Named a “Riverside Hero,” The Civil Rights Institute has evolved from a local history project into an ongoing civic resource, offering everything from Civil Rights workshops to a first-of-its-kind regional digital archive.

In a moment when civil rights are being debated in courtrooms, classrooms, and the halls of Congress, does the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California still matter? According to Inland Empire residents, community leaders, and the Institute’s own packed calendar, the answer is a resounding YES.

Founded on a vision conceived in 2006 by co-founders Rose Mayes and the late Lalit Acharya, the Institute was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2013. The Civil Rights Institute opened its doors to the public in January 2023.

Located at 3933 Mission Inn Ave., in Riverside, the Civil Rights Institute is the marquee of a 92,000-square-foot development that also provides 72 units of urban workforce housing and serves as the home of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.

In early 2026, the organization was named a “Riverside Hero” at Riverside’s annual State of the City address, a recognition acknowledging the Institute’s growing footprint in the region’s civic life.

The Civil Rights Institute is comprised of three distinct resources: an exhibition center, a diversity center and a media center. Each serves a different community need, but all point toward the same goal: preserving the past, while equipping people to navigate the present and into the future.

The Institute’s Executive Director, Sabrina Gonzalez, was named the 2026 Inland Empire Community Foundation Women’s Giving Fund Woman of Achievement for Nonprofit Leadership.

The Riverside African American Historical Society Exhibition Center recently featured “Out in the I.E.,” which ran through last week, a landmark show exploring LGBTQ+ history and identity in the region. Past exhibits include Building Our Region’s Korean Communities, Homegrown Heroes, San Bernardino Photography Now, Working Coachella and Still I Rise.

The Bank of America Diversity Center, available for community reservations for mission-aligned groups, has become a neutral convening space where difficult and sensitive conversations about race, equity, and justice can take place without the charged atmosphere of a courtroom or city hall chamber.

The Altura Credit Union Media Center is the venue for oral/visual history recordings, civil rights audio and video productions, and pop-up exhibitions. The digital archive (Archive.InlandCivilRights.org) houses photographs, oral histories, letters, reports, and other artifacts that preserve the civil rights record of the inland region.

The Institute is investing in the archive’s long-term sustainability. For example, it is sponsoring a Digital Archive Internship, in which an intern will be paid $27 per hour for 12 consecutive weeks to work with community-based archives and multiple digital archive systems, as well as to diversify their professional training.

The Institute’s programming calendar reads like a direct response to the national conversation on civil rights.

For example, in June, the Institute hosted Songs of Freedom: Music of Resistance & Joy to observe Juneteenth, which featured a children’s craft corner and a live performance that celebrated the role of music in Black history; as well as an Out in Print: Zine workshop.

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.”

The Civil Rights Institute’s Executive Director, Sabrina Gonzalez, describes the Institute’s mission as inspiring people of all ages by highlighting and uplifting historic and ongoing civil rights stories, fostering community advocacy, and building what the Institute calls “champions of tomorrow.”

The acknowledgments and accolades from community leaders and high-profile dignitaries are many.

In April 2025, the Riverside Arts Council named The Civil Rights Institute its Creative Revolutionaries honoree at the Mayor’s Ball for the Arts. In January, the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce presented the Institute with its Riverside HERO Award.

In February, the Riverside Arts Council added a Bronze Award for Art Facility. The Institute’s Executive Director, Sabrina 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.

Asked whether the Institute risks becoming a museum piece, a monument to struggles already won, Gonzalez says, “We are not a static organization; we are built to stay relevant and to evolve.”  The programming calendar, the expanding digital archive, the know-your-rights workshops, and the “Riverside Hero” designation 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.”

In a region grappling with housing costs, immigration policy, economic inequality, and ongoing debates over equity in education, the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California has positioned itself not as a relic of the past, but as a blueprint for the future.

For more information, visit InlandCivilRights.org or call (951) 682-5307. Admission to the Civil Rights Institute is free. Public visiting hours are Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m. Tours are available seven days a week upon request.