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Home My WebLink AboutHRCMinutes_2023_01_12 Brookings Human Rights Commission Minutes Thursday, January 12, 2023 Brookings City/County Government 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); Dan Berg (online); Amanda Fickes (in person); Carla Gatzke (online); Emma Qurashi (student representative & behavioral health liaison – online); Casey Bell (city human resources & staff liaison – in person); Absent: Mark Johnson; Erica Moore; Marci Gebers (sheriff’s office liaison); Caleb Johnson (police liaison); Mikaela Neubauer (library liaison); Marjoanne Thompson (SDSU liaison); Michele Vande Weerd (school liaison) Guest: Behnoosh Amandi, Brookings Multi-Cultural Center Vice-chair Nagy called the meeting to order at 5:35 pm. Chair Thasing had a hoarse throat. Novotny moved, Berg seconded, to approve the agenda with the addition of approving the MLK winners. Motion passed. Fickes moved, Berg seconded, to approve the minutes of the December 20 meeting. Motion passed. OLD BUSINESS Educating Ourselves: Thasing would like each member to read the book Nice Racism. The library has a copy. Thasing is also reviewing various other materials that commission members can use as self study guides. MEI scorecard: Moore and several other individuals have raised questions about Brookings receiving a 100 score on the Municipal Equality Index while there are incidences of discrimination (suicide and bomb threats) occurring against the LGBTQ+ community. Novotny explained that the scorecard evaluates governmental ordinances, policies, and actions but does NOT survey the community to obtain “on the ground” experiences. Novotny was asked to give a presentation on the MEI at the next meeting. MLK Marade: The BHRC is a sponsor along with Visit Brookings, SDSU Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility, the American Indian Student Association, the Student Association Senate, the Black Student Alliance, Latin American Student Association, the Gender and Sexualities Association, and the International Dance Crew. The Martin Luther King Day celebration will occur in the Student Union on the King Holiday, January 16, starting at 11 am. The event will consist of speakers (including the MLK essay winners), a 1-mile marade walk around the campus, and refreshments. Working Groups: Membership was reviewed with several people signing up. There can be no more then 4 commission members on a working group to avoid having a quorum of members. There is no limit on the number of community members on a working group. The working group membership list will be distributed each month along with the agenda and minutes. NEW BUSINESS Annual Report: Our 6 goals and objectives were reviewed and discussed in preparation for our annual report to the City Council. • Update complaint process – This is still in progress and will not be entirely completed by the March City Council report. • Expand Partnering and Outreach  Add the MLK Marade to local partnering events  Since we have not been getting any response from the Rapid City HRC, we need to proceed with having a joint meeting of the Brookings, Vermillion, and Sioux Falls HRCs. • Follow up on Listening Sessions – some of the action items have been met but we still need to do followup on the remaining action items. • Enrich Community Education – no comments • Increase Media Presence  We had TV coverage of the new diversity signs  Refer to the recommendations made by the social media WG • Assess HRC Effectiveness  Instead of doing a HRC wide assessment, ask each working group to do establish goals and metrics and to access the effectiveness of each of their activities  We need to include both qualitative and quantitative metrics DEI Training :The training WG is tasked with recommending training materials for city employees and businesses. DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some entities are replacing DEI with JEDI, which is adding justice to the acronym. Bell asked members to send him suggestions of any especially effective training they've had at work or elsewhere. Drag Story: Concern was expressed about the false negative publicity regarding the SDSU drag show. The controversy has been inflamed by some right wing social media altering video of the recent drag show by inserting clips from previous shows depicting performers in scantily clad outfits and passing this off as to what was occurring at the Nov 16 show. A similar situation occurred with posters for the last Brookings Pride being altered online. The BHRC states that nothing sinister occurred at the drag show or at Brookings Pride and we encourage the public to show support for these events. Liaison Reports There were no reports. WORKING GROUPS Social Media/Communications: The HRC webpage on the city’s website needs updating. However, this needs to be conducted by the city’s IT person. BHRC members do not have access to the webpage. We can submit suggestions for updates which may take some time. Maybe links can be provided on the webpage to BHRC social media so people can obtain current information. BHRC had an Instagram account and a Twitter account. Need to check with Erinn Thomas about access to these. The WG would like to post informative articles and share postings on other organizations pages. The shared postings would be with organizations whose goals align with BHRC. The WG wants to create Facebook events to advertise BHRC meetings and activities. Common Read: Gatzke reported that the campus CR group has narrowed the list down to 2 possible books. She is endorsing the book that is most related to HRC goals. Trainings/Complaint Process: Moore is in the process of conducting a final review of the revised procedures. Africans in the Diaspora Cultural Awareness: MLK Essay Contest: There were only 4 entries in the essay contest all from Mickelson Middle School. Was this due to the winter weather and school closings that occurred? The WG needs to access how to obtain more involvement in future contests. The essay theme was “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Novotny moved, Fickes seconded, to approve the essay contest winners. Motion passed. 1st place ($100) Sanhita Tummala 6th grade 2nd place ($75) Sinan Briddick 7th grade 3rd place ($50) Finn Bartlett 8th grade MLK Poster Contest: Over a 100 posters were submitted. The poster theme was “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” Novotny moved, Fickes seconded, to approve the poster contest winners. Motion passed. GRADE K-1 1st place ($25) Kenlee Greve Medary 1st grade 2nd place ($15) Simon Arnold Medary kindergarten 3rd place ($10) Norah Miller Medary 1st grade GRADE 2-3 1st place ($25) Don Lin Medary 3rd grade 2nd place ($15) Juliette Bechmann Medary 3rd grade 3rd place ($10) Emily Vandersnick Medary 3rd grade GRADE 4-5 1st place ($25) Timothy Jin Camelot 4th grade 2nd place ($15) Kate Gayne Camelot 5th grade 3rd place ($10) Maria Koromyslova Camelot 5th grade ADVANCE 1st place ($25) Cole Collins 2nd place ($15) Maggie Stephens 3rd place ($10) Fred Jess Black History Month Film: Nagy obtained the license to show the DVD Race Amity: The Other Tradition which deals with working across race barriers. It was decided to show the DVD on Feb 11 at 3 pm at the Brookings Public Library; Feb 17 at 6 pm in the Community Room of the City/County Government Building; and Feb 26 at 1 pm in the East Side Fire Hall. We will need people to serve as moderators to lead discussion following the showing. A community discussion will be planned following the Feb 26 showing. The Sioux Falls Multi-Cultural Center is interested in partnering with BHRC to show the DVD in Sioux Falls. BUDGET The request to carry over $2700 from 2022 is being considered. Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 7:06 pm. Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder