HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-05 Human Relations Advisory Committee MinutesOff~ OF k fao/
Town of Reading
a f Meeting Minutes
RECEIVED
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Human Relations Advisory Committee t -j5 ,spy I I A 9 03
Date: 2015 -03 -05 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Police Station Location: Community Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Monthly meeting
Attendees: Members - Present:
Kyung Lyu, Mark D. Segalla, Linda Snow - Dockser, Lori Hodin
Members - Not Present:
Sandra Popaja, Camille Anthony
Others Present:
Eleanor Dustin, Dan Ensminger, Ellie Wilson, Lynn Dornick
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Lori Hodin
Topics of Discussion:
Approved January 8th and February 5th Minutes
Decide to make two minutes- one with all details /names and one more streamlined to post
MLK Follow up
Unveiling of Rob Surette pantings
-Still do not have paintings (Extra portraits donated stuck in a shed in the snow)
-Eight total portraits (two of MLK)
-Do not have a way to unveil them (no firm plan)- teachers do not want to take time from
school because of too many snow days
-No answer on unveiling them at District -Wide Arts Festival (maybe include METCO choir,
but may interfere with other performences)
- Present at select meeting /school committee meeting? Will be broadcasted on RCTV
-AWOD students can present about each painting
Distribution of Remaining Funds
- $4,075 donated
-about $13,000 in total
-Maybe donate some to METCO "spirit days ". Rubber bracelets, t- shirts (seed money)
-Money could be used to aid hanging up the portraits (check with facilities)
-Also use as funding for AWOD?
-Keep bank in the loop on how the money is being spent
Binder for MLK organization for next year
- Include how many bagels /waters
-List of surrounding towns who were involved
-List of exhibit tables
- Advertisement contacts
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Winchester Multi - culteral group
- Coming to the April 2nd meeting
- Discuss protocals when people approach them for help
-WMCG has a training day workshop on addressing diversity problems in ones town (April
11th, 9 am -3:30 pm).
-Free, offer to METCO parents?
-Send RSVP's through Mark
-Free to people not officially members of HRAC
Library Request to join Black HX program
- Reading Frederick Douglass
- Community event: attendants take turns reading his July 4th speech (1852, What to a
Slave is Fourth of July ?)
- Library will pay for /write the grant, HRAC in charge of recruiting people to go
-Check speech because it may be uncomfortable for some people
Website maintenance
-Have someone specifically in charge of the website
-Mark will be the liaison
- Minutes may be sent to this new person (for now still send to Laura)
Attracting new members
-Write something for the front page of the paper (mission of committee, what it entails -
want people with energy and commitment)
- Private or not?
- Document major goals /accomplishments - what will go as we move forward
-Board of Directors trying to change the form of comittees (a hybrid between public and
private)
-How can the HRAC become less threatening for people to join? (open committee meeting ?)
-More freedom being private, but more connected to town when public (access to website
and staff)
-If renewed, would it preclude changing to private?
- Confidentiality is a big aspect
- Investigate different options- ask Winchester group for their insight
-Post on Reading CARES website for new members
-Also post on Church bulletin
-Draft an invite to attract people to go to meetings (include mission, prior accomplishments,
foreground problems /concerns HRAC wants to address, focus on diversity)
- Personal invitation (spreading word by mouth)
- Members only have to be Reading residents (not registered voter)- open to students?
-Have full time members and associates
- Quorum is half plus 1
Meeting with Wakefield
-Want to create their own HRAC
-May attend April 2 d meeting with Winchester
-Put them on hold- Reading HRAC not in a place to help build another committee
-Put them in direct contact with Winchester Multicultural group
Possibility of Changing the Name?
-Make a difference when recruiting
- "Human Relations" is kind of vague
Action Plans to be read for April 2 d meeting
-Draft letter for the cover of the newspaper
- Generate a list of people to contact (Clergy association, CARES)
- Rewrite /clean up publicity list
- Generate list of questions for Winchester group (send to Mark)
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Discussion with Jason Cross
-How to collaborate METCO with the HRAC, what the HRAC can do
-Work with the graffiti at Parker (seize the oppourtunity to make students aware of diversity
in Reading)
-Find ways to create a more accepting culture in the young people of the community first
- Example: some elementary school children do not recognize MLK
-Find a way to make it relevant (go against argument that it is not prevalent in this
community)
- People want to know how it will effect taxes, the economy
- 44,000 total students in the school system- 140 are African American, 70 of that are
M ETCO
- Change the view on African American history /modern day race
-How should schools respond to graffiti? (Young people are responding to things like this on
their own)
-Bring in outside people to train and educate students
-Only 1 African American faculty member (Jason) in the school system
Suggestions for the future
-Get a gospel choir or mix the gospel choir with Korean /Reading singers (for next MLK Day)
- "Taste of Tradition" different cultures showcase their food
- Principal talks about diversity over the loud speakers on the day the rubber bracelets are
handed out
-HRAC could pay for the bracelets
-Jason could perform the "I Have A Dream" speech
-Drama club could perform something at the next MLK celebration
-Put diversity stats out to the public (will inspire action /fire people up)
-April 24th is the WYCA Take a Stand Against Racism
-Go from "We Stand Together" to "We March Together"
-Honk for Diversity sign?
- Diversity Culteral Fair
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