Eagan Forward: Race Equity & Inclusion

A strong community isn’t just well-run. It’s welcoming. It makes room for everyone — not as a courtesy, but as a conviction.  Mayor Maguire recognized that Eagan was changing and becoming increasingly diverse, so in 2016 he advocated for the community-driven Eagan Forward visioning initiative.

The City engaged Eagan residents, assessed regional and demographic trends, and built a 20-year vision for Eagan, then current and future residents. The initiative asked Eagan residents to provide direct feedback on the priorities that should guide Eagan moving forward, that would serve as a progressive blueprint guiding the work of Eagan’s staff and program planners. 

Eagan Forward acknowledged: “the [typically Caucasian] nuclear families with school-aged children who are in the upper middle class” that seemingly fueled Eagan’s first wave of growth in the 80’s & 90’s, like Eagan, was changing and would be different in the coming wave of Eagan’s evolution.  The final report quoted one Eagan resident saying: “My one wish for Eagan is that it is a place where people of all skin colors, gender, sexual orientation, and a variety of cultural differences would respect each other and celebrate each other.” 

The first of six strategies that emerged from Eagan Forward was to ensure “Eagan is a place for all people” and should intentionally work to “be a welcoming community for immigrants and non-English speakers.” That strategic recommendation has since matured into the city’s formal commitment to today’s race equity & inclusion initiative.

Today’s ongoing Community Conversations initiative creates safe spaces for Eagan residents to engage in the kinds of honest, sometimes challenging discussions that are necessary when a community is serious about ensuring that everyone who lives here can thrive — not just those who’ve always felt at home in Eagan.

Independent surveys conducted by Polco using the National Community Survey as benchmark data points out that Eagan residents rate the city’s inclusiveness and sense of belonging significantly above national averages.

This work is never finished. But it’s been underway for longer than many realize, and as an increasingly diverse community, we are getting better and stronger each year.