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Home My WebLink About12 02 21 TRC Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Agenda Thursday, December 2, 2021 7PM Emma J. Harvat Hall Iowa City City Hall 410 E. Washington Street In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity to participate in the meeting remotely. However, this meeting is in-person, and those wishing to ensure their ability to participate should attend the meeting in-person. If you instead wish to participate remotely, you may attempt to do so by joining the below link. Please note that the meeting link and ID for the first Thursday of each month is different than the link and ID for the third Thursday of each month. First Thursday Meetings https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cMIaaV6cTxGwOlWu2-hFHg ID: 867 2424 8095 Third Thursday Meetings https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lcIl8llPSRq1u0xPlL-1Ew ID: 895 3695 0485 If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID when prompted. Meeting Agenda: 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 18, 2021 5. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING SAID ITEMS) 6. COMMUNITY COMMENT ON TRC’S CHARGES INCLUDING FACT-FINDING AND TRUTH-TELLING 7. DISCUSSION ON RACISM WITHIN IN IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS 8. DISCUSSION ON TRC LOCAL PARTNERS 9. DISCUSSION AND FOLLOW-UP FROM CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OF NOVEMBER 30, 2021 ON THE TRC 10. UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS OF THE FUND EXCLUDED WORKERS COALITION AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN 11. CIRCLES 12. ANNOUCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS/STAFF (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH ONE ANOTHER CONCERNING SAID ANNOUCEMENTS) 13. ADJOURNMENT If you will need a disability-related accommodation to participate in this meeting please contact the Equity Director, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your accessibility needs. AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 2, 2021 MEETING PACKET CONTENTS AGENDA ITEM #3 • LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGENDA ITEM #4 • DRAFT MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 18, 2021 AGENDA ITEM #8 • TRC TENATIVE LOCAL PARTNERS LIST November 18, 2021 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma J. Harvat Hall City Hall Commissioners present: Amel Ali, Kevo Rivera, Daphney Daniel (via Zoom), Chastity Dillard (via Zoom), Wangui Gathua, Eric Harris, Clifton Johnson, Mohamed Traore. Commissioners not present: Sikowiss (Christine Nobiss). Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Community members who spoke at the meeting: Nicholas Theisen, Nisreen Elgaali, Maria Kazembe, Dan Kauble, Noah, Taylor Kohn. Recommendations to City Council: Yes, to extend the timeline for the TRC to complete its mission through June 2023. Motion passed 8-0. Meeting called to order: 7:05. Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Ali read the Land Acknowledgement. Approval of Minutes from the November 4, 2021: Traore moved, and Ali seconded. Motion passed 8-0. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: Theisen delivered remarks on Michael Williams, a Black man lynched in Sigourney, Chris Kelly, a Black man beaten and tased by Iowa City Police, Black Lives Matter, and the demonstrations of last summer including the car barreling into protestors. Elgaali and Kazembe spoke on the lack of respect Black students receive within the Iowa City Community School District and on the effort of students at West High to form a Black Student Union (BSU) with the hope that other area schools will also form their own BSUs. Kauble let the Commissioners of the TRC know that if they need anything to let him know. Noah thanked the TRC for all that they do. Kohn reported on the recent retaliation against the Chair of the TRC. DISCUSS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OF NOVEMBER 30, 2021 ON THE TRC: Members reported that there wasn’t really the need for guidance at this point. To date, the meeting is not set up as a joint meeting with the City Council. Recommendation to Extend the TRC’s Timeline: The Commissioners discussed recommending for the deadline to be extended through June of 2023 to allow flexibility. Testimonies could be taken through 2022 if the deadline is extended. Commissioners plan on flushing out more detail in the coming months. Motion by Rivera to extend the deadline through June 2023, the motion was seconded by Ali. Motion passed 8-0. The Fund Excluded Workers Coalition Update: The Johnson County Supervisors have approved 2 million for the Excluded Workers, but it will not be available until March 2022. The amount allocated is not enough and it has not been determined how it will be distributed. The City is proposing 1 million to 1 ½ million or the equivalent of the budget set aside for the TRC. The payments need to be direct cash payments and the process to receive the payments should not be burdensome like they have been for seeking housing assistance during the pandemic. The payments should not require persons to have documentation. The process for distribution may also need to include translators and interpreters. List of Potential Partners for the TRC: Noah and Keaver spoke on the need to be mindful of the potential harm that may come to persons who choose to come forward and testify. Commissioners added Laura Gray and Charlie Eastham with the ICCSD to the potential partner list. Inside Out Reentry is going through transition and so they will be reconnected with this process at a later date. South District and Dream Center have been contacted along with the African American Network of Johnson County. Monsoon has not yet replied to the TRC. Pastor Smith of the Johnson County Interfaith Coalition can set up roundtables and meetings between the TRC and their leaders. At the next TRC meeting, Commissioners will discuss the initial framework on how to work with partners on the truth-telling process. Circle Invitation: Rivera, Harris, Gathua, and Ali participated in a Circle that was facilitated by Angie Jordan and Annie Tucker. The experience was insightful and brought them closer together as members of the TRC. The Circles are therapeutic. Traore will request invoices from the facilitators so that they can be compensated. Commission Announcements: Rivera reminded all on the practice of gratitude and also mentioned Commissioner Sikowiss’ (Great Plains Action Society) upcoming “The Truth Will Not Be Whitewashed Fashion Show” in collaboration with Humanize My Hoodie. Commissioners ended the meeting with their thoughts on the recent arrest of Chair Traore after the TRC meeting of November 4, 2021, the effects to him, his family, fellow Commissioners, and the community. Staff Announcements: No. Adjourn: 9:20PM The entire meeting can be viewed at this link https://youtu.be/sgoaAqhyJvM. AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2021 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 5/27 6/10 6/24 7/8 7/22 8/5 8/19 9/2 9/16 9/30 10/7 10/21 11/4 11/18 Ali 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Daniel 6/22 X X X O X O X X X X O X X X Dillard 6/22 X O X X X X X X X X X X X X Gathua 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Johnson 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X O X X X Harris 6/22 X X X X X X X O X X X X X X Nobiss 6/22 X X X X O X X X O X X X X O Rivera 6/22 X X X X X X O X X X O X X X Traore 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent POTENTIAL PARTNER INDIVIDUALS ● Elizabeth Bernal – cultural liaison for Iowa City schools, founding member of Prairielands Freedom Fund (see below) ● Manny Galvez – founder and organizer of Iowa City Latino Festival ● Bram Elias – immigration attorney, UI Law Professor ● Peter Gerlach – UI International Studies adjunct assistant professor, Summer Institute Coordinator at the International Writing Program ● Teresa Stecker – Executive Director of IC Compassion (see below) ● Annie Tucker – Executive Director of Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa POTENTIAL TRC PARTNER GROUPS Name of Organization/Website/Contact Target Population/Services Provided TRC Approved TRC Liaison Black Voices Project https://www.facebook.com/icbvp/ Amplifying Black voices and culture in the community. ☐ Chastity Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa https://cwjiowa.org/ Assistance and education to low-wage workers, including immigrants ☐ Wangui CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank https://builtbycommunity.org/ Food bank, clothing vouchers for low- income individuals and households. Mobile crisis services. ☐ Daphney Dream City https://www.dreamcityia.org/ Community building, youth leadership programs for children and families. ☐ Eric Great Plains Action Society https://www.greatplainsaction.org/ Indigenous organizers providing programming to educate, empower, and protect BIPOC communities. ☐ Sikowis IC Compassion https://www.iccompassion.org/ ESL and citizenship classes, food assistance, free legal clinic, immigration assistance and, community meals, refugee counseling services. ☐ Wangui Inside Out Reentry Community https://www.insideoutreentry.com/ Support for individuals involved in the criminal legal system ☐ Eric International Women’s Club of Iowa City https://iwciowacity.wordpress.com/ Social events and English programs for women. ☐ UNCLAIMED Iowa City Catholic Worker https://iowacitycatholicworker.org/ Immigrant and refugee led community providing food, housing, rent assistance, accompaniment, and deportation defense. ☐ Eric Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic https://freemedicalclinic.org/ Health care to low income individuals and families. ☐ UNCLAIMED Iowa City Mutual Aid Collective https://iowacitymutualaid.com/ Kitchens project, street medic training ☐ Kevo Iowa Freedom Riders https://www.facebook.com/iowafreedomrider/ Community organizing and mobilization ☐ UNCLAIMED Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduate (iJag) https://www.iowacityschools.org/Page/16080 Mentoring, school retention, work resources, skill-building for 9-12th grade students. ☐ Mohamed Iowa Legal Aid https://www.iowalegalaid.org/ Free civil legal assistance. ☐ Monsoon Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity https://monsooniowa.org/ AAPI victims of gender-based violence ☐ Wangui Multicultural Development Center of Iowa https://www.mdciowa.org/ As a nonprofit, we provide free community services ranging from free STEM training to mentoring programs and business incubation to underserved communities. Learn more about our programs and find a learning location near you. ☐ Chastity Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County https://ncjc.org/index.html Before and after school programs for youth and family support services. ☐ Chastity NISAA African Family Services http://nisaa-afs.org/ Programs for African immigrant and refugee women, particularly victims of violence and sexual assault ☐ Wangui Path of Hope https://path-of-hope.org/about/ Refugee and immigration services ☐ UNCLAIMED Prairielands Freedom Fund https://www.prairielandsfreedomfund.org/ Immigration bonds and pretrial bail ☐ Kevo Proteus http://www.proteusinc.net/ Health care, education assistance, and job training for agricultural workers, including migrant workers. ☐ UNCLAIMED Shelter House Community Shelter & Transition Services https://shelterhouseiowa.org/ Housing, food, healthcare, and case management services for unhoused individuals and families ☐ Chastity & Kevo University of Iowa Diversity Councils https://diversity.uiowa.edu/resources/dei- across-campus Cultural Centers https://multicultural.uiowa.edu/culturalcenters African American Council, Native American Council, Pan Asian Council, Latinx Council Afro-American Cultural Center, Latino Native American Cultural Center, Asian Pacific American Cultural Center; affiliations with other cultural student groups (Black Student Union, Asian American Student Union, South Asia Student Association, African Student Association) ☐ Wangui & Kevo *Added At 11/4/21 Meeting* Name of Organization/Website/Contact Target Population/Services Provided TRC Approved TRC Liaison Forest View Tenants Association ☐ UNCLAIMED Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) https://www.iowacityschools.org/ ☐ Wangui/ Mohamed ICCSD Equity Advisory Committee https://www.iowacityschools.org/Page/1124 ☐ Wangui/ Mohamed ICCSD Mental Health, Special Education and Disability PTO http://autismiowacity.org/iccsd-mental-health-special- education-and-disability-pto https://www.facebook.com/groups/126384014744976/ ☐ Wangui/ Mohamed Johnson County Interfaith Coalition https://organizeiowa.com/ ☐ Mohamed Sudanese Organizations ☐ Wangui I Heart Black Businesses https://www.iheartblack.biz/ ☐ Clif Humanize My Hoodie https://www.humanizemyhoodie.com/ ☐ Sikowis United Action for Youth https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/ afterschool teen programs, teen parents programs, ☐ Chastity Coralville Food Pantry https://www.coralvillefoodpantry.org/ Food insecurity ☐ Chastity