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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRC minutes 091117Orange County Human Relations Commission Minutes Monday, September 11, 2017 6:00 pm -7:30 pm Orange County Animal Services Conference Room 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill NC MEMBERS PRESENT STAFF Scott Goldsmith Sherrill Hampton, Director Joy Preslar Tara May, Civil Rights Specialist Rollin Russell Debby Stroman Marc Xavier MEMBERS ABSENT Jessica Aguilar absent Andy Cagle (excused) Jacqulyn Podger (excused) Monica Richard (excused) GUESTS L Call to Order A. The meeting was called to order at 6:04pm by Secretary Rollin Russell. A quorum was present. IL Introductions A. The HRC members introduced themselves to the new Executive Director of Housing, Human Rights, and Community Development, Sherrill Hampton. B. Ms. Hampton introduced herself to the HRC and gave some background on her professional career and her transitions from South Carolina to North Carolina to Washington, D.C. and back to North Carolina. She also clarified staff's role in being an intermediary and a liaison between the HRC and the Board of County Commissioners. III. Minutes Approval — August 14, 2017 A. A motion was made to approve the August 14, 2017 meeting minutes [Stroman, Xavier]. B. The minutes were approved unanimously. IV. County Updates A. Tara May reiterated that Ms. Hampton is the new Executive Director of the department. B. Ms. May also announced that she was hired for the Civil Rights Specialist and the department would begin the process for hiring the Intake Specialist in the coming weeks. C. Ms. Hampton described her transition to Orange County and described her most recent role as the Director of Resident Services for the Washington, D.C. Housing Authority, her past role with NC Community Development Initiative in Raleigh, her work at Johnson C. Smith, and her work in South Carolina and Birmingham, AL. V. Membership Applications A. Ms. May described the applications for Ana Garcia - Turner, Matt Case, and Nancy White. B. Scott Goldsmith inquired about how many open positions are available. 1. Ms. May stated that there are 20 positions on the HRC. C. Debby Stroman clarified that there are 5 open at -large positions as of last month. D. Ms. May stated that the remaining 6 of the open 11 positions are town appointed. E. Ms. May also announced that the recommendations for Anita Sue Kinzer, Nora Spencer, and the town appointment for April Chang will go before the County Commissioners on September 19'', and the HRC should be notified soon after of the new appointments. F. Mr. Goldsmith stated that given the large number of vacancies he saw no reason to delay recommending Ms. Garcia - Turner, Mr. Case, or Ms. White. G. Ms. May stated that if all of the previous recommendations and the current three applicants are all recommended, all 5 at -large positions would be filled. H. A motion was made to approve and recommend the appointments for Ms. Garcia - Turner, Mr. Case, and Ms. White [Goldsmith, Stroman]. 1. Ms. Hampton stated that attendance would be even more important once the number of people on the HRC increases, as that would increase the number needed for a quorum. 2. Dr. Stroman asked for clarification on when the HRC would be notified that the previous recommendations were approved and appointed. a. Ms. Hampton stated that staff would notify members of the HRC when appointments were made. She also encouraged those who are available to attend the BOCC meeting on September 191', as she will be referencing that the recommendations came from the HRC. She stated that Ms. May would send out time and location of the BOCC to the HRC. 3. The motion to recommend appointments was unanimously approved. L Mr. Goldsmith asked for clarification on the status of members who have not attended meetings in recent months. 1. Ms. May stated the Andy Cagle notified staff he would not be in attendance tonight, but that no contact has been made with Jessica Aguilar. She also stated that she has asked Monica Richard if she has been able to make contact with either of them about their attendance. 2. Ms. Hampton stated that staff would work on a draft letter for Ms. Richard to send out. VI. Election of Officers A. Mr. Russell stated that Monica Rich - -ard, current chair, stated she was interested in serving as chair for another year. He also announced that Jackie Podger expressed interest in serving as Secretary. B. Ms. Hampton stated that the HRC may consider delaying officer appointments until the new members are in place so they will have an opportunity to be engaged in the process. C. The nominating committee was made of Rollin Russell, Jackie Podger, and Scott Goldsmith 2 D. Dr. Stroman announced that she was considering running for Chair, but stated that she would consider Vice -Chair upon Mr. Russell's suggestion. E. Ms. Hampton asked if Ms. Richard was really interested in serving as Chair for another year, as previous discussions had indicated she was no longer interested 1. Mr. Russell indicated that Ms. Richard did not hesitate to volunteer when asked. F. Mr. Goldsmith stated that Ms. Richard has done a good job as Chair this term and he would be happy to see her in the role again if she wanted it. G. A motion was made to approve the nominations for Ms. Richard as Chair, Dr. Stroman as Vice - Chair, and Ms. Podger as Secretary [Russell, Goldsmith]. 1. The motion was approved unanimously. VII. Review of Charge and Advisory Board Policies A. Ms. May stated that the BOCC Advisory Board Policy and the full Human Relation s Commission Policies and Procedures were attached for members' reference when questions about process and the HRC's abilities come up. B. Mr. Goldsmith stated that there was some concern about Section 1, C, 1, d. Monitor complaints involving discrimination. Dr. Stroman also expressed concern with the same item. Mr. Goldsmith stated that the HRC is not shown or updated or involved in discrimination complaints, yet the public is seemingly being told that they can seek relief from the HRC. Mr. Goldsmith continued that to his understanding, there was a decision that the HRC would no longer be involved in discrimination complaints, but that piece is still listed in the charge. He suggested that the HRC either be included in the complaints including appropriate trainings, etc. or that the piece be removed from the charge. 1. Ms. Hampton stated that she would work with the County Attorney to obtain clarity about what the HRC can be involved with and what they cannot. She stated that staff would follow -up with the HRC about the issue in October. 2. Joy Preslar echoed that she would like to receive proper training on how to assist if it is determined that the HRC should be taking a more active role in discrimination complaints. 3. Marc Xavier also stated the charge is not clear in what types of discrimination the HRC should be involved in monitoring. a. Ms. May restated details from a conversation at a previous meeting that the agency is no longer allowed to process or investigate employment discrimination complaints, and is solely focused on housing discrimination complaints under the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance and the Federal Fair Housing Act. C. Mr. Goldsmith also expressed concern with Section 2, A, 4 which states that a goal of the HRC is to "conduct inquiries and hear appeals as may reasonably appear necessary to find the facts with respect to allegations of discrimination ". There was also issue with Section 2, B, 4 which states that an objective of the HRC is to "receive allegations of discriminatory housing and public accommodation practices ". D. Dr. Stroman stated that she is concerned about all of Section 2 and the differences between the Goals and Objectives for the HRC. She also stated that some of the goals are very specific to discrimination while other parts of the charge are broader. 1. Ms. Hampton reiterated that staff would obtain clarity on these questions with the County Attorney. VIII. Standing Strong with the DREAMers A. Ms. May stated that this item was suggested by Ms. Richard so it may be something to consider pushing back to October so she could be a part of the conversation. 1. Ms. Preslar stated that she believed it was important to discuss now, given the president's recent announcement about DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. B. Dr. Stroman stated that she still had questions about who the HRC reports to and how it acts. She stated that if the HRC wants to produce a statement about something, just as was done with the statement against the incidents in Charlottesville, it has to wait essentially a month to get approval which means it misses out on the important conversation. C. Ms. May clarified that the guidance about the HRC making a statement on Charlottesville came from the Clerk's office, which stated that the HRC could not make a statement independent of the BOCC. D. Mr. Goldsmith asked why the HRC could not make its own statement about issues. 1. Ms. Hampton clarified that the HRC is an advisory board to the BOCC, and as such can make recommendations to the County Commissioners but cannot act independently of them. E. Mr. Goldsmith suggested that the HRC recommend that the BOCC issue a statement decrying the recent proposed rescinding of DACA. 1. Ms. Hampton stated that Chair Mark Dorosin of the BOCC is planning to make such a statement on September 191'. 2. Unanimously approved F. Dr. Stroman again expressed that having to wait a month for approval after a recommendation to the BOCC was voted on was not ideal 1. Ms. Hampton stated that she would suggest that once a recommendation is voted on at the meeting, the Chair should independently contact the Clerk's office to speed up the process of including desired language in BOCC statements, etc. She also stated that she would obtain clarification on that potential process and notify the HRC. G. A motion was made to recommend that the BOCC call on Congress to act on protecting the DREAMers [Goldsmith, Stroman] 1. The motion was approved unanimously. 2. Staff agreed to assist with wording that recommendation over the next couple of days. 3. Ms. Preslar stated that historically the BOCC has been very supportive of IX. Frederick Douglass Bicentennial A. Mr. Russell announced that 2018 is the 2001i anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass. B. Mr. Russell stated that the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Planning Committee has recommended the HRC adopt the Bicentennial as the topic for the Community Read, the 2018 Human Relations Forum, and the 2018 Pauli Murray awards. He announced that the descendants and family of Frederick Douglass are celebrating the bicentennial by doing a "road show ". In order for them to visit Orange County, the community would need to raise $4,000 to purchase 1,000 copies of a special edition of "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" at $4 apiece. 1. Upon Dr. Stroman's M question, Mr. Russell clarified that the family of Frederick Douglass would also plan a visit to the county for an event if the books were bought and it was able to fit their agenda. C. Mr. Russell announced that $1,000 has been pledged by the Town of Carrboro, and the planning committee is asking the Town of Chapel Hill, the Town of Hillsborough, and Orange County to each pledge $1,000 also. He stated that the planning committee's goal is to distribute the books to children and young people throughout the county through the schools. Mr. Russell continued, stating that the name of the campaign is One Million Abolitionists and the kickoff will be December 6I', Emancipation Day. D. A motion was mad to recommend to BOCC to vote in favor of giving $1,000 for the Frederick Douglass bicentennial [Goldsmith, Stroman] 1. Dr. Stroman stated that she was hesitant to agree to make the bicentennial the sole book for the Community Read, and recommended that it be included as an additional Community Read along with the book from the University. 2. The motion was unanimously approved. E. Mr. Russell restated the recommendation that the bicentennial be the theme for the Human Relations and content for the Pauli Murray awards. 1. Ms. Hampton stated that the County Manager gave her some recommendations about the Pauli Murray awards that she would send out to members. 2. Dr. Stroman suggested that the HRC wait to determine the theme for the Human Relations Forum. Mr. Goldsmith agreed with that sentiment. F. A motion was made to approve the bicentennial as the topic for the youth essays for the Pauli Murray Awards [Stroman, Goldsmith] 1. Dr. Stroman stated that there are a lot of other issues happening that may prove important for the theme of the forum. 2. Ms. Hampton suggested the essay topic could be how to be an abolitionist today. 3. The motion was unanimously approved. X. Subcommittee Updates A. Executive Committee B. Diversity Matters 1. Town Hall Report a. Ms. Preslar wants to follow -up with additional town hall meetings about the topic. i. Dr. Stroman raised the issue that it is difficult to get someone from the side that supports the Confederate Flag/Confederate Monuments. She also stated that some of the conversation is a bit of a distraction from the more systemic issues. ii. Mr. Xavier echoed the first point, stating that the United Daughters of the Confederacy has declined to comment or participate in such events, stating that the state law has already made the decision. b. Dr. Stroman elaborated a bit on the history of the law that is making it difficult to remove /relocate the Confederate statue on UNC's campus, Silent Sam. She stated that the law states that it must be moved to a place with equal prominence. She also explained that the argument stating the statue honors the UNC students who fought /died in the Civil War is k, flawed, because Memorial Hall and the area in front of Memorial Hall that honors everyone who has fought in any war. C. Mr. Goldsmith stated that Silent Sam was not put up until 1913. d. Mr. Russell pointed out that was the timeframe that Jim Crow laws were enacted. e. Ms. Preslar stated that perhaps Bennett Place would be an appropriate place to relocate the monument to. i. Dr. Stroman stated that it was difficult to make a decision like that because again, the other side does not publicly represent itself. ii. Ms. Preslar stated that she could understand that they would not want to go in front of a crowd that was predominantly opposed to them, and the rhetoric of state's rights. iii. Mr. Goldsmith brought up the fact that most of the people who actually fought in the war were poor white people who could not avoid the draft. f. Dr. Stroman stated that regardless, the losing side of the war is not celebrated in other cases. As an example, she stated that there are not monuments commemorating Adolf Hitler. i. Mr. Goldsmith agreed and stated that the monuments did not go up during or immediately after the Civil War, but were erected decades after in most cases to send an intimidating message in the era of Jim Crow. g. A motion was made to make a recommendation to the BOCC to support the removal/relocation of Silent Sam [Stroman, Xavier]. i. The motion was approved unanimously. 2. Community Read a. Dr. Stroman recapped that at the last meeting, the HRC decided not to push the book out to the community, but would read the book themselves to better their own understanding as a Commission. b. Ms. May and Ms. Hampton stated they would obtain the books for current members, as well as the new members coming on in the coming months. C. There was an agreement for members to read "How it Feels to Be a Problem" before Thanksgiving. C. Community Relations D. Community Justice XI. Other Business /Announcements/Upcoming Events A. UNC Center for Civil Rights 1. Dr. Stroman stated that UNC's Board of Governor's voted to end the UNC Center for Civil Rights on September 81'. She stated there is a petition circulating to make the center into a clinic for the law school so services can continue. 2. Mr. Goldsmith stated that he was confused by the BOG's decision over simply stating the center could not help people sue government agencies. He continued, stating that closing the center has hurt UNC's law school and their ability to practice. 3. Ms. Preslar clarified that the BOG closed the center on the basis that the center was assisting people in suing government agencies. D 4. Mr. Xavier stated that it seemed like the work of the past 200 years was being reversed without even noticing. He stated that the courts are imperative in achieving equality, especially for people of color, in America. 5. Mr. Goldsmith touched on the issue with changing the current BOG given the severity of gerrymandering in recent elections. 6. Mr. Russell stated that there are two ways to stop it: Either to change the state legislature in the next election, or for there to be a lawsuit that will address the issue. a. Dr. Stroman announced that the latter is in the works. 7. Mr. Xavier continued stated that the gerrymandering is not a partisan issue as the Democrats are making it out to be, even though they have taken advantage of it over the past several decades. 8. Dr. Stroman stated that since the center is through the University, there is not much the BOCC could do to address it but she encourage members to keep updated on the issues and also to read "Dark Money ", which discloses how money plays into the issues above. XII. Adjourn A. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting [Goldsmith, Stroman]. B. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25pm. C. NEXT MEETING: October 9, 2017 6:OOpm at Animal Services 7