By Nyla Glover, Black Voice News
At a moment when civil rights are heavily debated in classrooms, courtrooms, and the halls of Congress, a single question frequently resurfaces throughout the inland region: Is the Civil Rights Institute (CRI) of Inland Southern California still relevant? According to Inland Empire residents, civic leaders, and the Institute’s own thriving calendar of events, the answer is a resounding . . . yes!
Though the CRI was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2013, it was founded on a shared vision in 2006, by Rose Mayes and the late, Lalit Acharya. About a decade after this incorporation, the Institute opened its doors to the public in January 2023.
Only three years following its opening, the CRI was named a “Riverside Hero” at Riverside’s Annual State of the City Address in January 2026. Receiving this title serves as a force of recognition, acknowledging the growth of the organization’s footprint in the region’s civic life.
Launa K. Wilson, chair of the Institute’s board of directors, described The Civil Rights Institute as a neutral space where people from all walks of life can learn from one another. “The Inland Empire has a massive amount of history relating to the civil rights movement; more than most people think,” Wilson said. “We were created to provide information and workshops, and to be a safe space for conversations about civil rights.”
To fully grasp the depth of the Institute’s foundation, it is imperative to look at the three distinct resources it comprises—an exhibition center, a diversity center, and a media center. Though each may serve a different community purpose, all work toward the same mission: to protect the past, while arming people with the power to navigate the present and take on the future.
The Exhibition Center most recently featured “ Out in the I.E. ,” a critical show that explored LGBTQ+ identity and history within the region. Other past exhibits include Homegrown Heroes, San Bernardino Photography Now: I’m Grateful Thorns Have Roses, Working Coachella: Images of the Farmworker Community of the Coachella Valley, and their very first exhibition—Still I Rise: The Black IE Fight for Justice.
The Bank of America Diversity Center is available to mission-driven groups looking for a community space. Since opening its doors, this center has become a neutral convening space as it makes it possible to have difficult conversations about equity, race, and justice without the intense atmosphere of a city hall chamber, or courtroom.
The Altura Credit Union Media Center holds oral and visual history recordings, civil rights audio and video productions, and pop-up exhibitions. Photographs, oral histories, reports, letters, and other artifacts that maintain the civil rights record of the inland region can be found through the digital archive.
Though distinct in their own right, each center comes together to accomplish what Sabrina Gonzalez, the Executive Director of the Institute describes as its mission: to encourage people of all ages with the uplifting of historic and ongoing civil rights stories, and to build what the CRI calls “champions of tomorrow.”
With each passing day, the CRI fosters community advocacy. This impact has drawn widespread recognition from regional and state leadership, including commendations from Governor Gavin Newsom, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and numerous Inland legislative representatives.
Along with these acknowledgements, Gonzalez was named the 2026 Inland Empire Community Foundation Women’s Giving Fund’s Woman of Achievement for Nonprofit Leader and Riverside County Supervisorial District 1 Woman of Distinction.
All things considered, there is still the question of whether the CRI risks becoming a museum piece. To this, Gonzalez responds, “We are not a static organization. We are built to stay relevant and to evolve.” Based on the CRI’s programming calendar, the expanding digital archive, the know-your-rights workshops, and its title as “Riverside Hero,” one could suggest that the community agrees.
“The Ethnic Studies Resource Hub and Last Mile Bus Program are examples of how The Civil Rights Institute is listening and responding to community needs,” says Gonzalez. “These programs strengthen our partnerships with our area school districts and enhance students’ learning experiences.”
As the Inland region clashes with immigration policy, housing costs, economic inequities, and ongoing debates over justice in education, the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California is positioned not as a mere monument of history, but as an active roadmap for an equitable future.
For more information, go to InlandCivilRights.org, call (951) 682-5307, or visit the institute in-person at 3933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 103, Riverside, CA 92501.
