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[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: jdudek@greenburghny.com ]
HEY, GOOD.I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA HAVE THE, UH, JUST THANK YOU TO THE TOWN BOARD FOR THIS, FOR THE, IT IS, IT'S GREEN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU ALL.
UM, YOU WANT IT CLOSER? UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, UH, AND YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANTED DO BEFORE ANYTHING IS TO EXPRESS OUR SINCEREST DEEPEST CONDOLENCES FOR THE LOSS TO YOUR COLLECTIVE FAMILY, AND OF COURSE TO THE FAMILY OF COUNCILMAN SHEEN.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS LOSS HAS, UH, DEEPLY AFFECTED THE LEADERSHIP OF GREENBERG AND GREENBERG AT LARGE.
SO DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO YOU.
UM, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT AND YOUR FAITH IN, UM, OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITY TO FORWARD RACE EQUITY IN GREENBERG.
AND, UH, YOUR EXPRESSION OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS DIFFICULT WORK, THAT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE AND RACE EQUITY ARE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, UM, TRIGGERING, UM, CAN TAKE US IN ANY DIFFERENT NUMBER OF DIRECTIONS.
AND SO WE WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND ALSO WE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY, UH, THE WORK THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE BEEN DOING.
UM, AND WE ARE HERE, UH, AS YOUR PARTNERS TO SUPPORT YOU IN FORWARDING THAT WORK.
UM, I AM, WE, I THINK YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW US.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY ON ZOOM, UM, REVEREND LANE COBB, THIS IS JILL STERNBERG, MARY ANI, ANIQUE WILLIAMS, AND COLLEEN BRA.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, UM, FOR THE PAST OVER A YEAR ON THIS.
WHAT WE WANNA DO TODAY IS OFFER YOU A HISTORICAL RECAP OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE SEE OURSELVES GOING.
UH, SOME EMERGING THEMES OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, UH, GREENBERG RESIDENTS WHO WE'VE BEEN IN, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH.
UM, WE WANNA TALK A BIT ABOUT, UH, COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY, UH, WHAT RACIAL EQUITY ACTUALLY MEANS, AND WHAT, UM, WHAT YOUR COMMITMENT HAS BEEN EVIDENCED BY SOME WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND THEN WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN MOVING FORWARD, AND WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT STEPS.
SO WE HAVE ALSO, UM, COMPILE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME ACTUAL, FROM SOME ACTIONS, UH, THAT ARE RESULTS ORIENTED.
UH, AND THEN WE WANT TO, UH, ENGAGE YOU IN DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN GET YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SAID, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT ALSO TO REALLY HEAR ABOUT WHAT YOUR VISION MIGHT BE AND WHAT YOUR, UM, TAKE IS ON, UH, RACE EQUITY IN GREENBURG.
AND THEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
AT THIS POINT, I WANT TO TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO, UH, JILL.
AND I, I ALSO WANNA REITERATE, UM, HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR THE TIME THAT YOU'VE ALLOCATED TO MEET WITH US THIS EVENING ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE UP TO DATE WITH THE PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, WANNA START OUT BY SAYING, AND I'M REALIZING, UM, THAT THE TWO OF YOU CAN'T SEE THIS, UH, SCREEN.
SO I'LL, I'LL, UM, READ A LITTLE MORE THAN I HAD.
CAN YOU GET IT ON? SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL IF YOU DID GET IT ON.
DO WE NEED TO HOLD ON FOR A SECOND SO YOU CAN GET IT ON? CAN YOU HOLD ON FOR A SECOND? I HAVE TO SEND IT TO MYSELF 'CAUSE THIS IS THE BETTER SCREEN.
ACTUALLY, THIS PART IS PRETTY SIMPLE, SO I, I CAN, UM, YEAH.
NOT A LOT TO READ, SO I WILL, UM, READ IT.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE PUBLIC GREENBURG, PUBLIC LIBRARY, CHRIST TEMPLE, WOODLANDS COMMUNITY TEMPLE FIRST COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH, THE LEY MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE, AND THE DOBBS FERRY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'VE HAD MANY MORE CONVERSATIONS THAN, THAN THAT, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE THE, THE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH US FOR THE CIRCLES TODAY.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, UM, OF OUR TIMELINE, UM, THE BOARD ENDORSED THIS PROJECT IN OCTOBER, 2023.
I'M SORRY, I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT SOMETHING PROCEDURALLY, WE DID NOT OPEN THIS MEETING.
WE DID NOT, WE DID NOT OPEN THIS MEETING.
SO,
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HONESTLY,TODAY'S DATE IS SEPTEMBER 25TH.
THE TIME NOW IS SIX 13, BUT WE DID START A LITTLE EARLIER.
UH, SO WE DO APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, NOT FOLLOWING PROCEDURE.
UM, SO AGAIN, IF YOU GUYS CAN CONTINUE.
SO, THE GREENBERG RESTORATIVE CIRCLE PROJECT, UM, BEGAN, UM, BEFORE OCTOBER, 2023, BUT WE CAME TO YOU IN OCTOBER, UM, TO REALLY TRY TO BUILD A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOARD TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES OF RACIAL EQUITY IN THE TOWN THAT, UH, LED THEM, UM, SELVES TO REPEATED KIND OF TENSIONS AMONG OUR, OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, TO DATE, WE'VE FACILITATED NINE COMMUNITY LISTENING CIRCLES WITH THE PARTNERS, SEVEN PARTNERS THAT I MENTIONED.
UM, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP MORE CIRCLES.
IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF $5,000 TO HELP US IN THIS WORK.
WE, UM, EXCEPT FOR ANIQUE, WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND HAVE, UM, BEEN SHEPHERDING THIS PROJECT AS VOLUNTEERS AND FOUND WE REALLY NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO, UM, KEEP OUR MOMENTUM UP.
AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE 2000 THAT THE TOWN SUP SUPPORTED US.
UM, AS WELL, WE MET WITH YOU ALL IN APRIL AND GAVE A REPORT OF WHAT WE HAD LEARNED THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND OF CIRCLES THAT WE HAD CONDUCTED.
UM, I THINK WE PROVIDED YOU WITH A POWERPOINT FROM THAT MEETING.
UM, AND WE MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT THE BOARD COULD DO TO FORWARD RACE EQUITY IN GREENBURG BASED ON WHAT WAS BEING SHARED WITH US IN THE CIRCLES.
AND ALSO, UM, BASED ON OUR BACKGROUND DOING RACIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION, DEI WORK AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WORK.
UM, AT, AT THAT MEETING, WE ASKED FOR, FOR THREE THINGS.
WE ASKED, UM, FOR DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
UH, WE ASKED FOR CONTACTS TO HELP US WITH OUTREACH, UM, WHAT RESOURCES YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS AND FAITH COMMUNITIES IN THE TOWN, AS WELL AS, UM, ACCESS, UM, INFORMATION ON HOW TO REACH GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS.
AND WE ASKED FOR A LONGER MEETING WITH YOU, UM, TO HAVE MORE DEEP DISCUSSION AND REALLY LOOK AT HOW THIS INITIATIVE CAN INDEED HELP THE TOWN ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY, UM, BEYOND THE CIRCLES.
AND WE WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THIS EVENING, TO HAVE THIS LONGER MEETING TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A, A NECESSITY FOR US TO HAVE RESULTS.
THE, THE TOWN, WHICH WE'LL GO INTO SHORTLY, HAS DONE A LOT.
UM, AND YET THE OUTCOMES, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT RACIAL, UM, FACTORS, THE OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE DOESN'T CHANGE A LOT.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, SINCE WE MET, UM, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RESIDENTS AND LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE ARE DISCUSSING HOW THESE CIRCLES CAN MAKE AN IMPACT BEYOND, UM, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND, AND FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS AND LISTENING AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IT'S REALLY BECOME CLEAR THAT WE WANT TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO DRIVE PARTICIPATION, TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY BEYOND THE CIRCLES, AND TO DEVELOP CONCRETE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS ISSUES AROUND GREAT RACE EQUITY.
UM, WE ARE REPEATEDLY ASKED, UM, WHEN WE REACH OUT TO LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT'S THE PLAN AFTER THE CIRCLES? HOW IS THIS WORK WITH THE TOWN BOARD GOING TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT WILL ACTUALLY LEAD TO CHANGE IN OUR TOWN AROUND RACE EQUITY? SO THAT'S REALLY, UM, WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.
UM, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO US BEYOND THAT ARE, UM, THE NEED FOR GREATER ACCESS TO THE LEAD TOWN LEADERSHIP.
UM, PEOPLE IN THE SENSE OF SAYING, DOES THE BOARD EVEN CARE OR KNOW ABOUT US, UH, WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE? UM, DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS, UM, ESPECIALLY BIPOC RESIDENTS FEELING DISRESPECTED, NOT HEARD AND NOT SERVED, UM, UNIVERSALLY IN THE CIRCLES.
PEOPLE WANT MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIRCLES, FOR RESTORATIVE CIRCLES
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TO LOOK AT, UM, ISSUES OF RACE AND EQUITY AND EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, LOCAL POLITICS.UM, HOW DO WE FORM A MORE INTEGRATED, MULTIRACIAL COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE'S NEEDS ARE MET.
AND, UM, ANTI-RACISM EDUCATION FOR HAVING A STANDARD, UM, OF, UM, INTRODUCTION TO RACISM AND BIAS AND ANTI-RACISM, EDUCATION FOR THE TOWN LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEES.
HOW, THE QUESTION BEING, HOW IS THE TOWN MEETING THE EVOL NEEDS OF AN EVOLVING COMMUNITY? WE JUST WANNA LIFT UP WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR THE TOWN.
OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE CHANGING.
UM, THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY IS MORE VI VOLATILE.
THERE'S GROWING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, UM, LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND, UM, THE, THESE ISSUES ARE, ARE ALL, UM, THINGS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE CIRCLES, BUT NEED MORE THAN JUST CIRCLES TO ADDRESS THEM.
THAT'S THE CIRCLES CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE UNDERSTANDING, AND GIVE US A SENSE OF DIRECTION.
BUT WE NEED TO GO BEYOND THAT, UM, TO REALLY CONFRONT THE ISSUES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES FACE.
AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA OFFER UP A DE DEFINITION OF RACE EQUITY, WHICH WE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS LATER, UM, UH, AFTER WE FINISH THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, WE WANNA PUT FORTH THAT RACIAL EQUITY IS A CONDITION THAT WOULD BE ACHIEVED AS ONE'S RACIAL IDENTITY NO LONGER PREDICTED IN A STA STATISTICAL SENSE HOW ONE FARES.
SO THE OUTCOMES OF PROGRAMS AND POLICIES, UM, WOULD NOT HAVE A DIFFERENT IMPACT BASED ON YOUR RACE.
AND THAT RACIAL EQUITY IS A POS PROCESS OF ELIMINATING RACIAL DISPARITIES AND IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE.
IT IS THE INTENTIONAL AND CONTINUAL PRACTICE OF CHANGING POLICIES, PRACTICES, SYSTEMS, AND STRUCTURES BY PRIORITIZING MEASURABLE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK TO LANE.
SO WE WANTED TO ACTUALLY LIFT UP AND ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, WHAT THE TOWN BOARD HAS ALREADY DONE AROUND RACE EQUITY.
YOU, UM, HAVE DONE SOME, UM, A FEW LANDMARK ACTIONS AROUND THIS.
ONE OF THEM WAS THE BLACK LIVES MATTER RESOLUTION PASSED IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING HERE IS NOT STUFF THAT IS NEW TO YOU, LIKE THE STUFF THAT JILL JUST SAID.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, WE WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HIGHLIGHTED IN THE SLIDES REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU YOURSELF HAVE KIND OF SAID, YES, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS.
UM, AND, UH, BUT TO, UH, CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE, WELCOMING AND SAFE COMMUNITY, UH, IN WHICH BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES CAN THRIVE, UM, IS ESSENTIAL TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND SO, UH, ALSO THE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM PROJECT, UH, THAT GINA LED, THANK YOU.
AND AROUND LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK THAT IS STILL GOING ON.
I KNOW THE TASK FORCE IS STILL MEETING, UM, MY CO-CHAIR WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE.
LYNN GOODMAN IS A PART OF THAT TASK FORCE AND HAPPY TO DO THE WORK.
AND WHAT YOU SAY THERE, HERE IS WITH DILIGENT WORK, GREENBERG CAN BECOME THE ANTI-RACIST MODEL FOR EVERY OTHER TOWN IN EMILY.
AND SO, JUST THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, YEAH, THIS TAKES WORK MM-HMM,
LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES, UH, TAKES ACTION, IT TAKES PLANNING, AND IT TAKES KIND OF EVERYBODY HERE, UM, EVERYBODY, UH, TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO REALLY MAKE, UH, AN IMPACT HERE THAT LASTS.
UH, AND YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN THE HOUSING DEPART, UH, REPORT THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT HISTORIC POLICIES OF SYSTEMIC RACISM CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
EVEN THOUGH MANY LOCAL LAWS, POLICIES, AND INVESTMENTS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAVE HAD POSITIVE IMPACTS, WE STILL SEE, UH, THE, HIS HISTORIC IMPACT OF RACISM.
AND THEN, UH, IN 2022, UM, YOUR RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN, UM, CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM, WE ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZE THAT THOUGH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RACE EQUITY.
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ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO, UH, TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES AND OPPRESSION THAT IS, UH, SUFFERED BY ALL MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT FAITHS, DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT RACES WHERE THERE'S NO ONE GROUP.
UH, IT'S NOT HELPFUL FOR ONE GROUP TO SAY, MY OPPRESSION IS WORSE THAN YOUR OPPRESSION.
RIGHT? THE OPPRESSION OLYMPICS NEVER.
AND SO, UM, TO GET BEYOND THE FINGER POINTING, TO GET BEYOND THE KIND OF PUTTING OUT FIRES, UM, AND, UH, WE MUST REALLY KIND OF BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER, UH, AROUND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE.
SO WE JUST WANNA REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, THAT ANTI-BLACK BIAS AND ANTISEMITISM ARE JUST TWO, UH, UH, ISSUES OF, OF OPPRESSION, BUT ISLAMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA AND, YOU KNOW, ANTI-IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND BIAS AGAINST MIGRANTS AND, UH, BIAS AGAINST PEOPLE OF ASIAN DESCENT, ALL OF THESE THINGS, UM, HAVE A HAND IN THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG.
AND SO, UH, THE GREENBURG RESTORATIVE CIRCLE PROJECT OFFERS EVERYONE A COMPASSIONATE SPACE TO, UH, SHARE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TO BE HEARD AND SEEN, AND HAVE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE ACKNOWLEDGED SO THAT WE CAN LIFT UP EACH OTHER'S HUMANITY AND THEN COLLABORATE ON SOLUTIONS THAT, UM, CAN MAKE AN IMPACT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE HAD SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WHEN WE MET WITH YOU LAST TIME.
AND TWO OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, ACTUALLY, WE, WE STILL FEEL LIKE THOSE ARE THE BEST, UH, THINGS FOR FORWARD ACTION.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE UNDOING RACISM, UM, UH, WORKSHOP IS SOMETHING THAT SEVERAL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS LOOKED INTO AND KIND OF SAID, I CAN'T TAKE THAT MUCH TIME.
AND SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING CALLED AN APPETIZER, WHICH IS, UH, HOW MANY HOURS IS IT, COLLEEN? TWO, TWO TO FOUR, I BELIEVE.
SO TWO TO FOUR HOURS A MEETING A WEEK, OR NO, NO, IT'S JUST A SINGLE OH ONE MEETING.
SO YOU GET A TASTE FOR WHAT THE THREE DAY TRAINING WOULD BETTER THAN, BUT YOU'RE NOT RIGHT.
A TASTE IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.
YOU'RE NOT COVERING THE THREE DAYS, BUT YOU GETTING A SAMPLE, GETTING A SAMPLE OF IT.
UH, THE OTHER WAS, UH, TO JOIN GARE, WHICH IS THE GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE AND EQUITY, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH ALREADY.
UM, WE, UH, WOULD LIKE YOU TO, WE, WE DID DISCUSS HOSTING REGULAR LISTENING CIRCLES WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT WAS EARLY ON WHEN I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND WHEN KEN WAS ALSO, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT SOMETHING CONCRETE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE KIND OF SAYING, OH, WE WANT MORE ACCESS TO THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, WE, WE WOULD CERTAINLY, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANT THIS DEEP, DEEPER PARTNERSHIP WITH US, THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A REGULAR MEETING, WOULD BE HELPFUL TO MOVE THESE ISSUES FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA SUPPORT YOU WITH THESE ACTIVITIES.
WE KNOW THAT THIS TAKES PLANNING.
WE KNOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
AND WE, WE WANT TO, UH, SUPPORT YOU IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
SO WE CAN MEET NEXT YEAR OR NEXT MONTH AND NOT BE IN THE SAME PLACE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, AND WE'RE WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD HAVE A BOARD LIAISON.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A LIAISON FOR, FOR, FOR GRCP SO THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING WITH ONE PERSON AND THAT PERSON? SO IT MAKES, DOES MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE USEFUL AS IT WOULD WORK WITH OTHER COMMITTEES IN THE TOWN.
AND THEN, UH, A LIAISON TO SUPPORT OUTREACH, AS JILL WAS SAYING ABOUT HOW DO WE REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THE TOWN SO THAT WE ARE NOT KIND OF TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT IN THE BACK.
YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION.
THIS IS A TOWN SPONSORED PROJECT OR A TOWN ENDORSED PROJECT.
SO IS THAT TWO LIAISONS, OR WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? IT COULD BE THE SAME PERSON.
IF WE GO THROUGH ONE PERSON FIRST AND TELL THAT PERSON WHAT WE NEED.
I WAS THINKING THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT THE UNDOING RACISM, APPETIZER, AND I THINK MAYBE I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO, I REMEMBER, UM, IN OUR LAST MEETING, UM, MR. FINER WAS SAYING, YEAH, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT IF SOMEBODY'S A RACIST? IS THIS GONNA HELP THEM? OR WHATEVER? LIKE, WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE THINK YOU'RE RACIST.
RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
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UH, YOU KNOW, UM, SORRY, I LOST MY PLACE.UM, I DON'T THINK I NEED MY PLACE ACTUALLY BE, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE, I'M LIKE, FORGET ABOUT IT.
I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BECAUSE, SO, BECAUSE HIDDEN BIAS IS HIDDEN, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY EVERYTHING THAT IS INFORMING US, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A BROADER VIEW.
AND SO ALL OF US HERE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE COURSE OFFERINGS FOR MANY YEARS.
WE CAN SPEAK TO THE EFFICACY OF THE MATERIAL AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COURSE.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DO KNOW WHO IS AN ADVOCATE OF THE UNDOING RACISM WORKSHOP IS, UM, LEYS MAYOR NANCY KABUL.
AND SHE IS ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE'VE CON CONVENED A CIRCLE WITH HER LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO DO MORE CIRCLES WITH HER LEADERSHIP TEAM.
UM, AND, UM, THEY HAVE SEVERAL OF HER ADVISORS AND STAFF AND HERSELF HAVE DONE THE WORKSHOP AND SHE DOES CREDIT IT WITH HER BEING ABLE TO TAKE A MORE INFORMED VIEWPOINT, RIGHT? REGARDING, UM, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, HELPING HER VIEW HER LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS THROUGH AN ANTI-RACIST LENS, RIGHT? WHICH HELPS LEADERS LIKE YOURSELF TO BE SURE YOU'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF TRADITIONALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE CALLED ON TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE GO WITH WHAT WE KNOW ALREADY, WHICH IS A HUMAN RESPONSE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO KIND OF MOVE THE BALL FORWARD, BUT ALSO TO, UM, TO INCREASE AWARENESS.
UH, AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE MORE ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THAT, UH, IN DISCUSSION WE CAN FIND OUT WHERE YOU, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
'CAUSE WE REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
I THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY REALLY INTERESTING TO SPEAK WITH NANCY ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE.
UM, MYSELF JUST PERSONALLY, BECAUSE, UM, I'M, I'M FROM THE VILLAGE OF DOPPS FERRY.
I KNOW THAT YOU PRESENTED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, AND DID YOU ENGAGE WITH THE TRUSTEES AS WELL? WE'RE PLANNING.
WE'RE PLANNING A, A CIRCLE WITH THE TRUSTEES AND THE DIVERSITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, AND THEN A BROADER, UM, CAMPAIGN IN THE VILLAGE.
AND I KNOW THAT NANCY HAS REALLY CONNECTED WITH THIS, AND I, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW, AS A MUNICIPAL OFFICIAL, SHE'S MADE THINGS HAPPEN.
I REALLY, REALLY WOULD WANT, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
AND I KNOW SHE'D BE HAPPY TO TALK.
SO, UH, WE CAN HELP YOU SCHEDULE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, NEXT STEPS THAT FOR NEXT STEPS THAT GOES ON THE LIST, RIGHT? I KNOW YOU CAN HANDLE IT YOURSELF, BUT IT HELPS TO HAVE IT LISTEN, ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S LIKE THINGS GET IN THE WAY.
SO GA YOU KNOW, I JUST TOOK THIS IMAGE OFF OF THEIR WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, GARE, UH, IT REALLY IS HELPING GOVERNMENTS AND, AND MUNICIPALITIES TO, TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AROUND RACE EQUITY.
RIGHT? AND TO OFFER A FRAMEWORK OF THINGS THAT WORK SO THAT MUNICIPALITIES ARE DOING THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY BEEN PROVING TO WORK INSTEAD OF LIKE, SHOOTING IN THE DARK ABOUT THINGS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY MUCH EXCUSED, THAT PUN.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, UM, IT'S KIND OF ORGANIZED AND IT HELPS TO PRE, PRE PRESENT THINGS IN A FORMAT AND A STRUCTURE THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT AND SAY, THAT COULD WORK FOR OUR TOWN, RIGHT? RATHER THAN STARTING FROM SCRATCH AND TRYING TO BUILD THINGS.
AND SO, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL, UH, OBJECTIVES THAT, THAT, THAT GERE MIGHT HELP, UH, TO ACHIEVE.
PROMOTING EQUITY AND REDUCING DISPARITIES, PROVIDING GUIDANCE, EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, OR WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UH, AND TO PRODUCE MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH WOULD BE GREAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WANNA RE A MORE RESULTS BASED APPROACH.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY.
THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT, UM, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, EVEN THOUGH IT IS ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, RIGHT? IT IS ABOUT EVERYONE IN GREENBERG.
UM, AND THEN HELPING TO RESOLVE ISSUES ROOTED IN BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION WE HAVE, RIGHT? WE HAVE RECURRING ISSUES HERE THAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO PUT THEIR HAND UP AND SAY, BUT THAT'S RACIST.
AND SO IF THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN HELP YOU, UM, THEN THIS IS IT.
UM, SO SOME OF THE TOOLS, UH, ARE HERE.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THESE.
UM, WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS INFORMATION'S ON THE WEBSITE.
ELLEN, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS BECAUSE WESTCHESTER COUNTY, UM, HAS JOINED GEAR.
WE WANNA TALK, UH, A BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS OF, UH, RESULTS, UH, ORIENTED APPROACH.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO DISCUSSION.
SO WE, WE, WE SEE THIS THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH YOU ALL.
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YOU, YOU NEED, YOU NEED SUPPORT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.SO TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK INTO THE LISTENING AND TRANSFORM YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, RATHER THAN JUST SAY, WELL, THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM.
WE TRIED, RIGHT? SO THERE'S, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU ARE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S MASSAGING TO BE DONE, RIGHT? SO TO HELP IN CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, LIKE PEOPLE WHO NOW DON'T ENGAGE WITH GOVERNMENT, WE WANT PEOPLE TO ENGAGE MORE, RIGHT? SO THE MORE INFORMATION AND THE MORE AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE LEADS TO MORE EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS, IT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER.
UM, AND ALSO FOR THE RESIDENTS ON ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE, NOT JUST FOR THEM, BUT FOR YOU AS WELL.
BECAUSE LESS STRIFE, LESS MISUNDERSTANDING, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND CONVERSATION THAT IS GENERATIVE RATHER THAN FINGER POINTING AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN.
UM, AND THEN OVERALL, JUST MAKING GREENBERG A MORE DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
SO THAT'S, UM, SO, SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, AND WE'D LIKE TO ENGAGE YOU IN DISCUSSION.
AND I'M GONNA OUT ACTUALLY TURN THIS BACK OVER TO JILL, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.
TEXTED PAUL, DID HE GET, HE SAID HE'D BE HERE ABOUT SIX 30.
UM, ONE JUST POINT FOR US, HOW DID WE LEAVE IT? UH, WHEN WE, YOU RECOMMENDED WE JOIN GAR? WE DID NOT.
RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK ANY ACTION WAS TAKEN.
I MEAN, I'D BE GLAD TO MAKE AN ENTREE IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
I KNOW SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED THERE, SO I'D BE GLAD TO MAKE AN ENTREE FOR YOU.
UH, JILL, SHOULD I FINISH? I'M GONNA STOP SHARING THIS, RIGHT? DOES THAT WORK? OKAY.
YOU WANNA JUST TAKE ONE OF THOSE? PASS YOU HAVE ONE? OKAY.
YOU, SO AS I ASKED BEFORE WE GOT STARTED, UM, I ASKED IF WE COULD USE A, A TALKING PIECE, UH, FOR THIS PORTION, UM, JUST AS IT'S A WAY TO HELP REGULATE THE CONVERSATION.
SO WE, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THE TALKING PIECE, IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE TALKING PIECE, IT'S YOUR TURN TO LISTEN AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO LISTEN, UM, FROM THE HEART AND THE GUT AND THE HEAD.
SO TO BRING OUR FULL SELVES TO THE CONVERSATION.
AND THIS JUST ALLOWS US TO DO THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND, UM, I HAD THE SAME REACTION WHEN I WAS GIVE, WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS TALKING PIECE A HAMMER.
AND THEN I WAS RECENTLY IN A, A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TRAINING WHERE WE USED THE HAMMER, AND I JUST WANNA READ THE LITTLE CARD AND WHY I'M USING THIS HAMMER.
TO BE CLEAR, THE HAMMER IS USED AS A REMINDER THAT WE HAVE THE TOOLS WITHIN US TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMS THAT DO NOT SERVE OUR WELLNESS AND BUILD COMMUNITIES THAT DO.
UM, AND SO, UM, THIS, I JUST WANNA PREFACE THIS CONVERSATION BY SAYING AGAIN, THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DEVELOP A DEEPER PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU, AND THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE THIS WORK TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
UM, WE ALL WORK REALLY HARD, ESPECIALLY YOU ALL WORK REALLY HARD.
AND SO, UM, LET'S MAKE THAT WORK MORE VALUABLE BY REALLY CREATING SOME CHANGE AND BETTER OUTCOMES FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'VE JUST COPIED THE SLIDE, UM, THE DEFINITION THAT I PRESENTED EARLIER ABOUT RACE EQUITY, AND ONE THING IS TO MOVE IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT YOUR, UM, HOW YOU, HOW DOES THIS RESONATE WITH YOU? UM, THIS DEFINITION OF, OF RACE EQUITY? AND WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO ADOPT IT, BUT JUST TO HAVE A SENSE OF HOW DOES IT RESONATE WITH YOU SO THAT WHEN WE ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, WE KNOW, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR OWN, EACH ONE OF OURS UNDERSTANDING OF RACE EQUITY.
AND SO I WILL, UM, I WILL JUST SAY THAT, UM, WE SPENT A BIT OF TIME LOOKING FOR LIKE, WHAT WAS THE DEFINITION THAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT.
AND I THINK FOR ME, UM, AS I'VE SAID A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY TONIGHT, THE, THE, FOR ME, THE REAL ISSUE IS, UM, THAT THE OUTCOMES NEED TO NOT BE DISPARATE BASED ON RACE.
[00:30:01]
THAT, THAT WOULD LIFT UP EVERYONE IN OUR TOWN.AND THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY A DEEP AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO, UM, TO, TO, THAT IT REQUIRES CONTINUAL WORK, UM, IN OUR SOCIETY.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORY, THIS IS A LONG-TERM WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, PAUL.
WE ARE SHARED IN OUR PRESENTATION A DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY.
AND WE JUST WANTED TO, UM, HEAR FROM EACH ONE OF YOU, HOW DOES THIS RESONATE WITH YOU? AND I HAD PREFACED THIS BY SAYING, WE'RE NOT ASKING THIS TO BE ADOPTED OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO ADDRESS RACE EQUITY IN THE TOWN.
HOW, HOW DOES THIS DEFINITION SOUND TO YOU? YOUR, YOU WERE ASKING ME NO, WELL, NO, LET'S GO THAT WAY, BECAUSE HE'S EXPLAINING.
WE'RE WE, UM, I ASKED, AND EVERYONE SAID IT WAS OKAY TO USE A TALKING PIECE.
SO REMEMBER FROM THE CIRCLE WE DID, WE'LL JUST PASS THE TALKING PIECE.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU GET THE TALKING PIECE, IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
AND WHEN, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE THE TALKING PIECE, WE JUST ENCOURAGE SOME DEEP LISTENING.
UM, I, THESE DEFINITIONS DEFINITELY RESONATE WITH ME.
FOR ME, RACIAL EQUITY MEANS NOT THINKING ABOUT RACE WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM, JUST LIKE, UM, NOT THINKING OF MY BEING A WOMAN WHEN I WALK INTO A ROOM.
I DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, AND IT ALSO MEANS FOR ME, REPRESENTATION IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY POWER.
UM, THE PART THAT RESONATES WITH ME THE MOST, UM, IS, UH, THE INTENTIONAL AND CONTINUAL PRACTICE.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ONCE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GET UP AND DO EVERY DAY AS POLICY MAKERS.
AND WHAT RESONATES FOR ME IS THAT IT SPEAKS ABOUT IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE.
WE CAN'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE RACIAL EQUITY UNLESS WE KNOW WHO EVERYONE IS FEARING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT APPEALS TO ME.
WHAT APPEALS TO ME IS THE INTENTIONAL AND THE CONTINUED PRACTICE OF CHANGING POLICIES, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN YESTERDAY.
THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH POLICIES THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT TAKES TIME TO CHANGE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S WRONG, AND I MEAN, WE'RE DEALING WITH SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NOW WITH WITHIN THE TOWN, THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE SO MUCH TIME TO CHANGE THAT.
AND I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, I MEAN, I SPEND MY LIFE DOING THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM A COUNCIL PERSON TO WORKING IN SUPPLIER DIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS TRYING TO BREAK THAT BARRIER.
SO I THINK FOR ME, IT'S JUST, AGAIN, IT'S JUST REALLY BEING INTENTIONAL, UM, AND REALLY WORKING TO REALLY CHANGE THE, THE POLICIES AND THE PRACTICES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO WHEN, WHEN I READ THE DEFINITION THAT YOU, UH, PRESENTED, I WAS STRUCK BY, UM, THE IDEA OF HOW ONE FARES THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE A PREDICTOR.
AND THEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT A TERM THAT USED TO BE USED, WHICH IS NOT REALLY VERY MUCH UTILIZED ANYMORE BECAUSE IT HAD SOME NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS, WHICH IS CALLED COLORBLINDNESS, RIGHT? SO THIS IS DIFFERENT FOR, IT'S SIMILAR, YET IT'S DIFFERENT.
SO I THINK COLOR BLINDNESS WAS ABOUT NOT RECOGNIZING OR ACKNOWLEDGING DIFFERENCES AT ALL IN THE EFFORT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER.
BUT I THINK THIS IS DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE DIFFERENCES AND THAT STILL NOT BEING A FACTOR IN HOW SOMEONE FARES.
SO THAT'S WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT IT.
WELL, YOU TOOK SOME OF MY THUNDER AWAY,
BUT I THINK, UM, I THINK IN LIGHT OF THAT, UM, THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATING RACIAL DISPARITIES, SO IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE'S AND CELEBRATE PEOPLE'S DIFFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SPECIALNESS BECAUSE OF THEIR VARIOUS HERITAGES, WE CAN'T LOOK AT THEM AS DISPARITIES.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM AS, UM, ONLY DIFFERENCES THAT ENHANCE OUR EXPERIENCES AND TEACHES US ABOUT OTHER WAYS AND OTHER THINGS IN LIVING.
BUT THAT DOESN'T GET TO WHAT HAPPENS WITH RACISM.
[00:35:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A MUCH, THAT'S A MUCH DEEPER, UM, PROBLEM.AND, AND ONE THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE IN OURSELVES BEFORE WE CAN BE OPEN TO ACKNOWLEDGING THE DISPARITIES AND CELEBRATING DISPARITIES IN OTHERS.
GOOD EVENING, WHAT RESONATED WITH ME IS MEASURABLE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR.
UH, FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY DISSERTATION ON REPARATIONS AND WITH REPARATIONS.
UM, I AM, I AM FINDING JUST HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THIS TO BE EFFECTIVE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT PRIORITIZING, I CAN JUST GIVE HR 40 AS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG? IT'S THE BEST EXAMPLE.
AND I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS THAT THE STATES HAVE BEEN MAKING, CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, UM, AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE A MEASURABLE CHANGE.
BUT IF YOU REALLY LOOK REALLY DOWN AT THE SITUATION, YOU'RE STILL ONLY TALKING ABOUT A SURVEY, A STUDY, A STUDY.
WE'RE, WE'RE STILL NOT TALKING ABOUT MEASURABLE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, WHEN THIS RESONATES WITH ME, LET'S, LET'S COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S MEASURABLE.
AND WHAT ALWAYS COMES UP MEASURABLE WITH ME IS EDUCATION REPARATIONS.
AND THAT'S MY STORY, AND I'M STICKING TO IT.
SORRY I WAS LATE, BUT I FORGOT TO PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR, SO I APOLOGIZE.
BUT, UM, I BASICALLY HAVE NEVER, UH, LOOKED AT RACE.
YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY HAVE ALWAYS TRIED, UM, TREATING EVERYBODY THE SAME, WHETHER THEY'RE, UH, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR COLOR IS, OR ECONOMIC LIVELIHOOD, UH, THEY HAVE, I REMEMBER WHEN HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON WERE THINKING OF MOVING TO EDGE ONE, UH, US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT CALLED ME.
THEY, AND I SAID, IT'S FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE IF SOMEBODY'S HOMELESS, UM, AND THEY STOP BY WITH A PROBLEM.
AND HILLARY CLINTON OR BILL CLINTON STOPPED BY WITH A PROBLEM, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
AND I, I REALLY FEEL PROUD THAT THE TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY TREATING THE WHOLE TOWN PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
SO IF YOU LIVE IN THE WEALTHY SECTIONS OF THE TOWN, YOU'RE GETTING THE SAME, YOU'RE GETTING SIDEWALKS.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE POOR SECTIONS OF THE TOWN, UH, YOU'RE GETTING SIDEWALKS.
UM, WE ARE HAVING PROGRAMS FOR EVERYBODY.
I, AND I FEEL THAT IF PEOPLE HAVE CONS, PROBLEMS, NOBODY GETS, AT LEAST WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME, NOBODY GETS SPECIAL TREATMENT.
UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE WEALTHY, BECAUSE THEY'RE, UH, WHITE, BECAUSE THEY'RE BLACK, BECAUSE THEY'RE HISPANIC, OR, OR IF THEY'RE HOMELESS.
YOU KNOW, IF ANYONE WHO COMES IN, THEY COULD BE A VOTER, THEY COULD BE A NON-VOTER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY CARE.
AND I, I SORT OF FEEL THAT'S THE WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK AT EVERYBODY SHOULD TREAT EVERYBODY LIKE A HUMAN BEING.
UM, AND, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT, UM, THE, THE, THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A COMMON GROUND DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY OR ANY WORKING, UM, DEFINITION OF SOMETHING YOU'RE WORKING ON IS, SO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL MEASURING THE SAME THING, AND WE'RE ALL WORKING ON THE SAME THING.
AND WE CAN CREATE A GOAL THAT GETS TO THE SAME PLACE, RATHER THAN SOME ONE PERSON SAYING, YEAH, THIS IS IT.
AND THE OTHER PERSON'S SAYING, THAT'S IT.
AND THEN YOU END UP WITH TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WORKING ON TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, AND YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING.
AND SO RACE EQUITY, UM, UH, THIS DOESN'T REALLY SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, YEAH, WE MAY ALL BE TREATING SOMEONE THE SAME, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT EXPERIENCING RACIAL DISPARITIES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND SO, AND WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS DISPARITIES IN THIS PARTICULAR DEFINITION MEANS INEQUITY.
RIGHT? SO YOU WERE SAYING IN ACKNOWLEDGING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YEAH, IT DOESN'T MEAN DIFFERENCES.
AND WHICH I TOOK YOU TO BE SAYING, WHICH I'VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU SAID, I JUST WANNA SAY THE DISPARITIES IN THIS DEFINITION MEANS INEQUITY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, I'M, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE TIME AND THE, AND THE
[00:40:01]
QUESTIONS, AND, UM, I, UM, I THINK THE NEXT QUESTION WE, WE WANTED TO ASK IS, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TOWN BEING TOWN COUNCIL, WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY ENTAIL? AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS, IS WHAT IS THE TOWN CURRENTLY DOING AND WHAT IS PLANNED? SO TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE ACTION OF THE TOWN, TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF RACIAL EQUITY, BEFORE YOU CAME, PAUL, IN OUR POWERPOINT, WE, WE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE STATEMENTS AND THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME FROM THE TOWN, UM, IN RELATION TO THE, UM, UH, SO WE, WE LISTED THE BLACK LIVES MATTER RESOLUTION.WE MIS LISTED THE, UH, GASR REPORTS ON HOUSING AND POLICE, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND WE ALSO LISTED YOUR, UM, UH, DECLARATION ABOUT, UH, ANTISEMITISM.
SO, SO, SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH LOOKING IN THE PAST, BUT AS YOU, YOU SAY YOU HAVE THIS COMMITMENT TO, UM, LIKE, WE WANNA BE A MODEL TOWN FOR RACIAL EQUITY.
WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT, IN TERMS OF ACTION? I'M GONNA PASS THE TALKING PIECE THIS WAY THIS TIME.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PROUD OF IS, UM, WE JUST, THE TOWN BOARD JUST, UM, PROMOTED A POLICE OFFICER, UH, TO DETECTIVE, UH, UH, UH, DETECTIVE BOROUGH.
AND HE WAS PART OF OUR POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP.
AND, UM, HE WAS, UH, LIKE 12, 13 YEARS OLD WHEN HE JOINED THE CAMP.
AND I WAS SPEAKING TO THE CHIEF, UM, I THINK A WEEK AGO OR TWO WEEKS AGO, AND HE SAID, THERE'S OTHER OFFICERS WHO GOT THEIR START FROM THE POLICE CAMP.
SO I FEEL THAT THAT'S A REALLY, YOU KNOW, GREAT PROGRAM BECAUSE UNLIKE OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE, UH, SAY THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OR HISPANIC COMMUNITY WHERE THEY DON'T TRUST THE POLICE, WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT IN THE TOWN TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO LEARN, UM, ABOUT POLICING, UH, TO INTERACT WITH POLICE OFFICERS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO GET INSPIRED TO EVENTUALLY GO INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, UM, THE TOWN, UH, NEEDS TO DO, YOU KNOW, MORE IN TERMS OF, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST SPOKE, UM, A FEW DAYS AGO, UM, UH, TO REVEREND WILLIAMS AT UNION BAPTIST, AND THEY WANT TO, UM, UH, TAKE THE PARKING LOT AT UNION BAPTIST AND CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH I THINK, BUT IT'S CURRENTLY NOT ZONED FOR THAT.
SO I SPOKE TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONER OF OUR PLANNING, AND I SAID, COULD WE THINK OF CREATIVE APPROACHES SO WE COULD CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UM, SHOPPING CENTER ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE THEATER, YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, NEAR, UH, BUS STOPS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THAT IS LIKE A PERFECT LOCATION, IN MY OPINION, FOR AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD, UH, CHANGE OUR LAWS.
SO WHEN WE HAVE MULTIFAMILY MULTIS, SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES, UH, 10% SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND WE WERE CRITICIZED FOR, YOU KNOW, A WHILE BACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S, OH, AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS I SPOKE TO PEOPLE AT THE LIBRARY, AND I WANT TO SET UP, UM, A PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE TRAINING, UH, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, HOW TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE JOBS BECAUSE RIGHT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, JOBS IN GOVERNMENT MM-HMM.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS IT.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TRAIN, HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE, UM, TRAINING PEOPLE, TELLING THEM ABOUT THE TESTS, UH, MENTORING THEM, UH, GIVING THEM PREPARATION, YOU KNOW, CLASSES, UH, HAVING EMPLOYEES, UM, TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, HOW COME THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANNA MAKE A PRIORITY, UM, IN THE COMING, COMING YEAR.
AND THE LIBRARY SEEMED INTERESTED IN, IN THAT.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET, YOU KNOW, GET, GET THAT STARTED.
THERE'S SOME, UH, STUDENTS, UM, UH, THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE TECH ANGELS AND, UM, THEY, THEY'RE AT THE THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER TWICE A MONTH, AND THEY'RE HELPING SENIORS AT THE CENTER AND NAVIGATE TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS.
SO THEY STARTED THAT LAST YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE, I JUST, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS QUESTION IS NECESSARILY THE BEST WAY TO UTILIZE THIS TIME,
[00:45:01]
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.I'M NOT TRYING TO BE CRITICAL.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT IT'S NOT OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.
IT'S ABOUT LIKE READING OFF A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS, UM, WHICH PAUL HAS BASICALLY DONE.
SO IT'S LIKE, HOW ARE WE REALLY SUPPOSED TO EACH GIVE OUR OWN, UH, SPIN OR OUR OWN FEELING OR WHATEVER ON THIS? IT'S MORE, TO ME, IT'S SORT OF PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
WE SHOULD BE ANSWERING THIS QUESTION AFTER WE'VE DONE MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YEAH.
I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEAS ARE GREAT, BUT I THINK WHAT WILL BE HELPFUL IS IF, IF THERE'S A, A GLOBAL COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY AND THEN A PLAN OF ACTION WHERE, YOU KNOW, THESE IDEAS ARE VERY TACTICAL.
BUT WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL GOAL FOR ACHIEVING RACIAL EQUITY IN GREENBURG? AND DO YOU HAVE A COMMITMENT TO THAT? THAT'S THE QUESTION WE'RE ASKING.
YOU KNOW, UM, COMING UP WITH INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, IT'S FINE, BUT IT'S, IS THAT COMING FROM A PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT RACIAL EQUITY MEANS AND HOW IT'S MOVING THE COMMUNITY FORWARD? WE HAVE A CHANGING COMMUNITY IN GREENBURG.
UM, ARE THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF THOSE SECTORS BEING CONSIDERED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS THE FASTEST GROWING MM-HMM.
HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT SERVING THAT COMMUNITY? IT'S DIFFERENT FROM HOW YOU SERVE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AT.
DO YOU HAVE A VISION? DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR HOW RACIAL EQUITY COULD BE IMPLEMENTED? AT LEAST THAT'S MY THINKING.
I'M TRYING TO RESPOND BASED ON HOW YOU JUST EXPLAINED, UM, WHAT YOU SAID.
SO I KNOW PAUL GAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE.
I THINK WHAT WE, WHAT, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A GLOBAL PLAN LIKE THAT.
IT'S WRITTEN DOWN, LIKE, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE.
LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE OUTLINED GOALS AND SAY, I THINK WHAT WE DO DO THOUGH, IS THAT ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SEE THAT WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGE THAT WE ARE GOING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW WE, HOW, WHAT OUR STAFFING LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF LOOK LIKE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE, WE MENTIONED, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ADDRESS AND, AND, AND WORK WITH THE HISPANIC C COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE MARIA PATIA, WHO HAS BEEN AN ASSET TO US, UM, WORKING WITH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, HELPING US DO THE TRANSLATION OF DIFFERENT PAMPHLETS ONLY TYPE OF DOCUMENTS.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK INTERNALLY, WE LOOK AT HOW WE ARE PROMOTING OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
SO THERE WAS A LONG TIME WHEN, UM, STAFF MEMBERS WERE NOT ABLE TO GET PROMOTED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T, THEY WEREN'T A MALE, OR THEY WEREN'T OF THAT COLOR.
WE'RE CHANGING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THOSE CHANGES.
SO, UM, YES, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN, AN OUTLINE DEFINED PLAN.
BUT WILL I, I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS WHEN WE, WHERE WE CAN MM-HMM.
UM, BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND, AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, IT IS A LOT TO ADDRESS.
BUT AT EVERY MOMENT WHERE WE SEE WE, WHERE WE SEE WHAT WE CAN, WE DO.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT THERE AND, AND I'LL ALLOW THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SPEAK ON IT.
CAN I SAY ONE THING BEFORE I PASS? SO WE NEED A MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
THAT'S BASICALLY
UM, I THINK WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO IS THAT IN ORDER TO RECOGNIZE DISPARITIES, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WITHIN OURSELVES HOW WE VIEW OTHERS AND HOW WE OTHER, UM, AND FIRST STEP IS TO, RATHER THAN, AS I SAID, RATHER THAN, THAN FIND DIFFERENCES, FIND SIMILARITIES OR, OR CELEBRATE DIFFERENCES.
BUT THAT'S A FIRST STEP BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MAKE PROGRESS AND UNDERSTAND, AND WHAT CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE, I, I, IN, IN, IN MY VIEW.
UM, BUT YES, THE DISPARITIES EXIST AND HOW WE ADDRESS IT.
UM, A PLAN IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS HELPFUL.
I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT GERE KIND OF TRIES TO
[00:50:01]
ESTABLISH SO THAT IT IDENTIFIES, UM, THE, THE, THE STEPS, OR NOT THE STEPS, BUT, BUT BENCHMARKS, RIGHT? SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.THE, THE VALUE OF HAVING A PLAN IS THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR PLAN.
BUT ARE THEY MOVING YOU TOWARD YOUR OVERALL GOAL? ARE YOU ABLE TO SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WESTCHESTER WOMEN'S AGENDA, BE THAT A STUDY THAT LOOKED AT THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN WESTCHESTER AND IT SHOWED A NUMBER OF DISPARITIES IN WHETHER IT WAS EDUCATION, HOUSING, LEADERSHIP, OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, LIKE LOOKED AT IT IN 2016, AND THEN IN 2022, WE DID A STUDY AGAIN TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WERE THE PATTERNS? HAVE WE MADE PROGRESS? HAVE WOMEN ACHIEVED MORE? HAS THE LEVEL OF POVERTY DECREASED? SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MEASURE.
DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? OH, UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTION.
WELL, YOU PASSED, SO THAT'S OKAY.
I WAS JUST FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
UH, SO, UM, SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE, THE ONE THING THAT I HAVE DONE, UM, CONSCIOUSLY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IF THERE IS SOMEONE WHO COMES IN AND NEEDS THE NAVIGATION OF THE GOVERNMENT, I MAKE SURE THAT I AM WALKING THEM UP TO WATER.
I'M WALKING THEM TO THE ASSESSOR.
I AM WALKING THEM UP TO BUILDINGS I'M SEEING.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING THAT I HAVE DONE, AND THAT I DID THAT STARTING THE MINUTE I WALKED IN.
UM, THE SECOND THING, UM, IS WHEN YOU, WHEN, UM, COUNCILMAN JACKSON TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE EMPLOYEES AND HOW, HOW THEY ARE RECEIVED AND HOW ARE THEY PROMOTED, I PROMOTED THE FIRST, UM, HISPANIC TOWN CLERK IN THE HISTORY OF GREENBURG, UM, DEPUTY TOWN CLERK, UNLESS YOU HISPANIC AND, OH NO.
AND, UM, AND ALSO, UM, I, I DESPERATELY MADE IT MY BUSINESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD OUR SPANISH SPEAKING CLERK.
UM, THAT JOB FILLED AFTER ITS ABSENCE, AFTER, UM, LUIS BEING PROMOTED.
AND WHEN, WHEN I WAS TASKED WITH THE, UH, INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, I INSURED, REACHED OUT, MADE SPECIAL PROVISIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT MY ALMA MATER HAD MORE REPRESENTATION IN THIS, UM, IN THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I DO NOT KNOW PREVIOUS NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD 14, I WANNA SAY 14 STUDENTS FROM WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, AND I TAILORED THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TO BE, UM, AFTER THE GREAT, UM, VIC LEVIATHAN
AND, AND I WAS VERY, VERY PROUD THAT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS WAS, EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT WAS ON BOARD TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH STUDENT HAD, UM, AN EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT.
AND THAT EXPERIENCE WAS THAT IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT.
I HAD SO MANY COMPLIMENTS ABOUT HOW WELL BEHAVED THE CHILDREN WERE AND, AND STUDENTS AND HOW THEY WERE ALL AN ASSET, AND THEY CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO GET BACK HERE NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT WHAT I'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO IMPART INTO RACIAL EQUITY.
I, I JUST HAVE TO QUICKLY, IF I MAY, AND OKAY.
IT JUST HAPPENS THAT I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY
[00:55:01]
WITH SOMEONE WHO INTERACTED WITH OUR DEPUTY TOWN CLERK MAYBE A YEAR AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO, AND THEN JUST TODAY OR YESTERDAY, HAD AN INTERACTION WITH SAID DEPUTY DOWNTOWN CLERK AND SAID HE WAS A DIFFERENT PERSON.UM, AND WHAT I ATTRIBUTED THAT TO WAS THE RESPECT THAT HE GOT FROM THE PROMOTION.
AND I WANT TO COMPLIMENT OUR TOWN CLERK, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, ACHIEVEMENT THAT WE ALL NEED TO DO.
IT'S A GOOD WAY TO START, AND THANK YOU.
SO, UH, OUR TIME IS GROWING SHORT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET TO THE NEXT STEPS.
AND WE DO HAVE A, AN ANOTHER COUPLE OF QUESTIONS TO INTRODUCE.
BUT WHAT I, WHAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT WAS THAT THERE IS SOME, THERE'S A CONCEPT CALLED TRANSACTIONAL VERSUS TRANSFORMATIONAL, RIGHT? AND SO THAT, UM, PROGRAMS AND SETTING UP PROGRAMS AND DOING THINGS, INDIVIDUAL THINGS ARE IN LARGE PART TRANSACTIONAL.
THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THAT TIME FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
AND WHAT THE REAL LONG-TERM IMPACT HAPPENS WHEN WE CAN CREATE TRANSFORMATIONAL ACTIONS THAT THEN HAVE A LARGER IMPACT ON A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY TRANSFORM THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN OPERATIONALLY.
UM, THE WAY THE DIFF CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE THINK, THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, THE WAY GOVERNMENT HAPPENS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST, HERE'S THIS PROGRAM I DID, HERE'S THIS PROGRAM I DID.
EVEN THOUGH THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, RIGHT? AND THEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE TRANSFORMATIONAL, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE POINTING OUT WHEN YOU SAID, YES, WE NEED A, WE NEED A LARGER PLAN.
I, I ALSO WANTED TO LIFT UP THE ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND, AND HAVE DONE AND, UM, AND THE VISION OF, AND THE, AND THE RECOGNITION THAT THIS DOES TAKE SOME, SOME PLANNING AND WORK.
UM, SO WE ALSO WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU NEED, UM, OR WANT AND, OR WANT FROM US IN THIS PARTNERSHIP.
SO, UM, WE, WE NEED TO HEAR LIKE, WHAT DO YOU WANT AND WANT, WANT, UH, NEED FOR US TO DO? WELL, YOU KNOW, TO ME THE MOST STRESSFUL, YOU KNOW, ISSUE IS REALLY THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE MURAL.
AND I FEEL THAT THE REST, THE, YOUR GROUP, UM, BASICALLY HAS EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH CONFLICTS AND GETTING PEOPLE FROM ALL SIDES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY REACH A CONSENSUS AND, AND SOLVE, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS. AND I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS IS, UM, UH, A PROBLEM THAT HAS, UM, REALLY TORN APART SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT I FEEL THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE, UH, A, A PERFECT, UM, INITIATIVE FOR, UH, FOR YOUR GROUP TO TRY TACKLING.
BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MEDIATION THAT HAS BEEN LIKE A FAILURE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS.
AND I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE ALL SAT DOWN, UM, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE GOT PEOPLE WHO FEEL STRONGLY ON BOTH SIDES, YOU MAYBE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, FIGURE OUT A WAY OF, UM, OF ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING THE, THE PROBLEM AND, UM, AND SHOWING PEOPLE THAT, UH, THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF A RESTORATIVE CIRCLE, YOU KNOW, REALLY COULD WORK.
BECAUSE IF WE COULD SOLVE THAT, THEN WE COULD TAKE ON OTHER CONFLICTS.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE FROM THIS GROUP IS, UM, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S GIVEN, UM, BY GARE, BUT IF YOU, UM, BECAUSE I LIKE WHAT COUNCILMAN HABER SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE PLAN? SO WE HAVE ALL THESE IDEAS, AND I, AND I'M, I'M FIRST ONE, I AM PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE, AND I'M LIKE, WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO IN AN, IN WHAT WATER? UM, SO WHAT I, I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE IS, UM, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY, UH, AN OVERALL, AND THEY, I KNOW THEY PROVIDE FRAMEWORK, BUT AN OVERALL FRAMEWORK,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, AS, AS FAR AS STEPS TO TAKE.DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YES.
UM, SO, SO THE PLAN, BUT THE PLAN, I'M GONNA SORT OF TAKE IT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
I THINK THE PLAN, WHAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE PLAN IS THE SPECI SPECIFICITY OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE CIRCLES THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALREADY, AND WHAT, HOW THAT INFORMS WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
SO YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF THE SORT OF HARD WORK FOR US.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, WHAT STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE, WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT, THAT KIND OF THING.
THAT TO ME, SEEMS WOULD BE THE MOST HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED SHERPA, WE REALLY DO, UM, YOU KNOW, IDEAS AND BEING REACTIVE IS ONE THING, BUT MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WITH A, UH, WAY TO IMPLEMENT AND PLAN AND IMPLEMENT SOMETHING IS, IS DIFFERENT AND DEFINITELY HARDER, BUT IN THE END, IT RESULTS IN SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN MEASURE.
SO REALLY QUICKLY, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE ARE BUMPING UP ON TIME.
UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, I THINK THE FACT THAT YOU'VE COME TO US AND YOU'VE OFFERED YOUR PARTNERSHIP, I THINK IS AMAZING.
UM, AND I, I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, IN THIS ROLE, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE TOUGH, WHEN WE, WHEN I HAVE THOSE TOUGH MOMENTS, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA SPEAK FOR MYSELF WHEN I HAVE THOSE TOUGH MOMENTS, YOU GUYS HAVE OPENED YOUR DOOR.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WHAT I THINK WHEN PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW TOUGH THIS ROLE IS BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING ON EVERYBODY'S ISSUE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST, UM, BLACK ISSUE, AN ASIAN ISSUE, HISPANIC ISSUE, A UH, LGBT ISSUE.
IT'S, WE ARE TAKING ON EVERYONE.
WE JUST DON'T SAY, OKAY, WELL I CAN'T HANDLE THAT, OR I CAN'T DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE INTERNALIZE EVERYTHING.
MM-HMM,
MY HAIR'S GOTTEN MORE GRAY SINCE, UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE SEA, WHICH IS OKAY, I THINK I'M GONNA EMBRACE IT
UM, BUT, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND AGAIN, BEING IN THIS SPACE OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN, I UNDERSTAND THE PARTNERSHIP.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PARTNER.
WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE, RIGHT.
YOU ARE THE EXPERTS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, WE NEED THAT GUIDANCE.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LOT ON OUR PLATE AS, AS YOU ARE FULLY AWARE.
I LOOK AT LYNN 'CAUSE SHE'S LIKE, OH MY GOD.
BUT, BUT WELL WITH THAT, I MEAN, I THINK FOR US, THIS IS A GREAT STEP THAT WE ARE TAKING, UM, BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM, AND I THINK FOR US, AND I THINK WHAT PEOPLE ALSO DON'T RECOGNIZE IS THAT WE ARE LITERALLY EVERY DAY PUTTING OUT FIRES.
SO AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE TO BE PROACTIVE AND WE TRY TO BE PROACTIVE, SOMETIMES WE GET PULLED BACK IN BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING OUT A FIRE.
AND IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEING IN IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING.
SO, UM, BUT WE'RE, BUT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN DO.
NO ONE'S PERFECT, BUT WE WILL.
BUT WHAT WE WILL DO, AND WE WILL, WHAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF IS TO ENSURE ANYTHING THAT WE PUT FORWARD IS CORRECT.
AND IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF EVERYONE.
SO, AND I THINK, AND, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN SPIN AND, AND, AND TAKE THINGS OUTTA CONTEXT TO, TO SELL, TO SELL THEIR NARRATIVE AS HOW WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND HOW WE'RE NOT, UM, SUPPORTIVE OR WE, WE KNOW WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, QUITE HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, IT, AGAIN, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF, IT'S HURTFUL BECAUSE WE KNOW THE TIME AND THE EFFORT AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT IT IS CHALLENGING.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL WRAP IT UP AND SAY THAT I THINK THE, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE COME TO US AND CONTINUES TO COME TO US AND SAYING, WE ARE HERE TO HELP.
AND IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT YOUR HELP 'CAUSE WE DO NEED YOUR HELP, IT'S JUST SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE, OKAY, BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING OUT THE FIRE.
SO INSTEAD OF IT SAYING GINA JACKSON COUNCILWOMAN, IT SHOULD SAY GINA JACKSON FIREFIGHTER, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE TEND TO DO ALL THE TIME.
SO THANK YOU, GOVERN GOVERNANCE.
THERE ARE MANY FACETS AND SOME THAT ARE SEEN EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY OR EVERY TUESDAY, UM, OTHERS THAT ARE NOT.
UM, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON CERTAINLY DEFINED THE DIFFICULTIES IN, IN HOW WE ARE TRYING TO
[01:05:01]
ESSENTIALLY FIND THAT BALANCE.UM, SO THE, THE, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD, UM, WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, AT LEAST MY UNDERSTANDING IS SOME OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID EARLIER WAS THAT THERE ARE THOSE THAT FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT HEARD.
AND WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO COMPLETE THE BUSINESS OF A GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT, IT, IT, IT LEAVES OUT SO MUCH OF THE FRAUGHT AND EMOTION OF WHATEVER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.
BUT IT IS NOT THAT WE DON'T CARE.
I I, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU'RE, YOU'VE IMPLIED THAT AT ALL.
UM, I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY OR WHOEVER IS LISTENING TO KNOW THAT WE REALLY DO CARE.
AND I THINK EVERY ONE OF US HAS, HAS SAID THAT WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
WE WOULDN'T PUT OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION IF WE DIDN'T CARE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT FOR SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT AT ALL.
IT'S BECAUSE I WANNA DO SOMETHING FOR MY COMMUNITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M A BABE IN THE WOODS TOO.
SO I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO FIND THAT BALANCE.
AND I THINK IT STARTS IN A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL AND HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES WITHIN, UH, AMONG OURSELVES AS BOARD MEMBERS WITH THE, THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY OF OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF, AND LOTS OF EMPLOYEES AND HOW WE INTERACT AND LEARNING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE ROADMAP THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HABER SUGGESTED, SINCE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF THE HOMEWORK, IS, IS CERTAINLY HELPFUL FOR US.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE INTROSPECTION THAT COMES FROM THAT AND HOW WE CAN METABOLIZE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP IN DOING THIS.
SO, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, AND I'M JUST GONNA ANTICIPATE A QUESTION YOU'RE GONNA ASK.
I AM VOLUNTEERING TO BE A LIAISON.
DID YOU, SO I, I DID ACTUALLY, I'LL TRY TO DEBRIEF.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, ALAN, WHEN WE DID THE CIRCLE WITH MEMBERS, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF, OH, WHEN WE DID THE CIRCLE WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT YOU ALL CARED.
IT WAS VERY EVIDENT THAT CAME IN.
SO THAT'S, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND TO, UH, COUNCILMAN HABER.
UM, WE, WE HEAR, WE HAVE A LIST OF THINGS THAT YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR CONSTITUENTS HAS TOLD US THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, UH, I WAS GONNA SAY SOME OTHER THING, BUT IT JUST SLIPPED MY MIND.
SO I'M GONNA JUST, WOULD YOU LIKE THIS? NO, NO, NO.
SO BEFORE WE FINISH, WE WANTED TO GET TO NEXT STEPS, AND I'M GONNA COMBINE THE NEXT QUESTION WITH THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, SO HERE ARE, UM, WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE ASKED YOU, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE SEE AS NEXT STEPS.
AND THESE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I REALLY, UM, WANT TO FOCUS, ESPECIALLY, BUT NOT, UM, EXCLUSIVELY ON THE UN UNDO DOING RACISM APPETIZER, PAUL, WHEN, WHEN WE'VE, UM, PROPOSED THAT I, WE UNDERSTAND THE TIME COMMITMENT OF A THREE DAY WORKSHOP IS HARD FOR THE TOWN BOARD.
BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WE WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU TO DO A THREE TO FOUR HOUR UNDOING RACISM, UH, APPETIZER, WHAT WE CALL AN APPETIZER BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE FULL WORKSHOP.
BUT TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHY WE THINK THAT WORKSHOP IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO DEVELOP THAT DEEPER ANALYSIS, WHICH THEN HELPS INFORM THE PLAN THAT YOU WOULD CREATE, UM, TO REALLY, UM, MAKE THIS A MODEL COMMUNITY.
AND I, I JUST WANNA SAY PERSONALLY, I'M SO EXCITED TO LIVE IN A TOWN THAT EVEN HAS THAT AMBITION AND, AND VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO HELP IN, IN CREATING THE MOMENTUM TO MAKE THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO THE, THE QUESTION IS FROM THE NEXT STEPS AND PARTICULARLY THE APPETIZER, CAN YOU COMMIT TO DOING THAT? AND WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD DO AT THIS TIME? WE HAVE TIME.
IS THE FIX IN? IS THE FIX IN? HOW DID GINA'S NAME GET UP THERE SO QUICKLY?
IS IT FIX IT YET? MY FINGERS
[01:10:01]
SHE DIDN'T TELL ME.WHO'S WHO? SO IS I UNDERST OKAY.
JUST PASS MS. JACKSON THE TALKING PIECE PLEASE.
ARE WE LOOKING TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS AS A WHOLE MATTER COLLECTIVELY, OR IT'S A MATTER? WELL, JILL IS HANDLING THE QUESTIONS.
I WOULD JUST SAY LET'S GET THROUGH AS MANY AS WE CAN, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
'CAUSE EVEN IF IT'S JUST, YEAH.
GET US THE INFORMATION BY X, Y, Z DATE AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU BY XYA DATE.
I THINK WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE HERE WITHOUT AN ACTUAL PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT TODAY.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN, A ANSWER INDIVIDUALLY AND SOME THAT ARE COLLECTIVE.
SO I THINK FOR THE FOLLOW UP DATES FOR EACH, WELL EACH, I THINK THE FOLLOW UP DAY FOR A MEETING, I THINK WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO IS TALK AMONGST OURSELVES SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT CAN WORK IN OUR, AND WORK IN OUR SCHEDULE.
SO I CAN CHECK WITH YOU AND WEEK.
HOW DOES, SO I THINK, I THINK CAN YOU JUST GIVE US TWO, TWO WEEKS PLEASE.
AND I THINK, AND, AND HOW ABOUT, UM, I ALSO OFFERED TO TAKE THESE QUESTIONS BACK AND ANSWER THEM AND THEN GIVE THE RESPONSES BACK TO YOU WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
OKAY, BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, YOU SHORTER TIME, WE, WE ARE A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME AND IN JUST IN CASE IF YOU HAVE TO CLOSE IT.
SO IF YOU SEND THAT TO ME, UM, WHAT WE'LL DO IS JUST START WORKING.
I'LL START, I'LL WORK WITH THE BOARD AND THEN WE CAN, UM, GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK, IS EVERYONE OKAY WITH THAT, JOE GOING THAT, THAT IS THE YEAH, THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT I WAS THINKING TOO, SO THANK YOU.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT I THINK ONE THING WE CAN ANSWER RIGHT NOW IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE APPETIZER.
ANNA, YOU CAN COUNT ME IN THAT.
OH, IS THAT IN, IS THAT IN INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE? WE CAN DO THAT IN, OR WE HAVE TO DO THAT A GROUP.
SO THAT'S WHY, YEAH, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UM, ORGANIZE SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU AND WHOEVER ELSE IN THE TOWN YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PARTICIPATED.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE AND WE'LL WE AN OPPORTUNITY IN.
INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE A LONGER WORKSHOP.
INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE A LONGER CAN ASK.
UM, I'VE JUST REMEMBERED, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON, WHEN YOU WERE SAYING, UH, PUTTING OUT FIRES.
WHAT I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THROUGH WORKSHOPS, THROUGH HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IS USUALLY RACE IS A COMPONENT FOR ALL THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS A SOCIETY.
SO IT'S LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT, START TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, WHAT THE RACIAL COMPONENT IS WITH ALL THE FIRES THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT.
IT'S LIKE, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
AND JUST ONE, ONE FINAL QUESTION, AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO USE THE TALKING PIECE FOR, FOR THIS ONE, BUT, UM, JUST TO GET YOUR SENSE OF, IS IT, UM, DO YOU THINK IT'S VALUABLE FOR THE TOWN TO JOIN GEAR AT THIS POINT? AGAIN, AGAIN, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS.
YEAH, I WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE A REALLY, UM, THOUGHT OUT CONVERSATION WHERE WE CAN REALLY ADDRESS THIS.
SO WE COME BACK TO YOU WITH CONCRETE ANSWERS AND, YOU KNOW, AND FOR OUR NEXT STEPS, I THINK THAT'S JUST FAIR.
SO I THINK THAT, AND THEN YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA SEND US THE POWERPOINT, RIGHT? YES.
SO WE CAN TAKE THAT POWERPOINT AND WE CAN GO THROUGH IT AND I'LL MAKE SURE AND REMEMBER THAT WE CAN CREATE, AS COLLEEN SAID, A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ABOUT THAT FOR YOU.
I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL REALLY.
UM, AS I SAID, IT'S SUCH SUCH A, A GREAT FEELING TO BE PART OF A TOWN THAT IS WANTING TO MOVE ON THIS COMMITMENT AND, AND, AND LIFT ITSELF UP AND BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING AND FOR HOW MUCH YOU CARE AND FOR ALL THE TIME YOU'RE PUTTING INTO IT.
PAUL, THANKS A LOT FOR MAKING IT.
BECAUSE I KNOW YOU NEED TO GO HOME AND EAT STUFF.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING IT POWERPOINT.
IF YOU WANT, CAN YOU CLOSE THIS WORK SESSION? YEAH, WE'RE CLOSING THE WORK SESSION.
WE NEED TO CLOSE OUT THE SESSION.
[01:15:01]
YOU GOTTA TURN YOUR MIC ON.SO WE NEED TO SECOND ANY, ANY NEGATIVES? YOU SAY THE RESTORATIVE CIRCLE WORK BECAUSE THERE'S NO NEGATIVES.