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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-2025 Human Rights Commission - RevisedHuman Rights Commission April 22, 2025 Regular Meeting — 5:30 PM Emma Harvet Hall, City Hall Agenda: 1. Call the Meeting to Order and Roll Call. 2. Reading of the Native American Land Acknowledgement. 3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda. Commentators shall address the commission for no more than five minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items. 4. Approval of the April 1, 2025, meeting minutes. 5. Update on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department. 6. Correspondence. 7. Know Your Rights Event. s. Discuss and vote on issuing a statement regarding the removal of gender identity as a protected characteristic under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. 9. Human Rights Grant Updates. • Reports from FY24. • Conflicts • Select date to review and make recommendation on grants. 10. Reports of Commissioners and Staff. This item includes an opportunity for very brief updates from staff and commissioners. Commissioners cannot engage in discussion on any reports. 11. Next Regular Meeting: May 27, 2025 12. Adjournment Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all City of Iowa City - sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of Human Rights at 319-356-5022 or email humanrights(a-)-iowa- city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. "Agenda Item #2 Native American Land Acknowledgement Prepared for the City of Iowa City's Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human Rights Commission PURPOSE Iowa City owes its existence to the many Indigenous Peoples who were the original stewards of this land and who were subjected to manipulation and violence by non-native settlers, invaders, and governments in order to make this moment possible. Acknowledgement of this truth is central to our work toward reconciliation across all barriers of difference and injustice. Starting with a Native American Land Acknowledgement, this Commission will bear witness to the legacies of violent displacement, migration, and settlement that have marginalized those who were the first inhabitants of this land. We must also address the mistreatment and exclusion that Native Americans continue to face today. The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission encourage the community and City of Iowa City to join us in these efforts through the use of a Native American Land Acknowledgement. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To be read at all public meetings and events: "We meet today in the community of Iowa City, which now occupies the homelands of Native American Nations to whom we owe our commitment and dedication. The area of Iowa City was within the homelands of the Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk, and because history is complex and time goes far back beyond memory, we also acknowledge the ancient connections of many other Indigenous Peoples here. The history of broken treaties and forced removal that dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their homelands was and is an act of colonization and genocide that we can not erase. We implore the Iowa City community to commit to understanding and addressing these injustices as we work toward equity, restoration, and reparations." LEARN MORE Native Governance Center Guide to Indiaenous Land Acknowledaement US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide Meskwaki Nation - History Special thanks to the University oflowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as members of the public, for their input. 3 Agenda Item # 4 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission April 1, 2025 Emma J. Harvat Hall Commissioners present: Doug Kollasch, Emily Harkin, Elizabeth Mendez Shannon, Mark Pries, Kelsey Paul Shantz, Viana Qadoura. Commissioners on Zoom: Lubna Mohamed. Commissioners absent: Roger Lusala, Idriss Abdullahi. Staff present: Tre Hall, Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 5:32 PM. Native American Land Acknowledgement: Kollash read the Land Acknowledgement. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: None. Approval of meeting minutes of February 25, 2025: Pries moved, and Mendez Shannon seconded. Motion passed 7-0. Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department: Community Outreach Assistant, Tre Hall reported that the police department's presentation on domestic violence was canceled due to an illness and has not yet been rescheduled. Hall also spoke on Jess Lang's work with increasing the spots available for safety village and EMS training with hopes to increase involvement. It was also mentioned that a Community Police Academy will take place with the Coralville Police Department and will be held on Mondays throughout the month of September. The outreach group will be increasing their outreach to the unhoused community as the spring and summer months come around. They will also be hosting a booth for national crime victim rights at the public library at 10 AM on April 12'". Hall concluded with an update that the group is preparing for the upcoming Pride parade in June. Mendez Shannon spoke to Trey Hall about meeting with Joshua Dabusu and their conversation on doing a panel on Knowing Your Rights. Pries shared his church has been distributing red cards. Mendez Shannon clarified the red cards share policies or procedures you can use if you have an encounter with ICE. Correspondence: The Commission received correspondence about a community reading of Martin Luther King's Beyond Vietnam Friday, April 0 at the Robert A Lee Recreation Center. Know Your Rights Event: Mendez Shannon updated the commission that she met with the Englert Theatre. It was discovered that they are interested in supporting an event that supports the community. Mendez Shannon shared that they are not sure of the scope of the event. For example, Escucha Mi Voz shared they have a need to share more information about rights through a speaker. Mendez Shannon shared ideas to support these groups. One idea was to create a collation so there are more voices at the table. Mendez Shannon requested permission from the commission. Paul -Shantz spoke up with support in the matter. Pries agreed. Mendez Shannon said she would keep the commission updated on future events and progress. Paul -Shantz spoke about trans rights being revoked by the state of Iowa. Paul -Shantz suggested drafting a statement that addresses the issue and to add this to a future agenda. Pries asked if this statement would have something to work from which Paul -Shantz assured there is an existing draft of a statement. The commission discussed a date for a special meeting to finalize the statement. It was suggested to have the special meeting in the next seven days, with virtual attendance as an option. It was agreed that the special meeting would take place on Monday, April 7th at 10:00 AM. Second Quarter Project: Kollasch brought up the idea that as the commission moves away from working in committees it could be replaced with a community event. Paul -Shantz shared the idea of community circles and developing community conversations. Paul -Shantz shared it would be a good way to connect different areas and resources within the Iowa City community. Issues mentioned were food, housing, conflict resolution, supporting youth, community building, non-violent community action, and mental health. Qadoura agreed this would be a positive way to openly discuss with different groups on what is causing fear, what to look forward to, different resources, and what to do in certain instances. Pries was in support of the idea. Qadoura asked if it would be an open invitation to everyone or how it would look. Paul -Shantz expressed that she would prefer to hold off on deciding how it would work until they are able to get some more information and share ideas. Elections: It was agreed to defer elections to take place during a later meeting due to the absence of two commission members (Abdullahi and Lusala). Human Rights Grant: Qadoura and Mendez Shannon discussed their work visiting with current grant recipients. Qadoura spoke of her experience with Houses into Homes where she took the Mariam Girl's Club to help and learn about the organization. Qadoura was happy to see the organization works with individuals in their program on a personal basis considering ethnic backgrounds, language barriers, and more. Mendez Shannon also shared her experience with the group and her takeaway was the passion behind the work they do at Houses into Homes. Mendez Shannon shared during this outreach they were able to connect the Welcome Center with Houses into Homes for language assistance. Mendez Shannon also reported it was requested that the commission help promote Houses into Homes on social media. The group also asked about applying for future grants as a previous recipient. Mendez Shannon shared she was pleased with the personal approach the Iowa City Food Pantry takes to meet the diverse needs of those who use their services. Paul -Shantz shared she was happy to see the Indigenous Art Alliance was continuing to work through political shifts in our area. Kollasch asked Staff for updates on the current cycle of Human Rights Grant applicants. Staff reported application must be in by 11:59 PM on April 1st. Staff also shared that commissioners should look out for an email containing access information pertaining to the grant submissions. Staff stated that a list of applicants would be shared with commissioners to ensure there are no conflicts of interest when it comes time to review applications. Qadoura requested to have a printed copy of each application for ease of review. Staff also discussed the turn around for the grant applications. The commission's next meeting will take place on April 22nd. As the application window closes and the commission is able to review those submitted, they will have a better idea on dates. Pries asked staff if applicants are receiving grants from the City or other organizations are they still eligible for the grant. Staff referred to a memo in the packet addressing the matter. It was read that City Council requires staff to provide additional information to boards and commissions that award funding about which organization have received funding as a way to give opportunity to additional organizations. Staff & Commission Updates: Staff requested the commission send a budget proposal for events or expenses that pertain to the second quarter project and the Know Your Rights event. Staff also shared that depending on commission preference their usual meeting room can be changed from Harvat Hall to the Helling Conference Room. Qadoura inquired from staff on the Neighborhoods Centers of Johnson County Gala requesting two tickets for herself and commissioner Mendez Shannon. Pries announced his congregation wrote a grant for Dream City to help them get furniture. He also went tc the Bike Library and saw their organization and wrote them a grant through his congregation as well. Pries met with Sikowis Nobiss about Great Plains Action Center and spoke on their recent purchase of land on Maiden Drive to build a facility for their organization. Pries met with the director of the North Liberty Food Pantry and discussed their struggles with losing support from FEMA. Kollasch shared the impact that current legislation has had on friends and family. Kollasch also wanted to raise awareness that the Iowa senate has passed, and sent to the House, Bill 507 which prohibits any city or county from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices. Qadoura reassured that all is hopeful, and we have to keep going and voicing for the voiceless. Qadoura shared she has been busy hosting the Ramadan dinner, Iftar, for ICCSD students. She also shared she is grateful for the support from the Superintendent and the Board of Education who have now attended the dinners, along with commissioner Pries. Qadoura shared the dinner is about being a community and breaking bread together and being proud of who you are. Qadoura also shared her experience hosting Hijab Day sharing it was successful. As a board member of the Coralville Food Pantry Qadoura is involved in the Community Meal at the Coralville Library being held this Friday, April 4th and encouraged commissioners to attend. The final event Qadoura shared is a conference called Palestine Hope for Change taking place on April 26th from Sam to 5pm. The conference will acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians and the ongoing genocide. Harkin shared March 315T was Trans Day of Visibility and the importance of trans lives. Harkin also touched on April being National Fair Housing Month and the importance of a right to fair housing. She also pointed out she appreciated a sentiment from the meeting "What others may need, others may have." Harkin also attended the Night of 1,000 Dinners and shared that the event was enjoyable to attend. Paul -Shantz mentioned she was in Nairobi for a workshop with Peace in Our Cities Network. Topics at the workshop included data in technology and how you can track reports to use data to improve issues reported on. The trip also involved going into informal settlements of Nairobi and speaking with those working with youth to improve conditions and work with community members. Paul -Shantz also wanted to take time to recognize other areas around the world have fought harmful regimes and she takes inspiration from that. Pries asked Paul -Shantz to speak on compassion fatigue. She spoke on the idea that the fatigue is the point and part of the attack on everyone and by recognizing that you can use it to fuel your passion for change. Mendez Shannon wanted to reiterate that those herself and commissioner Qadoura visited with wanted to be seen on social media and that the groups are excited about the work they are doing. She also spoke about the state of the world impacting the community and the commission's work. Mendez Shannon shared her work on a paper that addresses the experiences of undocumented individuals. Through this paper she learned about resilience and that what you go through is preparing you for something else. She was also reminded of the strength she sees in Iowa City and the impact the commission makes on the community. Adjourned: 6:34PM. The meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@citychannel4/videos. 4 Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024/2025 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/23 2/27 314 3/26 4/23 5/28 7/23 8/27 9/24 11/26 12/12 1/28 2/25 4/1 4/22 5/27 JahnaviPandya 2024 X X X X X X X X A A - - - - Emily Harkin 2027 - - - - - - - - - P - P P X Doug Kollasch 2027 X X X X X X Z X X P - P P X Viana Qadoura 2025 X X X X X X X X X P - A A X Idriss Abdullahi 2025 - - - - X Z X Z A P - P A A Mark Pries 2025 X A X X X X X X X P - A P X Roger Lusala 2026 X X X A X X X X X P - P P A Kelsey Paul Shantz 2026 X X X X Z X X A X P - P A X Liz Mendez -Shannon 2026 X X X A Z X X A X A - P P X Lubna Mohamed 2027 - - - - - - - - - - - Z A Z KEY: X = Present A = Absent Z = Present via Zoom Agenda Item #8 DRAFT On Thursday, February 27, 2025, the state of Iowa took a giant leap onto the wrong side of history by becoming the first state in the nation to remove a protected class from the state civil rights code. At a time when discrimination and violence against our transgender neighbors is on the rise, Republican lawmakers in Des Moines made it their priority to enable further discrimination against a small, marginalized, and vulnerable group of our fellow Iowans. Rather than proposing solutions to more pressing problems and trying to improve the lives of all Iowans, Steve Holt, Pat Grassley, and the rest of Iowa Republican legislators focused all of their time and energy in pushing this hateful legislation through in just one week. Human rights should be a non -partisan issue. The founding principle of our nation is that all are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights. The bill passed on Thursday goes so far to erroneously claim that "separate is not inherently unequal." We know this is erroneous because it is the same logic used in the infamous 1898 US Supreme Court decision Plessyv. Ferguson, which perhaps became the most recognized mistake in the history of US jurisprudence when it was resolutely refuted by the landmark Brown vBoard of Education. That is correct; Iowa Republicans in 2025 used the same debunked and illegal logic from over a century ago to enshrine bigotry and discrimination into our state code. At the beginning of last century, separate but equal remained the accepted standard for 56 years, providing justification for Jim Crow laws, racial segregation, and a host of despicable laws that led to one of the more turbulent and dark periods of American history. Let us not make the same mistake again. We will not wait an entire lifetime to refute what we know to be patently wrong. Separate but equal is unconstitutional and un-American. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission condemns this legislation in the strongest manner possible. Removing equal rights from any group of people is antithetical to the American ideal and way of life. We are ashamed that this is the direction our legislature is moving our state. To our transgender neighbors, friends, and family: we see you, we accept you, and we support you. We remain committed to ensuring that Iowa City remains a community that is open and welcoming to all. In Iowa City, be assured that our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. Grant update reports for FY24 Open Heartland SJRE Q3 Report Open Heartland: FEAST Project ( Foundational Education & Skills Training) FY24 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant: Quarter 2 Report Grant Activities November 1, 2024 thru March 31, 2025 Project Summary: Through participation in the "FEAST" project, participants will build self-esteem and a sense of belonging to a new culture and community, as well as build essential skills . The majority of the adults served by Open Heartland were not able to finish school in their home countries due to lack of access, the necessity to go to work at a very young age, or poverty. The project programs and activities, all with free childcare provided, will be accessible to clients in their native Spanish language at no cost to increase access. The program activities will impact families by allowing adults and youth opportunities to: improve their abilities to speak and understand English, participate in community conversation groups with native English speakers, build leadership skills, gain understanding of US culture, strengthen family ties, and improve their mental health with active involvement in support groups. All "FEAST" prograni-�, are free and will be facilitated during times that our families can attend with childcare provided. Please Note: Due to the new administration's policies and scare tactics regarding immigration and the threat of deportation, Open Heartland remained closed from January 11 through March 1, 2025 in an effort to both protect our families and to have time to measure the safety of having families come to our facility in the current political environment. During that time, Open Heartland made home deliveries of food and diapers to those who needed such services. We reopened on March 3 and the number of families utilizing our servicers is now back to "normal" which is about 175-200 families each week. English Classes English Language classes take place every Saturday afternoon from 5pm-6:30 pm. Due to the current political climate, we moved our ELL classes online with the intent to begin meeting back in person in the spring. However, we have found that the majority of students like the flexibility of attending class via zoom from their home. To increase the effectiveness of our ELL classes, we are currently working with the Iowa City Senior Center to create one-on-one ELL tutoring sessions with our immigrant students paired up with seniors from the Senior Center. These sessions are begin at Open Heartland with pairs of seniors/immigrants meeting for coffee and conversation weekly. After the initial sessions, the teams have the flexibility of meeting at a place of their choosing Page 1 of 4 Open Heartland SJRE Q3 Report Leadership Development Our Women's Leadership Team has continued to meet regularly and participated in our February Strategic Planning Workshop with our Board of Directors where together they crafted a new and improved Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Values Statement. In addition, the Leadership Team was instrumental in facilitating our December Holiday Elf Event where Open Heartland matched up our families with children under the age of 18 with community members who purchased gifts from the family's Wish Lists. The Leadership Team worked improving their leadership skills as they very successfully coordinated working with 380 families to register them for the event. The Leadership Team has now taken over all communication with our 400 families through a WhatsApp Message Tree. Weekly communications go out to our families through this system regarding human rights, local educational opportunities, food bank info, school info, health clinics, and general info about the community. This team of 18 Latina women have completed designing Open Heartland's Membership ID Program that will launch on July 1, 2025. There are two key components of their design. The first has to do with equity and access. Our membership program will be accessible to all who seek to participate and be accessible in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. Families will receive an Open Heartland ID card that gives them weekly access to the Open Heartland Tienda (clothes, household items, etc) and our Food Insecurity Program all at no cost. The second element of the program is it's ability to build capacity to organize our immigrant community around human rights and strengthen our ability to mobilize this community to take action around their rights as human beings. Human Rights is the central theme of our new Open Heartland Membership ID Program. Our Leadership Team Ladies are incredibly proud of their work on this project! Youth Enrichment Camp We're so grateful that this grant award has enabled Open Heartland to provide three different educational enrichment experiences for kids ages 5 to 12. Especially fortunate that we were able to take some of our young girls to a special Princess Camp at a local art studio between Iowa City and Solon called "Beautiful Things". Our Open Heartland participants were fortunate to meet and spend some quality time with Miss Iowa who encouraged them to seek out their best selves and encouraged them to think about their futures. The experience was very special for these kids and 1000% out of their normal camp activities. Open Heartland was also able to provide three additional STEM themed camps for kids; 1) Make a Remote -Control Helicopter, 2) Lego Camp, and 3) Nature Arts & Crafts Camp. All were extremely successful! Page 2 of 4 Open Heartland SJRE Q3 Report P 4 _ Al I Folkloric Dance Group Our Folkloric Dance group took a hiatus over winter break, but is back in full swing with a new instructor from the Spanish Department at UI, Dr. Adele Lozano. Dr. Lozano is a professional teacher who has taught folkloric dance for many years. She is donating her expertise and has begun working with our kids. Students have been working on adding some new dances to their repertoire and our Open Heartland moms are busy designing and creating the new costumes. As advised by Dr. Lozano, one of our dancer's dads built a portable wooden dance floor for the kids use when practicing. Currently the group practices each Saturday for 2 hours. We have three community performances scheduled for this spring/summer so far. April 6` at Zion Lutheran Church, April 9ch at Big Grover Brewery, and June 1 Oth for the 5224Good Information Fair. Rage 3 of 4 Open Heartland SJRE Q3 Report Expenses "FEAST" expenses from November 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025 ITEM EXPENSE Leadership Development of $500 Open Heartland Women's Group Folklorico $1,136.04 Dance Group Youth Enrichment Day $956 Camp Programs Total $2,592 Future Activities Women's Leadership Development: Unique training opportunities for the spring Folklorico Dance Group: Efforts to help youth better understand their heritage Human Rights and Open Heartland: Launch of new Membership ID program to leverage additional opportunities to educate and empower immigrant families Family Enrichment Programs: Our Leadership Team is planning a big Kermez event in May that will feature educational activities, community resources, and of course food and fun! Page 4 of 4 Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant Report CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank April 1, 2025 Overview The "Expanding Culturally Appropriate Food Options" project is intended to advance racial equity and social justice by helping to maintain the cultural identity of individuals facing food insecurity while also directly supporting minority -owned business enterprises within Iowa City. Our hope is that refugees and the diverse people we serve will feel an increased sense of belonging and become more comfortable connecting with us for services. Project Successes CommUnity has expanded its vendors of diverse foods this year, making the first purchase with RESJ grant funds with local African farmers who sell through Field to Family, as noted in our last report. Since then, we also placed a large order for a variety of foods from World Food Market on 1st Avenue in Iowa City. We continue to be grateful for the guidance of clients as well as the shopowners we purchase from who can guide us on the most essential food items for our immigrant and refugee Food Bank clients. The latest purchase from World Food Market included a wide range of cooking staples. Produce included jute and cassava leaves, okra, jalapeno, yams, matooke bananas, and yucca, and spices included ginger, chili pepper, paprika, thyme, cumin, and cinnamon. Protein included tilapia and anchovies, turkey tails, Bambara beans, Oloyin beans, and pigeon peas. Other key items were sesame seeds and cassava flour, which is used to make fufu. The foods ordered through this grant appeal to clients from all over the world, and especially benefit our African, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern clients. A quickly -growing group of clients includes Haitians, who find value in these foods as well. Amount Spent To -date, $4,696.02 has been spent on culturally -relevant foods for Food Bank programs, and we are awaiting an invoice for an order for 5 cases of plantains from Acapulco Mexican Bakery and Grocery Store. Next Steps CommUnity plans to spend remaining from this grant on produce through Field to Family farmers (as long as there is still availability due to the impact of federal funding cuts on their organization). If this purchase is not an option, CommUnity will place an additional order with World Food Market, as their foods appeal to African, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic clients alike. Funds for food continue to be one of the Food Bank's greatest needs, as we want to notjust give some food to each client who walks through our doors, but adequate amounts food to truly address food insecurity. Racial Equity and Social Justice grant funds have allowed us to trial new sources of food that have proved valuable to our clients, and we will continue seeking grant funding from other sources for this project. Left: Bambara beans It Right: Cassava flour Grant Submissions for FY25 Bike Library BIPOC Healing Collective Community Inclusion Club Escucha Mi Voz Iowa The Dream Center dba Dream City Great Plains Action Society Greater Iowa City, Inc. Homes 4 My Peeps Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County Mogul Consulting Our Kids DBA Open Heartland Restorative Community Works Wright House of Fashion Late Handout Statement by the Iowa City Human Rights Commission regarding the removal of gender identity as a protected characteristic under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. On Thursday, February 27, 2025, the state of Iowa took a giant leap onto the wrong side of history by becoming the first state in the nation to remove gender identity, a protected class, from the state civil rights code. At a time when discrimination and violence against our transgender neighbors is on the rise, Republican lawmakers in Des Moines made it their priority to enable further discrimination against a small, marginalized, and vulnerable group of our fellow Iowans. Rather than proposing solutions to more pressing problems and trying to improve the lives of all Iowans, Steve Holt, Pat Grassley, and the rest of Iowa Republican legislators focused all of their time and energy in pushing this hateful legislation through in just one week. Human rights is a non -partisan issue. The founding principle of our nation is all are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights. The bill passed on February 27 goes so far to erroneously claim "separate is not inherently unequal." We know this is erroneous because it is the same logic used in the infamous 1898 US Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson, which perhaps became the most recognized mistake in the history of US jurisprudence when it was resolutely refuted by the landmark Brown v Board of Education. Iowa Republicans in 2025 used the same debunked an ogic from over a century ago to eZnigotry and discrimination into the o ode_ At the beginning of last ate but equal remained the accepted standard 6 y viding justificatlaws, racial segregation, and a host of despicabl la ito one of the in u and dark periods of American history_ Let us not in e mistake again_ We 1 not it an entire lifetime to refute what we know to be patent y g_ Se ate but equal is cons tional and un- American. 10� The Iowa City Human Rights Commission condemns this legislation in the strongest manner possible. Removing equal rights from any group of people is antithetical to the American ideal and way of life. We are ashamed this is the direction the Iowa legislature is moving our state. To our transgender neighbors, friends, and family: we see you, we accept you, and we support you. We remain committed to ensuring Iowa City remains a community open and welcoming to all. In Iowa City, be assured our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. We call on our Iowa legislators to correct this grievous mistake and rescind this legislation and in doing so restoring Human Rights for every Iowan.