Lincoln earns national designation for inclusivity

Lincoln is now nationally recognized as a welcoming community.

The designation comes from a national nonprofit called Welcoming America, which works toward creating inclusive communities across the country.

Lincoln joins Crete as well as 30 other cities in the U.S. in earning the title. Lisa Guill, the Welcoming Communities Coordinator with the Cultural Centers of Lincoln, described the designation as more than just a badge.

“This isn't just something that we ran toward to say, ‘Can we hit this goal as, like, a one-time thing and then go back to a status quo?’ This is something that is demonstrative of a long-term commitment that we've had in Lincoln for decades,” Guill said. “We have been a welcoming community, by our own estimation, [by] so many newcomers who call Lincoln home.”

Lincoln has a four-star certification, a standing that started in 2023 and has about 80 distinct requirements to meet. It means the city has shown exceptional work in seven categories: education, economic development, civic engagement, equitable access, safe communities, government leadership and connected communities.

“The Four-Star designation affirms what we already know — Lincoln is a national leader in creating a welcoming environment for New Americans,” said Christa Yoakum of Nebraska Appleseed in a written press release. “I see people being intentional about welcoming and inclusion because it is truly in their values.”

Guill said the designation comes as a result of multiple community, nonprofit and government partners working together.

“We wanted this as a community and did the work to pull partners together to gather this evidence and make sure that we had everything that was necessary to make it happen, so I'm particularly proud of Lincoln and the way that we can go about doing this collaborative work so well,” she said.

Lincoln is only the second city to achieve the four-star rating. No communities have yet met the five-star designation, but it’s not completely off Guill’s radar. The certification lasts for four years, and at the end of that timeline, Guill said Lincoln will reassess what requirements it can meet.

“It really does set Lincoln apart, and it makes us even more attractive to places that are wanting to invest their businesses, to open, you know, new opportunities for anyone at large, not just new Americans, to work in our community. So it makes Lincoln an even more attractive place to live,” Guill said.

This designation does not mean the city is what is considered a “sanctuary city;” rather, it means the city has “committed to adhering to inclusive policies and practices.” Guill clarified the effort has no connection to the political climate surrounding increased immigration enforcement and decreases in refugee acceptance, but it does add some positivity to new American communities.

“This designation is maybe a way to bring a little bit of peace of mind to the family, to say this work is continuing, in spite of turmoil on the federal level and in other places, Lincoln continues to be serious about this work, and that is not changing,” Guill said.