HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-28-2023 Human Rights CommissionHuman Rights Commission
March 28, 2023
Formal Meeting —5:30 PM
Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall
Agenda:
1. Call the meeting to order and roll call
2. Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgment
3. Approval of February 28, 2023, meeting minutes
4. Public comment on items not on the agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for
no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public or one
another concerning said items)
5. Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant
a. Second Quarter Reports for 2022
b. Resolution for Council's Approval (April 4, 2023)
6. Outreach and Engagement Police Department
7. Commission Committee Overview, Assignments, Updates, Proclamations
a. Building Bridges
b. Reciprocal Relationships
c. Breaking Bread
d. Proclamations
8. Staff Announcements
9. Commissioner Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another
concerning said announcements)
10. Adjournment
MEETING PACKET CONTENTS:
1. AGENDA: TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023
2. NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
4. DRAFT MINUTES: FEBRUARY 28, 2023
5. COMMUNITY READING OPPORTUNITY
5. RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE REPORT FROM IOWA CITY AREA CHINESE ASSOCIATION
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact Human
Rights Coordinator, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowersCa)iowa-city.org. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
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 Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide
Meskwaki Nation - History
Special thanks to the University of Iowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as
members of the public, for their input.
Draft Minutes
Human Rights Commission
February 28, 2023
Helling Conference Room
Commissioners present: Bijou Maliabo, Jahnavi Pandya, Roger Lusala, Ahmed Ismail, Doug Kollasch, Kelsey
Paul Shantz, Suyun Channon.
Commissioners absent: Sylvia Jons, Badri Kuku.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Kevin Bailey.
Recommendation to City Council: Yes.
Meeting called to order: 5:33 PM.
Native American Land Acknowledgement: Kollasch read the Land Acknowledgement.
Public comment of items not on the agenda: None.
Approval of meeting minutes of January 24, 2023: Kollasch moved, and Maliabo seconded. Motion passed
7-0.
Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant: The subcommittee met on Thursday, February 23 to look over grant
submissions. Based on that review and having no changes or additions Paul Shantz moved and Kollash
seconded to recommend to City Council the following recipients for the grant for 2023. Motion passed 5-0.
(Maliabo and Ismail did not vote— recused due to conflict).
Great Plains Action Society
$6,000.00
6000
Wright House of Fashion
$25,000.00
25000
Natural Talent Music
$23,725.00
14500
AI-Iman Center of Iowa
$15,000.00
7500
Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa
$13,528.80
7000
Houses Into Homes
$15,000.00
10000
Community Crisis Services
$24,000.00
14500
Neighborhood Center of Johnson County
$15,500.00
15500
Introduction of the new Iowa City Police Outreach and Engagement Supervisor: Commissioners were
introduced to Sergeant Kevin Bailey. Bailey will plan on attending future commission meetings and provide
updates to the commission on community outreach and engagement. He has been with the Department
for over 20 years.
Committee Updates:
Commissioners went over each committee to assign new members. Per that conversation, the following
appointments were made.
Breaking Bread —Kollasch, Kuku, Ismail.
Reciprocal Relationships— Lusala, Channon, Jons
Building Bridges—Maliabo, Paul Shantz, Pandya.
Each committee will plan to meet once between now and the March meeting date. Committees should be
working on new goals for the year along with implementation. Staff will send out a list of cultural
recognition, heritage months, and topics for each month
Announcements of commissioners: Lusala gave an update on the Black History Month Proclamation from
February 7. Paul Shantz will be out of town for the March meeting date and will, if possible, participate via
Zoom. Kollash will also plan on participating virtually in March too as he also has a work conflict. Maliabo
reminded Commissioners to attend the upcoming Night of 1000 Dinners being held on March 8 at 6 PM at
Mercer Aquatic Center.
Announcements of staff: None.
Adjourned: 6:10 PM.
The meeting can be viewed at httos://citychannel4.com/video.html?series=Local%2OGovernment.
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A Community Reading of Martin Luther King's
"Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence"
Fifty-six years later, on April 4. 2023
TUESDAY, April 4, 2023. 10AM to 5 PM
Outside, at the Iowa City Ped Mall, Fountain Area
(In case of inclement weather, event will be in Meeting Room D,
Iowa City Public Library)
1967. One year Ag ar, on " b"" 4, 1968, Ate WOA a"a hta&j in n6,AU.
Come read with us his 1967 Speech, and excerpts
from his last speech on April 3, 1968,
"I've Been to the Mountaintop".
Free and open to the public. Come listen, or read a portion. The
presentation will be repeated 8 times. Come and go as you wish.
Sponsored by Veterans For Peace
Chanter #161
Eastern Iowa
Iowa City Area Chinese Association's Lunar New Year Gala
Kicks off the Lunar New Year
Iowa City Area Chinese Association held this year's Lunar New Year Gala on January 22 in celebration of
the Lunar New Year at the Englert theater, the performing arts pearl in downtown Iowa City. This year's
gala was mainly sponsored by the Human Rights Commission of Iowa City, and supported by the University
of Iowa School of Music and the University of Iowa Chinese Program. Iowa state senator Janice Weiner
attended together with Bruce Teague Iowa City Mayor, Meghann Foster Coralville Mayor, Laura Bergus and
Andrew Dunn Iowa City Councilors, Hai Huynh, Mitch Gross Coralville Councilors (also West High School
Principle), Roger Lusala and Sylvia Jons the Human Rights Commissioners of Iowa City, Ruthina Malone,
Jayne Finch, Lisa Williams Iowa City Community School District Board members, Kimberly Fitten Northwest
Junior High Principle, Russell Ganim dean of UI International Programs, and Marlen Joanne, CEO of
Mendoza Consulting.
This year's Gala also celebrated the first recognition of Lunar New Year as a holiday that is now observed
by the Iowa City Community School District. The Iowa City Community School District had a day off on
Monday, January 23 for it (the second day of New Year on the lunar calendar). In 2024, the Lunar New Year
holiday will fall on Friday, February 9 (Lunar New Year's Eve). In addition to celebrating the recognition of
Lunar New Year, this year's gala also aimed to showcase arts beyond borders, and to facilitate intercultural
communications in the Iowa City area. It also strived to challenge stereotypes around Asians and to enrich the
overall perception of Chinese communities.
At 4pm, the sound of Chinese Drum announced that the show started. The two drum pieces named Duck
Quarrel , the Dragon Slithers and The Tiger Leaps are performed by the UI School of Music which was an
uplifting start of the show.
Next, the Spring Festival Overture was articulated by Kaydenn String Quartet presented by Junhong Zhou,
Dominique Archam beau, Adrian Gomez Hernandez, and Meijing Tian, Ph.D. students from UI School of Music.
The beautiful music invited the audience to indulge in a taste of the traditional New Year's spirit.
Coming up next are three junior high school girls —Emma, Etta and Lovella. They sang the ending song of
the movie Mulan "Loyalty and Truth" and the popular pop song " Girl on Fire". Their delightful voices brought
the audience into a dreamlike scene.
The fourth program is the ethnic group Dal dance "South of the Colorful Clouds" brought by the
Chinese Dance Club at the University of Iowa. The graceful dancing postures of the twelve ladies on the stage
brought the audience away from the ice and snow of North America to the tropical Yunnan, where they could
Mezzo-soprano singer Yaxin Sun and pianist Ming Hu, Ph. D students from the University of Iowa School of
Music brought two classic romantic pieces to the audience - "The Phoenix seeks a mate' and "Chanson Triste".
The solo singer's voice perfectly integrated ancient Chinese music and western singing art. The lingering
echoes of the wonderful show left a strong impression on many audiences.
The next program was the poem recitation "New Year's Firecrackers" accompanied by Guzheng
music of "Fighting the Typhoon". The clear and simple sound of Guzheng immersed the audience in the
ups and downs of the ancient music. The Guzheng performance in combination with poetry was creative
and refreshing. The two performers recited with emotion, conveying the deep nostalgic feeling.
The pure and cheerful sounds of "congratulations, congratulations" from the children immersed the
audience in warmth and happiness. The free -spirited performance style fully demonstrated children's playful
nature. The young lady in red Tang suit in the middle leads a group of little angels in green dresses. The color
palette was just like the coming spring, with green trees covering the flowers and blossoms. Standing behind
the children are two black and red lions. Lion represents blessing in Chinese tradition. On the stage, the two
"lions" with majestic appearance and vigorous action carefully protected the innocent children, giving the
audience an indescribable sense of peace. It also heralds that everything will be safe and happy in the coming
year.
Talented lady singers in the Chinese community in Edmonton wore red velvet dresses, and sang the
classic song "Dreaming of Home" affectionately.
Next, two college students, Miranda Feng and Divinity Myers, performed a youthful Korean dance.
The traditional program of "Dragon Dance" concluded the night. Accompanied by soft music, diverse
high school students who love Chinese culture manipulated the dragon to rise and fall with the rhythm. The
joyful moments not only reflected the joy, happiness, playfulness, and stillness of the dragon, but also
showcased the smooth collaboration between the actors. As the music faded away, the audience burst into
applause! Notably, the high school student performers in the Dragon Dance are not from Chinese
backgrounds. Their wonderful performance demonstrated an embrace of cultural diversity and the unity of
different communities.
Finally, under the leadership of the host, the casts threw the mascot of the Year of the Rabbit to the
auditorium, and the atmosphere of the party was pushed to a climax. Amidst the blessings of "Happy Year of
the Rabbit" from the audience, the joyful 2023 ICACA Lunar New Year Gala ended successfully.
The ICACA Lunar New Year Gala attracted great interests and attentions from multiple local
communities. The ICACA Dragon & Lion Dance team performed for parents and children at the Iowa City
Public Library the day following the New Year Gala. The ICACA performance team have also received invitation
from the Chicago Chinese Embassy to lead performances at Muscatine High on Wednesday, February 1. The
ICACA performance team will join Iowa City Public Library members to a visit at Moline Public Library, and
perform Dragon & Lion Dance in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival on Monday, February 6.
laws city Public Library
A huge thank you to all the families who came
out to the Iowa City Public Library to celebrate
the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit, It ... See more
Art knows no borders. The LNY Gala has aroused strong social repercussions. More than 5
reports came from the local mainstream media, newspapers, TV, and radio. Yahoo website also
reprinted the news. Compared with previous years, this year's ICACA Lunar New Year Gala has a
larger scale, more audiences, and more diverse programs. More gratifyingly, a lot of people from non -
Chinese communities participated in Lunar New Year activities, which fully demonstrated the
harmonious integration of Chinese and local communities. The Iowa City Area Chinese Association
has been working hard for many years, serving the community, and doing our part to construct local
multiculturalism, so that those of us living overseas can integrate more and more harmoniously into
our new homeland. All actors, instructors, organizers, and volunteers devoted a lot of time and
thoughts to this performance, and their efforts made this a successful evening. They worked together
to dance the "giant Chinese dragon" in Iowa City! Thanks to all the cast and instructors! Thank you to
all guests and audience! Thanks to photographer and designer Zhao Qi, writer Li Wei, makeup artist
Wu Ping, and historian Chen Shuang for their professional support! Thanks to volunteers Wu Peipei,
Dai Donghai, Sun Yanwen, Yang Jianqi, Wang Fang, and APAMSA volunteers: Jimmy Zhang,
Ashrita Raghuram, Cameron Keomanivong, Leon Sun, Shalini Birari, and Sophia Xiao. Thank you to
the University of Iowa Medical School Asian American Student Association! Thank you to the entire
Englert Theater crew!
Special thanks to the sponsors of ICACA Lunar New Year Gala:
Human Rights Commission of Iowa City
Causey & Ye's Law Firm
Caring Hands & More
Prestige Properties, LLC
Jeff Edberg Lepic— Kroeger
The Jill Armstrong Team-Skogman Realtor
First Interstate Bank
Friendship Center of Sino-US
Goodfellow Printing
Nolte Academy
List of event organizers:
Na Li (producer and director), Suyun Ma, Zehua Feng, Jinghui Li, Yan Huang, Wendy Shen, Yaling Yi
ICACA Lunar New Year Gala Program:
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Main media coverage:
Daily Iowan
https://dailviowan.com/2023/01/24/iowa-city-area-chinese-association-celebrates-lunar-new-year-at-the-
en lert
Press Citizen
htt ps://www. press-cit i ze n.com /story/entertainment/go-i owa-city/2O23/01/18/iowa-c ity-th i ngs-to-d o-I u n a r-
n ew-yea r-ga l a-b ri ngs-fo I k-d a nce-m u s i c-to-e ngl ert-theatre/69800505007/
Yahoo News
htt ps://www.ya h oo. com /now/ring-I u na r-i owa-city-area-205307275. htm I
KCRG news
htt ps://www. kc rg. co m/2023/01/23/ga la-iowa-city-he I ps-i nfo rm-peo p I e-kick-off-I u na r-new-yea r/
Iowa's News
htt ps:Hcbs2 iowa. com /news/I oca I/iowa-city-area-ch i nese-association-2023-I u na r-new-yea r-ga I a-l<i cl<s-off
Iowa Public Radio
https://www.iowai)ubIicradlo.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa
Center for Worker Justice of
Eastern Iowa
1556 S. 1st Ave #C, Iowa City, IA 52240 1 319-594-7593 1 info@cwjiowa.org
2nd Program Report on Progress
Email report to humanrights@iowa-city.org
Project Details
Project Name
Community Computer Lab
Location
Center for Worker justice of Eastern Iowa
Grant no.
10210400
Reporting period
11 /01 /2022 - 3/31 /2023
Report compiled by
Maggie Bashore
Date submitted
Summary
The Center for Worker Justice received $18,000 from the City of Iowa City on May 18, 2022
to provide access to technology, internet, and safety -net programs that marginalized
residents disproportionately lack access to. The goal of this project is to create an easily
accessible space for community members with a computer lab that would address this
barrier while advancing social justice and racial equity.
The scope of services for this project includes:
1. Assisting community members with filling out/printing forms and applications
2. Providing a shared learning environment and hosting workshops and educational
courses in computer literacy, the English language, and other subjects
3. Offering knowledge and assisting members with accessing government assistance
programs that contribute to increasing awareness about and reducing illiteracy as a
key factor of social inequalities
1
Center for Worker Justice of
Eastern Iowa
1556 S. 1st Ave #C, Iowa City, IA 52240 1 319-594-7593 1 info@cwjiowa.org
Report
Since the previous reporting period, CWJ hired Precise Management to build a countertop
in the computer lab for $2,200.0 and purchased ten office chairs from Amazon for
$667.90. The countertop has been completed and all chairs have been assembled, as
shown in the following photos. Professional IT services have begun but have not yet been
completed. Payments for IT services, the printer, and printing supplies will be made
during the next reporting period. Also attached in this report is an updated budget and
receipts for the countertop and chairs.
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