Human Rights Commission

We provide service to the citizens of South Bend through impartial, unbiased decisions regarding discrimination charges filed with the South Bend Human Rights Commission under the ordinance in areas of employment, housing, public accommodation and education, based on race, religion, color, sex, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability and in housing familial status.

General Inquiry Form

By filling out this form, you are only submitting a general inquiry and not filing a charge or making a report.

If you need immediate assistance, please call the Commission at 574-235-9355.

Human Rights Leadership

**Yolanda Young-Smith**
*Executive Director*
**Phone:** (574) 235-5810
**Email:** *yyoungsmith@southbendin.gov*

Yolanda Young-Smith began her tenure as the Executive Director of the South Bend Human Rights Commission in December 2021. Young-Smith is an innovative, collaborative leader with a fierce commitment to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging. She is a visionary passionate about the law and providing strategic leadership for identifying, investigating, mediating, and adjudicating human rights discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodation, and education.

Before joining the Human Rights Commission, Young-Smith worked as a Career Manager/Coach for Goodwill Inc. She was instrumental in helping the unemployed and underemployed achieve their career goals and learn new skills. Young-Smith was also the Director of Student Life, Leadership, and Development at Ivy Tech Community College, where she built a comprehensive student life program. She taught business as an adjunct, developed and implemented educational classes and workshops in leadership and diversity, and facilitated the college’s statewide Student Leadership Academy.

Young-Smith volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for St. Joe County and as the 2^nd V.P. of Fund Development for the South Bend Chapter of 100 Black Women. She is a recent alumnus of Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka class 46 and serves on St. Vincent DePaul Society board.

She holds a Paralegal Studies degree from Ivy Tech Community College, a Bachelor in Business and Organizational Management from Goshen College, and a Masters in Public Administration with a minor in Human Resources from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership, Equity, and Inquiry from Illinois State University.

Young-Smith’s vision is to use her skills, education, and passion for serving others. Her goal is to bring a fresh perspective to the continuing good work of the Human Rights Commission. As the Executive Director of the South Bend Human Rights Commission, Young-Smith will work diligently to train and educate our community to help ensure that individuals feel like they belong.

**Crystal F. McCain**
*Employment Manager*
**Phone:** (574) 235-9320
**Email:** *cmccain@southbendin.gov*

**M. Diana Moya**
*Housing Manager*
**Phone:** (574) 235-9163
**Email:** *dmoya@southbendin.gov*

Human Rights Staff

Alyssa Alstott
Investigator
Phone: (574) 235-9425
Email: aalstott@southbendin.gov

Omeria Sibanda
Investigator
Phone: (574) 235-9409
Email: osibanda@southbendin.gov

Dietra Pickens
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (574) 235-9356
Email: dpickens@southbendin.gov

Marissa Hoffman
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (574) 235-9355
Email: mhoffman@southbendin.gov

	humanrights@southbendin.gov
	574-235-9355 Main Office 574-235-5567 TDD SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
	319 N. Niles Ave South Bend, Indiana 46617
	Office Hours: Monday: 8:00AM to 5:00PM Tuesday: 8:00AM to 5:00PM Wednesday: 8:00AM to 5:00PM Thursday: 8:00AM to 5:00PM Friday: 8:00AM to 5:00PM Please call for an appointment