HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRCMinutes_2020_12_15Brookings Human Rights Commission Notes
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
The meeting was held online via GoToMeeting
Attendance: Meagan Irvine-Miller (chair); Matt Rhodes (county representative & vice-chair); Lawrence
Novotny, (recorder); Dan Berg; Hanna Holmquist; Jason Meusburger; Marilyn Hildreth; Zahra Najl; Nieema
Thasing; Erinn Thomas; Roger DeGroot (school liaison); Casey Bell (city human resources technician & staff
liaison)
Absent: Shedrick Flournoy (student representative); Marci Gebers (police liaison); Keith Theroux (police liaison;
Kas Williams (SDSU liaison);
Chair Irvine-Miller called the meeting to order at 4 pm.
Members introduced themselves. Nieema Thasing replaces Kati Hanson who resigned. Zahra Najl will replace
Hanna Holmquist whose term ends this month.
Hildreth moved, Holmquist seconded, to adopt the agenda. Motion passed.
Rhodes moved, Meusburger seconded, to approve the minutes of the November 18 meeting. Motion passed.
Elections:
Holmquist (the nominations committee) reported that Meusburger expressed interest in becoming the vice-chair.
Thasing announced that she also was interested but then withdrew her name. Hildreth moved, Thasing seconded,
that Jason Meusburger be elected vice-chair for 2021. All voted aye with Meusburger abstaining.
Hildreth moved, Thasing seconded, that Matt Rhodes be officially elected chair for 2021. All voted aye with
Rhodes abstaining.
Liaison Expectations:
Novotny and Hildreth submitted the revised draft document outlining the role of liaisons to BHRC and how the
liaisons will be selected. An application form was also submitted. The 50% permitted absentee rate was
questioned. Suggestions were made regarding the application form. The documents will be revised and
submitted at the next meeting.
MLK contest
Irwin-Miller distributed a proposed press release and poster regarding the essay contest. The theme is a quote
from Martin Luther King, Jr.: There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic,
nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.
There will not be a poster contest this year due to concerns with handling posters during the COVID pandemic.
The reason for cancelling the poster contest needs to be stated in the press release.
Thasing suggested that in the future the poster contest also be opened up to the higher grade levels since some
students have better skills expressing themselves visually than through writing.
Rhodes sent an e-mail about the contest to Superintendent Willert. He has not responded. DeGroot will visit with
Willert about him promoting the essay contest in the schools.
Thasing would like to see Black History month (February) observed in the schools.
Consensus was to have the students write an essay on either MLK and/or black history using the selected theme.
The submission deadline was moved from January 15 to February 19. Irwin-Miller and Rhodes will redraft the
press release and submit to BHRC for approval yet this month so the contest announcements can be distributed to
the schools at the beginning of the January term.
Bystander Intervention Training
Hildreth has a Zoom meeting scheduled with the Minnesota Diversity Council tomorrow. She invited BHRC
members to participate. (Note: Najl and Novotny participated.)
Liaison Reports:
DeGroot reported that the school system is very pleased with community support in keeping COVID infections
low. He is hoping that teachers will be given a higher priority to receive the vaccine. He stated that some kids
who are doing remote classes are failing.
Listening Sessions
Follow-up on action items from Black listening session: Irwin-Miller meet with Andrew Sloss, the new CEO of
Brookings Economic Development Corp. Working on diversity in the workforce is one of his main priorities.
Will see how we can work together.
Follow-up on action items from Hispanic/Latinx listening session: Hildreth obtained information on city and
county governments issuing ID cards to immigrants which would help them with financial and medical
institutions. This needs further research.
Novotny will be organizing a listening session for the LGBTQ+ community in January/February.
There is some discussion with the City Manager about issuing a press release on the listening sessions.
Staff Reports:
Dakota News came to Brookings on December 12 to interview Novotny, Irwin-Miller, Rhodes, and Councilor
Holly Tilton-Byrne about Brookings achieving a 100 MEI score for 3 years in a row. Link to the news story:
https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2020/12/13/brookings-scores-100-on-mei-for-third-year-in-a-row/
Holmquist was thanked for her service on the BHRC.
Irwin-Miller expressed it was a pleasure to serve as chair for 2 years.
Next meeting will be determined by Doodle poll.
Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 5:03 pm.
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder