will not be included in next year's budget.

"I want to say thank you. I think (the Longmont Multicultural Action Committee) is one of the best things that we have in Longmont," Mayor Joan Peck said during Tuesday's meeting. "I'm very proud of all the different cultures and ethnicities that we have."

The Longmont Multicultural Action Committee formed in 2002 after the Boulder County Latino Task Force did an assessment in 2001 to better understand the values of the local Latino community and how to support it. The Latino Task Force worked with Longmont community members and the Longmont City Council at the time to form the group.

Today, the committee's members range in ages from 25 to 65 and represent more than 10 countries. Twelve different languages are spoken among its members, Perea said.