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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTRC Agenda and Packet February 2 2023 Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Agenda Thursday, February 2, 2023, 7 PM Emma J. Harvat Hall 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. READING OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM JANUARY 19, 2022 4. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING SAID ITEMS) 5. FACILITATOR SERVICES PROPOSAL 6. CORRESPONDENCE 7. FOLLOW-UP ON TESTIMONY FROM THE MEETING OF JANUARY 19 8. ICCSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE INCIDENT 9. A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PLANNING COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY SECTION EDITION 2022 DISCUSSION 10. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS/STAFF (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH ONE ANOTHER CONCERNING SAID ANNOUNCEMENTS) 11. ADJOURNMENT MEETING PACKET CONTENTS: 1. NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT 2. DRAFT MEETING MINUTES: JANUARY 19, 2023 3. CORRESPONDENCE FROM COALITION TO ABOLISH PRISON SLAVERY AT UI 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. January 19, 2023 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall Commissioners present: Mohamed Traore (via Zoom), Chastity Dillard, Wangui Gathua, Marie Krebs, Lauren Merritt, Eric Harris. Commissioners absent: Clif Johnson, Sikowis (Christine Nobiss), Kevo Rivera. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Community members who spoke at the meeting: Yawavi Kpognon, Paul Landouyou. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 7:03 pm. Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgement: Dillard read the Land Acknowledgement. Approval of Minutes from January 5, 2023: Merritt moved, and Harris seconded. Motion passed 6-0. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: Kpognon and Landouyou spoke on discriminatory experiences they have had with past employers. ICCSD Elementary School Performance Incident: Commission members plan on attending the Iowa City School Board meeting of January 24 to discuss the school performance incident. Facilitator Services Proposal: Dilllard read an email sent to the TRC from a prospective facilitator that read: Dear TRC Commissioners, Regretfully, none of us on the team from the Facilitator Services Proposal are available tonight to attend the TRC meeting. We know the Facilitator Services Proposal is on your agenda. We want to let you know what we have heard from the City regarding their processing of the proposal. In response to our questions, Geoff Fruin responded on Friday, January 13, that the City is currently reviewing the proposals and expects to have a number of questions for us. We have not received them yet. They hope to get the answers from us by the end of the month. At that point, they expect to return to the TRC to confirm that you understand it and don't want to explore any further changes. From there, he said they will plan to have the agreements with the facilitator entities ready to present to the City Council. That is what we know about the process right now. Staff noted that a meeting was being held later in the week for them to discuss the proposals. Books and Materials Sent by Divided Communities: Traore prepared the following summary for chapter two. Background Planning for community initiatives should be tailored to the specific context, goals, opportunities, and challenges of the community. What shapes the path and form of initiatives: • History and legacy of efforts • The planning undergone in development stages and sequences • Degree, character and extent of community infrastructure and organization will. Each initiative needs to be responsive to the goals and special character of the community or state in which it is located. What helps to achieve highest priority goals and optimal “operations” of the initiative: • Detailed assessment of the community's: o Concerns and problems o Stakeholders o Patterns of practice o Processes Shaping the Planning Process The planning process should be iterative or flexible to make changes as the initiative proceeds. Creating the Planning Group • Critical components of planning group(s), a mix of: o Backgrounds and understanding of the community and government • Elements or characteristics of planning group members to consider: o Understanding of the community o Ability to work well and efficiently together o Preparation and support they will need • To establish goals, a series of initial questions can help, such as: o What is the group's collective vision for a more equitable community? o What would have to change for each person in the community, regardless of race, to thrive and feel protected and respected? o What would the planners like this initiative to accomplish? Structuring: Important Checkpoints The geographical area and subject matter concentrations that are likely to emerge should be considered. Take into account the goals and planners' understanding of the community • Opportunities and challenges that the initiative will face should be identified: o Opportunities for residents' broad awareness of the need to enhance racial equity o Desire to reduce polarization and achieve mutual respect o Challenges: backlash by a portion of the community or disagreement about the targets of new programs • The scope and mission should be worded to engage a broad group of people and match the initiative's influence and geographic reach. Goals should be tentatively listed and prioritized, take into consideration: • The time needed to achieve goals • The likelihood of government officials seriously considering the changes recommended. o Will the powers that be make a good faith effort to implement the recommendation(s)? What happens if they don’t? The initial membership list may communicate to the public whether the initiative is a serious endeavor with the power to bring about needed change. • Commission members should have personal abilities and preparation that match their need to bridge likely differences in discussions and decision-making o Have expertise or assistance in: structuring the initiatives or plans, dispute resolution, administrative, legal, and counseling • The combination of members should encourage people to trust the seriousness of the process - membership or outreach should help to alleviate answers to questions like: o How will it enhance racial equity? o Why should people believe that the community's diverse views will be represented? Organizational issues • Convener and Host Institution (sponsor or host of the initiative, organization or programs) o Operating in public meetings can be made difficult in the following ways: ▪ A bitterly divided community ▪ Active social media comments about the initiative or related work • Leadership and Staff o Commission members are typically layering their commission work over already demanding work and personal schedules and are usually volunteers. o Leadership for the group should be experienced ▪ Have the confidence of both public officials and broad segments of the community o Generational and political differences among commission members ▪ can increase diversity and potential clashes in approach to the task(s) ▪ can also offer the potential advantage of anticipating a broader set of political reactions and increasing support for the initiative • Funding Planners can help to alleviate issues for commission members and staff by: • Committing to providing counseling, communications, and facilitation assistance • Establish support for commission members and staff, anticipating that some are not accustomed to public criticism and arguments voiced during public meetings. • Prompt advice from legal counsel regarding the applicable public meeting laws and how commissioners can achieve their goals without violating the letter or spirit of the laws. An advantage of the multiple-organization approach is that each committee can be constituted with a narrower subject focus in mind. Groups in Initiatives or Research Some of the community initiatives or organizations mentioned in the section - might be worth a look or some outreach to learn more from them • Director of Political and Civic Engagement for Indiana University • Social Justice, Race and Equity Commission • NYC Racial Justice Commission • Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission NOTE: Some communities chose to use advisory groups rather than public commissions. These groups have less public authority and no power to compel disclosures or appoint staff. Examples of initiatives and processes (from pages 23 through 25) included below Excluded Workers: Harris provided the history behind the Excluded Workers and how receiving direct assistance payments has assisted many persons who did not qualify for the Covid 19 stimulus payments. The group is now working on the conditions in meat packing companies through a grant received from the USDA. Commission Announcements: None. Adjourned: 7:53 PM. City Board and Commission meetings are recorded and can be viewed in their entirety by visiting this link. AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2023 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/5 1/19 2/2 2/16 3/2 3/16 4/6 4/20 5/4 5/18 6/1 6/15 Dillard 6/23 P P Gathua 6/23 A P Harris 6/23 P P Johnson 6/23 P A Krebs 6/23 P P Merritt 6/23 P P Nobiss 6/23 P A Rivera 6/23 P A Traore 6/23 P P KEY: P = Present A = Absent PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A January 24, 2023 Barbara Wilson, PhD President, University of Iowa president@uiowa.edu Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA Dean, Carver College of Medicine Brooks-jackson@uiowa.edu Edith A. Parker, MPH, DrPH Dean, College of Public Health Edith-parker@uiowa.edu Sara Sanders, PhD Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Sara-sanders@uiowa.edu Liz Tovar, PhD Executive Officer & Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Elizabeth-tovar@uiowa.edu Dear President Wilson, Dean J. Brooks, Dean Parker, Dean Sanders, & Executive Officer Tovar: We, the undersigned, are writing to express serious concern about Facebook comments made by a tenured faculty member of 28 years, Clarence “Clare” Kreiter, professor of Family Medicine at the Carver College of Medicine. As shown below in Exhibit 1-Exhibit 2, Professor Kreiter made public, racially biased comments in response to an event held during UI’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Human Rights Week on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, around 2 pm. It was disheartening to see the public comments made by Professor Kreiter. As faculty, students, and staff who care about the well-being of our UI community with the broader goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we write to demand an immediate suspension, public apology, and formal investigation as outlined in Operations Manual chapters 3.3 - 3.6 on Human Rights. PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A We believe Professor Kreiter’s actions to be a breach of the following policies included in the University of Iowa Staff Operations Manual: VIOLATION 1: (16.2) “Staff members will adhere to ethical standards of professional conduct and act in a manner consistent with the University's mission and core values for excellence, learning, community, diversity, integrity, respect, and responsibility”. VIOLATION 2: (8.2) “The University of Iowa values diversity among students, faculty, and staff, and regards equal employment opportunity and affirmative action as tools to achieve diversity. The University believes that a rich diversity of people and the many points of view they bring serve to enhance the quality of the educational experience at The University of Iowa.” For context of the event, the documentary JustUs was produced from inside an Iowa prison by Cedric Theus and Maya Ben-Shahar to highlight the efforts of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and activists in reforming the criminal justice system and ending the racial disparity in sending Black Americans to prison in Iowa. A flyer from the event held at Boyd Law building quoted Cedric Theus, “This is the story of my community and what we’re doing to help solve Iowa’s incarceration problem.” On the JustUs Facebook page, Prof. Kreiter’s first comment (removed as of January 20) offered his opinion on addressing bias in incarceration in Exhibit 1, “we must first be honest about group difference in behavior repertoires.” In response to comments made by the JustUs Documentary page, Kreiter further suggested that the disparities in the criminal justice system PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A are caused by individual actions, alluding to Black and Brown individuals needing “civics lessons on appropriate interactions with law enforcement” to “[take] responsibility for behavior.” The page's admin rightfully asked Kreiter if he concluded that by watching the film and/or through personal experience. This question was ignored by Kreiter, suggesting a lack of willingness to acknowledge the lived experiences of Black and Brown individuals as evidence against his claim which baselessly places blame upon victims, rather than perpetrators of racist behavior. “When there is no justice, there is JustUs.”-Cedric B. Theus However, this post is not the first time Professor Kreiter has made discriminatory remarks on this public platform. On his publicly accessible Facebook profile lists credentials as current professor at The University of Iowa, with a long history of offensive posts. On August 31st, 2020 (Exhibit 4), he stated “tomorrow’s lesson will be on generalizing from small biased sensationalized samples,” with an infographic by Nature - one of the world’s most cited scientific journals - with which he appears to disagree without the basis of supporting evidence. In another post from September 24th, 2020 (Exhibit 5), he wrote, “it takes a minimum amount of intelligence to figure out and cooperate with legal structures that keep us civilized,” once again placing the blame for police brutality on innocent Black and Brown individuals as well as making the heinous claim that said individuals are “uncivilized.” These are only a few of the many past examples of Prof. Kreiter expressing hateful, discriminatory sentiments on his Facebook profile that can be viewed without adding him as a friend. PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Furthermore, he publicly lists himself as a faculty member of The University of Iowa, an institution that claims to not stand by harmful comments that Professor Kreiter has posted for several years, i.e., “University of Iowa condemns Trump order against diversity training” published October 8, 2020, on the Daily Iowan. Further evidence of discriminatory rhetoric is documented below in Exhibit 6-Exhibit 7. Need I say more about a leak in which Prof. Kreiter's professional university email was listed in 2015 (Exhibit 8.) In addition to public remarks on Facebook and leaks, a 2018 opinion article in Iowa City Press-Citizen, “Understanding discrimination and the suppression of free speech in academia,” further reveals his opinions on the exclusion of race-related data in most research studies in the educational psychology field. He argues that race is an “innate factor... that might explain and address the variation in learning and achievement across groups,” and that “if we insist every racial group must be equal in all quantitate and qualitative aspects of their identity, then in everything where real differences exit, we will see prejudice and injustice.” Kreiter does not provide data in this article to support these claims that academic achievement stems from inherent biological differences between individuals of different races. Rather, he claims that his point of view is intentionally suppressed by “accusations of racism.” The harrowing language of this statement clearly reflects eugenics philosophy, as the Professor of Family Medicine is suggesting the inherent academic inferiority of individuals of color. This calls into question how he might treat students of color in his own classrooms, how he might educate his students to treat others, and what kind of language he might use in his official position as a professor at the University of Iowa. Even more concerning is the fact that he PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A is easily identifiable as an authority figure, subjecting him to university policy in his personal life. It is ironic that Professor Kreiter chose to post these hateful remarks during an event celebrated in memory of Dr. King—as he campaigned for anti-discrimination, equal rights, and abolition during the civil rights movement in the 1950-60s through non-violent civil discourse. These comments felt purposeful and planned to directly combat the messages of Dr. King, a man whose birthday week is celebrated each year at the University of Iowa as a prized tradition since 1969. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. -Martin Luther King Jr. Considering Professor Kreiter’s pattern of discriminatory actions and rhetoric on both his public Facebook page, 2018 article and research—we write to demand an immediate suspension, public apology, and formal investigation of a breach of the Operations Manual as we deem Kreiter in violation of “respect[ing] the diversity of individuals in the workplace and... the differences among them.” As educated students, we are cautioned to be careful of online language and behavior. It is reasonable to expect our professors held to the same standards. This is especially true in the medical profession, as professors influence future professionals as they start their careers in an increasingly globalized, racially diverse world. PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A With these issues in mind, we respectfully reach out to you with our concerns about Professor Kreiter and demand action be taken. Consider this letter as an opportunity to unify in publicly condemning the questionable comment by Prof. Kreiter to conclude Unity Week 2023. Signed respectfully, Coalition to Abolish Prison Slavery (CAPS) at UI (Author) Iowa.caps@gmail.com Change U-Iowa English (Co-Author) changeuiowaenglish@gmail.com Corridor Community Action Network PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A ATTACHED EVIDENCE: Exhibit 1 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 2 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 3 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 4 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 5 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 6 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 7 PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A Exhibit 8 (courtesy of Iowa City DSA)