HomeMy WebLinkAboutBHRCMinutes_2019_11_14
Brookings Human Rights Commission Notes
Thursday November 14, 2019
Brookings Public Library, Cooper Room B
Attendance: Hanna Holmquist (chair); Meagan Irvine-Miller (vice chair); Lawrence Novotny, (recorder);
Marilyn Hildreth; Jason Meusburger; Wren Murphy (student representative); Matt Rhodes (county
representative); Casey Bell (city human resources technician – staff liaison);
Absent: Kati Hanson; Penny Hauffe; Erinn Thomas; Marci Gebers (police liaison); Kas Williams (SDSU
liaison);Susan Rotert (city human resources director – staff liaison);
Guests: Mikaela Neubauer, Brookings Library community services coordinator
Chair Holmquist called the meeting to order at 12:03 pm.
Meusburger moved, Murphy seconded, to adopt the agenda. Motion passed.
Miller moved, Rhodes seconded, to approve the minutes of the October 11 meeting. Motion passed.
There were not any liaison reports.
EC/Staff Reports:
A vice-chair needs to be elected in December to take office in January.
Holmquist, Rhodes and Hildreth volunteered to serve on a selection committee.
Novotny agreed to continue as recorder.
Diversity Potluck
Novotny, Holmquist, Miller, and Murphy were the Commission members who attended the October 13 potluck.
Attendance was around 65 people which were mostly Caucasian. The attendees were engaging with one another
with the diversity bingo.
The potluck was held on Native American 3-day weekend and there was also a threat of an impending storm. Did
these factors affect the attendance or is the potluck becoming too stale of an event? We need to do a better job of
promotion.
The Children’s Museum in cooperation with the SD World Affairs Council is hosting a diversity event for
children on November 21.
Rhodes (serving as chair), Meusburger, Miller, and Neubauer will serve on a committee to evaluate the diversity
potluck and consider other diversity awareness events.
King Contest
Bell reported that an e-mail went to the schools announcing the King contest. He will deliver materials to the
schools on Dec 2. The BHCR website has been updated with the King contest information. A press release will
be sent out in early January.
Neubauer volunteered the Brookings Library as a space to display the posters.
January 17 was selected as the judging day. The poster judging committee will be Hildreth, Miller, Holmquist
and Hauffe. The essay judging committee will be Novotny, Musburger, Rhodes and Murphy.
Legislative
The MEI scores will be released on Nov 19. Brookings received a score of a 100 for the second year in a row. A
press release about this will be sent out.
Chris Cooke, the Human Rights Campaign’s regional representative will be visiting South Dakota and Brookings
on November 18. He wants to meet with as many representatives of the LGBTQ community as possible.
Novotny arranged a noon luncheon meeting at the Pheasant. (Note: Novotny and Hildreth represented the
BHRC at this luncheon meeting.)
A LGBTQ2S+ Coalition is being formed to focus on the 2020 legislative session. The Coalition is asking people
to meet with the local legislators prior to the legislative session. Novotny is working on arranging meetings with
Senator VJ Smith and Rep. Tim Reed.
Hildreth left at this point.
High School Diversity Event
The high school is organizing a diversity event along with the middle school. High school teacher Dan Berg is
the main organizer. The event will consist of booths and displays dealing with various cultures and will have
speakers on human rights issues. The scheduled date is Saturday, December 7 from 2-6 pm.
Rhodes is coordinating having a BHRC booth at the event. He is seeking ideas for the booth and volunteers to
assist.
Rhodes has reached out to the Midwest District Office in Chicago of the Federal Commission on Human Rights
to see what commission reps do.
Next meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, December 17.
Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 1:02 pm
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder