Human Rights Annual Impact Report 2024-25

Foreign Languages

Amount

84.6

Spanish 84.6%

Language Access

5.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4

All Other Languages 5.5%

Swahili 2.5%

Vietnamese 2.5%

Arabic 2.5%

Since 2017, the Human Rights Department has offered Greensboro Speaks, an intensive, Spanish-language learning course that also covers cultural humility, implicit bias, and an overview of the United States immigration system. About 20 employees participated in Greensboro Speaks Advanced and Beginner cohorts in 2024-25. Some 50 employees and community members attended the annual Language Access Appreciation Breakfast to recognize the efforts of City language access liaisons, including language mapping work, tech support, and the inclusion of language access requirements in contracting. Greensboro Speaks and Employee Engagement French

Vietnamese 2.5%

Swahili 2.5%

French 2.4%

Amount

Arabic 2.5%

Spanish 84.6%

All Other Languages 5.5%

All Other Languages 5.5% Swahili 2.5% Arabic 2.5% Top Five Non-English Languages Spoken in Greensboro (as of July 2025)

Spanish 84.6%

Vietnamese 2.5%

Bilingual Pay Incentive Program

As of July 2025, participation in the City’s Bilingual Pay Incentive Program experienced a more-than 20 percent increase over the preceding year. Now with 53 certified bilingual staff, the program offers certification in Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin. Staff who serve on translation teams saved the City at least $2,625 in 2024-25 with their text translations into the four languages. Certified bilingual staff handled over 5,000 interactions with community members and saved the City more than $50,000 in interpretation costs.

Citywide Language Line Use and Cost

Guilford Metro 9-1-1 contracts with Voiance for its language service and used it 6,087 times in 2024 25. All other City departments used the Language Line service 2,924 times, up 37 percent from the preceding year. Additional use can indicate increased community trust and engagement, while the opposite is also true. Language Line reports from April-July 2025 showed a significant drop in use, the first in at least two years.

Chart Title

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0 50

January February March

April

May

June

July

2025 Calls 2024 Calls City of Greensboro Language Line Call Volume (January-July 2025)

4