HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRCMinutes_2022_10_20
Brookings Human Rights Commission Minutes (unapproved)
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Brookings County Detention Center and Zoom Meeting App
Attendance: Nieema Thasing (chair -online); Dianne Nagy (vice-chair – in person); Lawrence Novotny,
(recorder and CLEAR Partners liaison– in person); Amanda Fickes (in person); Carla Gatzke (in
person); Emma Qurashi (student representative & behavioral health liaison – in person); Charlene
‘Charlie’ Ward (county representative & Disabilities Awareness Committee liaison– in person); Marty
Stanwick (sheriff liaison – in person); Margoanne Thompson (SDSU liaison – in person); Casey Bell
(city human resources & staff liaison – in person);
Absent: Dan Berg; Erica Moore; Marci Gebers (sheriff’s office liaison); Caleb Johnson (police liaison);
Mikaela Neubauer (library liaison); Bruce Pengra (sustainability council liaison); Michele Vande Weerd
(school liaison)
Guest: Jay Malick, SDSU Multi-Cultural Center
Chair Thasing called the meeting to order at 5:32 pm.
Introductions were made.
Amanda Fickes is a new member of the BHRC. She is a social worker with Sanford Health Systems in
Sioux Falls but lives in Brookings.
Carla Gatzke is a new member of the BHRC. She is the human resource director at Daktronics.
Marjoanne Thompson is a staff member in the SDSU Multicultural Center and the new SDSU liaison.
Jay Malick is a staff member in the SDSU Multicultural Center.
Bell will be conducting an orientation for the new members.
Nagy moved, Ward seconded, to approve the agenda with the addition of working group reports and
county representative. Motion passed.
Nagy moved, Ward seconded, to approve the minutes of the September 15 meeting with a typo
correction. Motion passed with Fickes and Gatzke abstaining. Nagy had a concern about this sentence
in the minutes The agencies will be distributing a pamphlet on how to act when stopped by law
enforcement. This will be discussed at the next meeting.
Liaison Reports:
Sheriff’s Office (Stanwick): Law enforcement are preparing for Hobo Days. With the new jail
facilities, correctional officers are working on developing programming for inmates. Some of the
proposed programs are: GED classes, re-entry classes, college applications, language courses, anxiety
management, Native American peacepipe ceremony. The jail is in need of books for its library.
Disabilities Awareness Committee (Ward): A new slate of officers was elected and installed.
Brookings Inclusive Collaborative: The community dialogues have concluded. All of the participants
will have a gathering on November 01? at the library.
Brookings Economic Development Master Plan (Nagy) —The contractor drafting the Brookings
Community Economic Development Master Plan identified 10 things they've learned from stakeholder
groups, one of which was: DIVERSITY IS WHAT MAKES BROOKINGS GREAT. They supported
this claim with: "Almost 12% of Brookings residents are people of color; the number growing by 26% in
the last five years. Cultural initiatives, ethnic products, and a celebration of indigenous roots would
promote inclusion in Brookings."
The contractor also drafted the following goals. Strategies that may connect to HRC's work are
identified below.
1. We will attract investment to grow Brookings’ economy and create generational prosperity (new
businesses and jobs)
2. We will build Brookings into the premier entrepreneurial community in America’s Heartland
(support small local businesses)
a. Adaptable commercial space (pop up black hair salon?)
3. We will bring passionate innovators, academics, and investors together to create a sustainably-
focused innovation hub (new start-ups)
4. We will invest in the diverse talent that will fuel the future of our community
a Expand BATA, childcare, housing, city-wide DEI initiative
5 We will promote and celebrate Brookings as an extraordinary destination for families,
professionals, students, and visitors of all walks.
a. Destination experiences (Juneteenth, Pride, and other HRC events?)
6. We will promote Brookings’s story
a Community ambassador program (Butler awardees?)
Working Groups and old business:
Common Read (Ward): 62 attended the showing of the film PRIDE at Brookings Theatre on October
15. About 10% of the attendees were community members. The rest were students – some of whom
left about 5-10 minutes after the film started (they showed only to get registered to receive credit).
Notes submitted by Mikaela Neubauer: Neubauer and Nagy lead the discussion. The discussion was
lackluster. There were few participants (~12). It was like pulling teeth to get students to talk. Neubauer
spent a long while at work watching, reading, and compiling questions/resources for very little payoff,
so maybe we need to rethink the discussion. We could make it more of an obligation than an
opportunity…kind of make it clear that the discussion is part of the event and we’d lie everyone’s input,
rather than saying “stick around if you like”.
Free tickets to the Griffith lecture on November 1 were distributed.
LGBTQ (Novotny): The Brookings Inclusive Collaborative is showing the film Out In Rural America
with discussion by the filmmaker Fiona Willis (lives in Custer SD) at the SD Art Museum on November
9 at 7 pm.
Training (Bell): The WG will be meeting with the city attorney at the end of October to do a final
review.
Black Culture Awareness (Thasing): They is some initial conversation about planning next year’s
Juneteenth event.
Indigenous Peoples (Nagy on behalf of Moore): An event will be held at Mickelson Middle School on
Saturday, November 19, from 11-4. The event will have Indian taco sales and a drum group. A
promotional flier is being developed. The executive committee instead of the entire commission will
give approval of the flier. The WG will be doing fundraising to pay for the event. Rental of the school
is $600 plus a janitorial fee of $30/hour.
Budget
Bell distributed copies of the budget. Juneteenth expenses totaled $948.97. Common Read expenses
totaled $1073.08. Theatre rental was $200. The licensing fee for the film was $750 since we had
reserved to show it in two theatres (it cost an additional $250 for the second screening which resulted in
an unnecessary expense). The previous year’s film showing was in a 150 seat theatre which filled to
capacity. Therefore we planned to use two theatres this year (which was not needed). We need to
evaluate the high cost of the common read event versus the participation.
New Business
MLK Marade: Malack and Thompson distributed copies of a proposal. The SDSU Office of
Multicultural Affairs is proposing to partner with the BHRC, local businesses and the community to
collectively honor Dr. King’s legacy. SDSU is hoping to create an annual event – the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Rally and Marade (March/Parade) in Brookings. The Marade is planned for MLK holiday on
January 16, 2023. The Marade will occur on campus and will involve campus speakers. It is planned
that future Marades will move into the Brookings community.
Qurashi left at this point.
MLK contest: Malack is asking that the winners of the MLK essay contest speak at the Marade. This
means that the contest materials and info need to be distributed to the schools this fall with submissions
possibly due after the holiday break and judging occurring during the first two weeks of January.
Malack is also proposing that the contest be expanded to include all of Brookings County schools
(Elkton, Volga, White).
Gatzke left at this point.
Thompson volunteered to join the black culture awareness WG which currently consists of Thasing and
Nagy. The WG oversees the MLK contest.
As part of the Marade project, Malick is proposing the purchasing of long sleeve imprinted shirts
(estimated cost $5400) and acrylic plaques to recognize contributors (estimated cost $1250). Malick
also provided a listing of potential organizations, individuals, and businesses to be invited to become
sponsors of the Marade and MLK contest. Plaques will recognize the level of sponsorship. It was my
understanding that Malick is seeking the assistance of BHRC to help with soliciting sponsors.
County Representative:
Charlie Ward’s term expires at the end of December. She will not be renewing due to graduate school
commitment. The county commission will be advertising for a replacement.
Adjourn:
Discussion of pamphlets and DEI training was postponed to a future meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 7:13 pm.
Sheriff Stanwick gave a tour of the new Brookings County Detention Facility.
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder