 Thank you We are also delighted to host this evening's discussion roundtable discussion I guess this goes without saying but it is amazing how much change can happen in one short year Last September we actually dedicated this new University Center and some of you may have even attended that dedication ceremony and I will tell you that when the University Envisioned building this particular University Center we saw it as the heartbeat of our campus and That is because it is located in the center of our campus But also we saw it as a strategic initiative to help advance our smaller smarter mission by providing a central location for our student services and To also provide a location for our campus community to congregate to study to meet Etc. There was another vision that we saw for this University Center And that was that it would bring it would engage the community By serving as a venue for events and activities just like this evening So while we would love for you to see our campus our smaller Smarter campus in its full bloom with smiling faces on our campus Unfortunately in the current state of our of the health crisis. We're unable to do that So we are grateful to be able to provide this location the Judy and Paul Andrews Hall as A location for tonight's critical discussion So I do want to welcome you and I want to invite you back to our campus when we are all in a much safer place Mayor price Welcome guest welcome Thank you. I think Patrick Pastor Patrick Winfield from the Potter's house is gonna give us the invocation Would you rise if you're able for the invocation? Father, we love you and thank you so much for this day and every blessing that you give to us Every opportunity that you give to us to live and to breathe The oxygen that you have created us to survive in we thank you And we thank you father for these moments that you give to us to discuss to discuss answers Answers that many hearts and minds would be waiting on even during these great times that we live in We ask and pray father for wisdom to be dispensed for hearts and minds to be open father and that at the culmination of this Discussion that there would be changes and transformations that will happen Such as to bring about peace and unity in our community Bless all of these August leaders who will participate in this discussion and these community Members of God who will hear and also add their participation to it help us all father to be changed After this moment. It's in the name of Jesus. We pray Amen Thank You pastor Winfield and Because this is intended to be more of a conversation I know we're spread out and it's hard to have a round table Conversation with people this spread out, but we have to do this safely rather than go to the podium Everyone that's speaking is welcome to just speak from your seat because you have a microphone And you certainly if you'd rather go to the podium, you're welcome to do that also. I just want to thank you all for coming I'm Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price and many of you I know and I know you are very interested in this community and moving the community that we all love and that we all Share forward to make things better for all of us for everyone in the community So thank you for joining us and to those who are watching virtually Thank you for being with us too. We would love to have had hundreds of people here But again, you all know for the last ten months nearly this is how we live and our new normal will be something We will adjust to and learn to Wesleyan has been so good about stepping up and sharing their resources with us reaching out of the community and hosting so many Things and it's nice to have them there and Potter's house is always in the community working. So pastor. Thank you for that One year ago, this community came together to mourn the loss of one of our own a Tatiana Jefferson Her family is here with us tonight some of her family and we will give them a chance to make the last comments this evening when we close In some ways, it's really hard to believe It's been an entire year this coming Monday since a Tatiana's tragic Jeff But yet so much has happened in that year I Promised a year ago that she would not be forgotten and that her tragic death would propel change in Fort Worth And I believe that we've done that or we done. No, we're nowhere near done We're just starting on changes that can make a difference and they are slow moving in many cases But they will make a difference for all of us for our children and our grandchildren too at the time We said we would bring in an outside panel To review Fort Worth Police Department and that we would hire a police monitor and those and other efforts have indeed been done Our panel of experts reviewing the police department has given us a preliminary report and their final report will be coming out a Little bit later this year. We hired Kim Neil as our police monitor Kim came on right at the start of the COVID and But she's done a yeoman's job getting out in the community And we liked the candidates who interviewed so much and we thought the work was so important that we added to the budget And also hired Denise as the assistant police monitor and she is with us tonight because Kim is out of town and both of them are going to make a significant impact on this community and they will have their Comments about Citizens Review Board and other things some tonight and their final not final reports But their interim reports before long. I don't tell you this to be defensive But I do want you to know there is hard work going on and it started long ago But it really ramped up after we lost at Tatiana The community and members should hear us that we are listening to you You told us what you want it and we are working towards that Change never comes fast enough for anyone, but I want you to feel the steps that we are taking We have made major steps, but there are miles and miles to go But those steps begin to add up you take one and before you know it You're a half a mile or a mile into the journey My hope is that this evening's conversation will allow us to all stop and reflect on a Tatiana and Where we've been and what's been done But also to take a look at the road ahead and what remains to be done in this community The truth is the city simply cannot do this alone the police department can't do it alone It will take each and every one of us pulling in the same direction to make this the city that we all dream about I'm joined today, and I'm thankful that Corey Sessions from the innocent project is with us and Carol Harrison Lafayette of United My Justice Both are two big strong voices for this community that we have had continued discussions with throughout the year Last year I said act justly love mercy and walk humbly It was a scripture I quote it when we were in mourning and it still applies and this past year has indeed been Incredibly humbling for all of us, but we remain committed to that justice in mercy And we remain committed as I said to building a better future and a better footwork for everyone And I look forward to hearing my fellow panelists update and conversations and to taking the questions We've had some questions submit it and we will take as many of them as we can and you will have a chance to write Questions and submit those and we'll get to as many as we can So we're pleased to have dr. Jason Shelton with us from University of Texas at Arlington to moderate for us So dr. Shelton with that I'll turn it over to you Thank you very much mayor price. It's actually Fernando Costa you're going to give us a little bit of background on the why we are here today, sir Okay, thank you dr. Shelton mayor price handle members I'm Fernando cost assistant city manager. My task is to Provide an overview of tonight's program and To try to place it into appropriate Context and I'll try to do so by following the advice of President Franklin Roosevelt for public speakers He said be sincere Be brief be seated You know Try to proceed accordingly as we get ready To mark the one-year anniversary of Tatiana Jefferson's untimely and tragic death We do well to reflect for a moment upon how racial injustice and Violence have affected our community Even more important as mayor price suggested a moment ago To engage in a mutually respectful Conversation a true community round table About what we've been doing and what we'll need to be doing in the days ahead To promote justice and peace In our community. This is not the time or the place for a long history lesson But we might note that racial injustice has affected Fort Worth For as long as Fort Worth has existed Whether that mistreatment was directed Toward Indigenous peoples or Native Americans who were here first Or toward Mexicans Who occupied Texas before it became an independent republic or toward African Americans? Who were brought here originally against their will we might also note that racial injustice has often resulted in violence? It epitomized perhaps most starkly By the Fred Rouse lynching the hundredth anniversary of which will be commemorating next year Finally, we might note that civil rights reform in our country Has tended to follow a predictable pattern of Incident protest response Think for example about the arrest of Rosa Parks The resulting bus boycott and the eventual integration of Montgomery's transit system or think about the many other struggles that occurred across her country during the late 1950s and early 1960s Culminating in the 1963 March on Washington an eventual passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act or think about the late John Lewis Who left us just a few weeks ago? How he and others suffered terrible beatings on the Edmund Pettus Bridge The ensuing March from Selma to Montgomery in eventual passage of 1965 voting rights act These lessons from our past are still relevant today Because in the famous words of William Faulkner the past is never dead It's not even passed Think then about how this pattern of incident protest response has played out recently in Fort Worth Particularly as significant changes have begun to occur in The wake of three different police incidents the first such incident in December of 2016 involved the police department's unnecessary arrest of Jacqueline Craig Which brought worldwide attention to our need for better police community relations? After eight months of protests in response to that incident the Fort Worth City Council in August of 2017 appointed a 23 member Task Force on race and culture the council gave that task force a big responsibility To assess the extent to its various disparities in our community Can be attributed to race and culture and To recommend practical strategies and actions for reducing those disparities. I like to recognize council members Kelly Allen Gray and Gina Bivens Who are closely with mayor price in creating the task force? I'd like also to recognize mr. Kerry session Who mayor price introduced earlier and who served actively as a task force member After 16 months of intense work Including many public meetings to engage the community The task force on race and culture in December of 2018 Produced a set of findings and recommendations that have appreciably reset the course of Fort Worth City government in a variety of ways For example the task force recommended that we establish a robust program for civilian oversight of the police department The city council has already created an office of police oversight monitor totally independent from the police department and Denise Rodriguez from that office will be able to speak with us tonight About their activities another major outgrowth of the task force and race and culture Was a creation last year of a diversity and inclusion department This new department continues to enforce civil rights laws as they pertain to employment housing and public accommodations But the department is also breaking new ground As it vigorously promotes equity in municipal contracting and in the delivery of municipal services Diversity inclusion director Christina Brooks is also on tonight's panel and will be able to give us more insight into that work in Total the task force on racing culture recommended 22 strategies For addressing disparities associated with criminal justice Economic development education governance health housing and transportation In the interest of time I'll refer you to the city's website Where you can access the full task force report as well as updates on our implementation of their recommendations The second police incident sparking local protest and change was of course the killing of Atatiana Jefferson in October of last year and we are honored to have members of her family With us here tonight That incident led to an even sharper focus upon our policing policies and practices on the advice of city manager David cook and Police chief Ed Krause The city council authorizes to hire a panel of national experts Who would evaluate our policies and practices and would provide us with their partial recommendations For improving our performance Deputy chief Neil notes is with us tonight And we'll be able to tell us more about that study The most recent police incident the killing of George Floyd in May of this year didn't occur in Fort Worth, of course But it provoked expressions of outrage here as it did in cities around the world The protests in Fort Worth were certainly energetic But they were largely peaceful and constructive Thanks to groups like you died in my justice and Leaders like Carol Harrison Lafayette who was also on tonight's panel those protests led to a greater public awareness That the responsibility for public safety doesn't belong solely to our police department The rather is shared broadly by all of us Who live and work in this community After the citizens of Fort Worth voted by a wide margin this summer to reauthorize sales tax funding for the crime control and prevention district Chief Krause and city manager cook recommended and the CCP board approved a Fiscal year 2021 budget that shifts significant resources from law enforcement to social services as an effective approach to crime prevention Chief nooks has been a leader in that effort and may wish to tell us more about it taken together Those three police incidents and their aftermath remind us that Fort Worth Has experienced its share of racial strife But I think it's also fair To say that Fort Worth in recent years has tackled the hard work of racial justice more directly more transparently and More effectively than have most cities Around the country we have much more work to do of course and tonight's program provides us with an excellent opportunity To discuss that challenge Enclosing I'd like to say a word of introduction about our moderator dr. Jason Shelton Associate professor of sociology and director of the Center for African-American Studies at UT Arlington I've gotten to know dr. Shelton in recent months As he has agreed to chair a panel of national experts who will be studying the possibility of Developing a museum or cultural center that would celebrate Fort Worth African-American history and culture He has a good perspective on the issues that we're here to discuss And we extended him a warm welcome dr. Shelton Thank you, sir, and thank everyone for being here this evening whether you're here on campus with us or at home watching virtually It's a very difficult time And not just our city But the country Little bit of housekeeping before we get into discussing this very important topic tonight Number one is that of course the intent and the reason why we are here is to discuss Tatiana's death and of course also the big picture of issues of police Policing and black communities as well as the bigger picture of where do we go from here in not just this city But this country as well That being said The city of Fort Worth is currently under a gag order that prevents panelists from getting specifically into a Tatiana's death and the events that took place last October Nevertheless, we did ask the community to provide questions for this discussion And I believe it is very important that you all in this room and at home this evening Submit questions to be a part of this dialogue. I do have a few questions, but it's always important to get the community involved We have some questions again, and I will facilitate those Please note that you all are here to observe and and and be a part of this discussion I want to also acknowledge that counsel woman Bivens will be leaving the panel a little bit early tonight as she has a prior engagement Last thing is for our panelists to know that you've got to turn on your microphone Literally, you will see a green button a green light there to make sure that your microphone is on And now with no further ado, we will begin our discussions tonight I think it's important by beginning not with me asking a question, but letting these panelists speak They're going to have two minutes to say whatever is on their heart mind spirit and soul on the topic of the evening We're going to go in alphabetical order The first person tonight will be counsel woman Bivens. She will be followed by Brooks Fernando Costa Kellyanne Gray Carol Harrison Lafayette Neil nooks Betsy price Corey sessions and Denise Rodriguez Counsel woman Bivens you have two minutes to say whatever is on your heart mind and spirit Thank you and thank those of you who are here And I also want to thank the mayor for inviting me to leave my district and be here tonight When you take a look at what is happening and what has happened in my hometown It is still saddening, but what I can appreciate is the efforts What we have to do in Fort Worth is make room for everybody at the table Even those who you don't want to hear from and I won't need two minutes for now sir Because I have some more to say when I come back and it involves how we hire police officers Christina Brooks Good evening everyone Give a special thank you to mayor price and Fernando dr. Shelton and most importantly the family of a Tatiana Jefferson and the people in the community That felt this was an important enough topic to come out this evening as the wife of a black man and the mother of two black sons and three black daughters the work that I do in large part is As much for them as it is for the beloved community of Fort Worth The work that is being done in our department our brand-new department is Tied to my heart. It's not something that I do because I have a degree in it Or because I read some articles It's because it hits close to home And every aspect of the 22 recommendations in the race and culture task force across criminal justice Economic development education governance health housing and transportation Is something that I know first-hand and so tonight. I am Honored and humbled to be here to share what our department has been up to Since its inception last October Thank you Thank you very much Fernando Costa. I Think I'd like to yield my time to the other panels. Thank you very good sir Kelly and gray Thank you and thank you all for being here and Let me just say my heart is heavy and my heart has been heavy since December 2016 when I woke up and I saw the video of Jacqueline Craig and everything that ensued in that incident and then I sit here and I See Ashley sitting in front of me and what I so vividly Remember Ashley is sitting here with the t-shirt on and she says I am my sister's keeper and You are You are and I remember the conversation With you and your sister and your brother at Corey's house with the mayor and chief Krause and I and you talked about Tatiana and you talked about how she was the first She was the first in your family to go to college. She was the one that you all sacrificed for She was the one that you all wanted to make sure that she achieved her dreams and That stays with me because that's who I am in my family and I've never forgotten that and with each incident that happens I always come back to you all and It has not been an easy time in our city this past year It has not been an easy time in our country this past year and having conversations about race and social injustices It's never an easy Conversation, but it is one that we have to have it is one that we have to Get past whatever it is that We are feeling and we are believing to recognize that the only way We're going to be able to move forward Is if we set our differences aside and we really and truly come to the table and figure out how we do this? together I'm going to stop because I have tears in my heart because Your hurt is my hurt and I need you to know that your hurt is my hurt and Whether you know it or not You have a whole group of people who love you and who are cheering for you and who are standing with you Because we are Tatiana Jefferson Thank you Carol Harrison Lafayette The pain and the hurt will always be with us When Darnell Ballard reached out to me. I'm a legal specialist in a activist. I couldn't help but say yes Darnell Because I thought about at the town of Jefferson and we use the opportunity to organize a Tatiana Jefferson we use the opportunity To make sure that we could organize a peaceful protest and we did exactly that and When I saw a diverse group One time it was almost about thousand people Not only were we chatting George Ford wise matter But we knew that we had to do something and we did exactly that and So many people as I talked to the protesters that came out They were saying no justice no peace and what they're really saying is accountability And as we continue to sit down and have conversations Together we can overcome and get policy changes It was so important that not only the protesters Who came out and stood? as a crowd marching in the streets That we heard what their purpose was and most of the individuals that we spoke with They wanted to see justice They want to see changes made and that's one of the reasons why I'm glad to be a part of trying to get policy Changes and working with leaders Because there is so much pain and we have to heal from this pain Thank you very much Neil notes a Tatiana Jefferson a Tatiana Jefferson We're introducing ourselves, but though we these aren't the names that matter today They truly aren't We're here for a reason and it's not a good reason We're here to honor a life that was lost and We're here to talk about change Many of you have probably heard me say this, but one of my favorite quotes about change is Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced Does anyone know who said that? That was the American novelist and social critic James Baldwin the late novelist and what he's saying is Just because something is faced doesn't Ensure that success is is gonna follow but Failing to face those issues ensures failure I Want to applaud everyone that's up here that had the courage to stand up here and talk today I want to thank everyone that's out here in the audience They came to support this cause The only way change real lasting positive change Is ever going to happen as if we do it together. So thank you so much for being here Thank you, sir Betsy Price Since I had a chance to open I will yield my time dr. Shelton So we can get on with the conversation and we can hear from the rest of our panelists Cory Sessions I the cure for All that is ill in these United States was established Decades ago It is the last four words in the first score of words in the preamble Ensure domestic tranquility Everything else that follows after that Should be done should have been done But when the Constitution was written it did not include people of color Did not include females but we have since Transformed and interpreted it to mean what it should have been But that is where it is We must not vilify a Uniform it is never the uniform It is the individual in that uniform that Disgraces it that makes it bad for all the others. I hear it from all sides in order for us to edify this city To build it up. We must unify this city and once we unify We have beautified My wife is a police officer My sister was the city attorney for the city of Austin for many years and My brother was the first posthumous DNA DNA exoneration in US history Right here in the state of Texas We have more in common than what separates us when I Saw the mayor the police chief on television talking about The officer who I won't mention his name who killed the Tatiana Saying that he was wrong Something said call them. Let's meet. Let's all talk together and I remember that conversation all of us in the room in my living room And we realized that there was more in common than what divided us Last but not least Denise Rodriguez Thank you. Thank you for having me and most importantly. Thank you to the community who's here and who's listening in I'm looking forward to this this discussion. I think it's gonna be very important for us to have Do you want to also acknowledge that as the mayor mentioned and as Christina mentioned earlier? This has to be a collaborative Approach we've got to work in this together And I think the other part too that we have to remember is this is just one piece of the puzzle When we talk about racial inequity when we talk about racial injustice We have to involve the criminal justice stakeholders. We have to involve educational stakeholders health care All of those pieces kind of work together So unless we're kind of speaking in that broader approach It's the way forward. Thank you Thank you all very much. I want to I gotta like I say I got a couple of questions here But we're gonna get right to the heart of the matter for a good time Let's get to it what meaningful changes have been made in our city over the past year What still needs to be done? And I'm gonna let anybody go when you're ready to hop in we're done with the alphabetical order What meaningful changes have occurred in our city and what still needs to be done? Just raise your hand and I'll see I'll run this like I run my class at UTA. Mr. Nokes Some of the positive change we've seen of the Ford police department. It's come from listening to the community It's come from listening to some of the chance. You mentioned no justice no peace And it makes me think of the words of Dr. King. We said peace is not just the absence of tension It's the realization of justice Justice is what we all want and their members are a community who don't feel justice and they're dealing with the Ford police department the Primary changes to policies that we made have been to use a force and de-escalation Two of the most important and critical parts of a police officer's job. We have to make sure it's done correctly We've improved training. We've include de-escalation in all of our use of force training We have changed policy to require De-escalation and situations were forces of potential As a matter of fact, we have when officers make the scene if they have to use force They required to explain What de-escalation techniques they use to prevent that force from happening in the first place? We require our supervisors to make the scene as always, but they don't just speak with the officer and get his point of view They'll speak with the person on whom the force was used They'll speak with potential witnesses who saw what happened to get their perspective as well. So it's not just one perspective In addition, these supervisors are reviewing the reports to make sure officers are explaining their attempts at de-escalation throughout the incident One of the things that we've done with our training that is absolutely critical Not only is the de-escalation part of the training We use what's called scenario-based training and we basically put the recruits in scenarios That will be somewhat similar to what they would face in the streets because we want them to face those in a controlled environment first Before they have to face it in the community as a matter of fact Some of you are probably familiar with the president's I'm sorry the final report of the president's task force on 21st century policing from 2015 then President Obama put a task force together to look at policing see what was wrong see what we could do better And see what policing in the 21st century really needed to look like and training was one of their topics one of their pillars And one of the things they recommended was Scenario-based training there's research that shows when scenario-based training is done accurately That you actually experience the same physiological response you would experience if you were doing it in the community So we want officers to have that to fall back on They don't have to try to remember policy They remember the interaction and they know how to respond appropriately the other thing we did I know I'm not alone in this but I Know police officers across the country. They were absolutely horrified and disgusted Watching the George Floyd video. I remember sitting in my home. This video is old It's happened days ago, and I'm screaming at the TV get off his neck Just get off his neck. That's all you have to do. Let the man breathe That's so frustrating and Then days later we see more video There were more officers there that did nothing and the only two That stepped up and even tried to intervene even tried to intervene were the newest officers the rookies if you will One who I believe it only been there a matter of days a couple of days in training. He actually tried twice Hey, maybe you think we ought to get off his neck You worry about excited delirium And the response no, we're good where we are no sir. You're not good What we realized is that was a gap in our training There's a culture in law enforcement where people who are newer to the department don't feel like they can step up and take action when necessary We have to make sure they understand not only is it a right for them to do that It's a responsibility for them to do that they have to so we're creating scenarios We're not only do they try to talk another officer a senior officer off of a subject if they're using excessive force That officer is required to use force himself against another officer to get push them off do what you've got to do Report it immediately do not allow it to happen Officer notes for the sake of time appreciate it. We want to get to I want to get to a few more people What I do want to ask a quick follow-up? In light of the changes that you just mentioned for Fort Worth. What does it mean in real-world terms? How will these changes impact? Fewer fewer deaths fewer moments like we have witnessed in our city over the last few years What de-escalation training does? It makes officers pause Now some situations are completely dynamic understand and there is no time to pause if you walk into it an active shooter situation at a mall You act But more often than not officers have the luxury of time If there's no threat to anyone there's no threat of anyone escaping anyone being injured pause Take a moment Try to build a rapport. I Think a lot of people here are probably also familiar with the procedural the tenants of procedural justice Treat a person with dignity respect be neutral in your interactions. Don't pick sides Give someone a voice let them be heard sometimes all it takes is letting someone be heard so to wrap up that answer We're giving officers more tools to take time to deal with individuals rather than resorting to force quickly Thank you, sir miss Bivens The remarks from from officer notes ties directly into my concern and it deals with Before we even hire officers. I was with the group of HR execs It's called the human resources execs network yesterday and one of them talked about how her company Has gotten this upgrade of an assessment tool And so you want to be able to know who you're hiring so that you don't have to do so much corrective training And I'll be talking with our new HR director when he comes on board But this tool she raved about it so much it lets you know how a person is likely to act under under pressure You know is that person to able to rise to the top and speak for the good or are they going to be influenced by those Officers in this case who did not enough and so I think it's important that we take advantage of the HR tools Available to us so that we know who we're actually hiring you don't want to hire an officer who grew up in a very Conservative all-white neighborhood that may not be so good in my neighborhood of stop 6 You want to make sure that you're hiring someone who has gone through the proper training before they get hired and mess up And so this tool I'm going to be telling our HR director about it When we hire someone and there are these tools have been around forever But this one is just very very different because of the way it is able to detect Likely behavior and when you're looking at behavior, that's how employers determine what kind of employee that you're going to be in our case Say for example, you have Westside trash pickup stop 6 trash pickup when I come home on trash day It's trash bins all over the street Friends of mine who live in a different neighborhood not so much and so we have to deliver service with respect When it comes to the trash guy, you know He has to be respectful of where he is but when it comes to that officer his failure to respect could result in loss of life And so I'm real concerned about how we hire officers so that we hire the ones who are likely to be able to Embrace the words serve and protect and when you see me leave I'm going to a church get out the vote, but I'll hang as long as I can Miss Brooks, can you speak to diversity and inclusion initiatives in the city of Fort Worth? Absolutely, I want to focus in on two specific areas that I think we our department has made some significant progress as far as Equity goes and that's number one in our business equity division, which is responsible for the oversight of our The city's business diversity ordinance that looks at Equity in city contracting that's how the city is spending money so this year we actually completed the city's disparity study and that disparity study of Course revealed some information that I'm pretty sure that anybody that's familiar with contracting Wasn't Exactly news to them, but what it did do is it provided some really good disaggregated information on African-American contracting and how we are doing specifically with African-American contractors and So using that information under the city manager's Recommendation and approval we've moved forward to not only make edits to the current business Diversity ordinance so that equity runs throughout it But we've also made changes to our administrative regulations that means our internal processes How people that work within the city that deal with contracts actually make sure that they are Working in an equitable way to ensure that especially African-American contractors are getting a fair shot at At contracting with the city and so in doing that one of the major things that we've done is We've removed a cap that used to be in place that held minority contractors Listed as a prime or first-tier contractor to a hundred thousand dollars Where we've removed that and so with the new ordinance Now minority contractors can compete for contracts at any dollar amount not just up to a hundred thousand dollars and we've already seen Some some results some positive results with our first Contract one of our first contracts with McKissick and McKissick Gaining a contract with the city for a significant amount of money over multi-years The second area that I want to oh we got to keep we got to keep moving Miss Rodriguez Miss Rodriguez can you speak to the role of community policing in the city? Yes, thank you So as the mayor mentioned earlier our office is still relatively new we Ordinance was passed in February and then Kim Neal started in March. So our office officially kicked off then And we're still what we're nearing the end of kind of the first step Which is just getting a better understanding of the community and the police community relationships So over the last couple months In getting our office going we've met with a number of community leaders folks who are here in the room We've held a number of community sessions virtually because of COVID unfortunately We most recently completed some police community collaboration sessions where we brought together police officers and community members and Tried to get at the specifics about how to address the issue with police community trust and building those relationships The next step is to kind of take all of that input and turn it into action So how do we then take what we've learned from the community and build? Policing strategies that are specific to neighborhoods specific to communities to address some of the issues that have been brought to us by the Community through the surveys through our meetings And that's just the first step again. We're still new we're still Folks are still getting to know us. We're still getting to know the community And we're of course most definitely looking forward to the next steps. Thank you Anybody else want to hop in on this question about the changes that have been made in the city? Anybody else want to speak to this? Yes knows and maybe so's well now y'all see the Tatiana signs. Let's talk and say it has been a year Since her passing and her death in the city I'd like the panelists to speak to the mood of our city the mood of this room and Please talk about the mood of the city the mood of where we go from here in terms of Making sure that this does not happen again Anybody want to speak to that the mood of our town the mood of this room? Where do we go from here? Where we go from here? Where we go from here? Well, wait, wait, I'm not from Fort Worth either. I'm not from Fort Worth either come on y'all Let's let the conversation evolve. Let's let her go. Excuse me. Where we go from here? We have to continue with these conversations Many protesters many citizens taxpayers are warning justice and that means accountability So how we go from here is we continue to have conversations with the councils with the mayors to try to get police reforms when you see Individuals such as attorney Leon Reed who walked over 200 miles to Austin, Texas to speak to the governor To try to get policy changes Not only do we continue with the peaceful protesters, but we have to get changes made on a local level We got to get changes made on a state level a federal level. We must get a police oversight Board to listen to the citizens Because when you continue to have police officers who are not held accountable for using assessors force for police shootings and Never having any accountability. You're going to continue to get a chain effect And we have to continue to work together to get changes made and it's to listen to those Mayor price can you speak to the mood of the city? What would you say to the folk in the room regarding the mood in the tone right now ma'am? You know dr. Shelton in the community I would say that the mood is very uncomfortable people are very much ill at ease right now and looking for The right answer and depending on who you talk to I don't know that there is any one right answer Yes, there are significant changes being made in the way we police in this community There are significant changes in the community and how they're responding and what they're demanding and people are listening But I think as a whole the community still has a heart for Fort Worth and still has Compassion for each other and they're they're willing to come to the table and do the hard work because part of the justice and the equity Redefinition redefining of the roles begins with the quality of life here And that begins with child care and education and health care and where we see and policing falls right in there with that And all of those are being worked on and changed in this community I do think it's very personal matter for well people feel about their community right now And I think most of us are listening and all of us are well aware every day of a Tatiana Jefferson's loss Cory can you speak To with respect to the Innocence project Can you speak to what's going on in black America and why folk are so fired up in relation to this issue? One of the one of the reasons is people are sick and tired and as Martin Luther King said it's still true today I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of the same thing There is a George Floyd act that is going to go That the governor and I have talked about that he's wanting to get done But I told him just about two weeks ago that there needs to be a Tatiana Tatiana Jefferson Act as well She was from Fort Worth Okay There can't be a conversation if there's interruptions feel free Okay, feel free to correct me. Tell us about the policy. Let me just tell you What's your suggestion sir my the suggestion is that we still communicate and Everybody please please when this session starts up when they have committee meetings, please show up Stand there if it's four hours five hours. I've been there to three o'clock in the morning just to testify Please come and testify and make your voice heard. They hear you They hear you and they will hear you councilwoman gray Will you please speak to the mood in the city and where we go from here, ma'am? So dr. Shelton It doesn't feel good in Fort Worth and in truth it hasn't felt good in Fort Worth a long time and As I as I sit here and I listen to the conversation there are two conversations that's happening because Christina talked about Contracting minority contractors and things that we had done that we are doing and they'll talked about police Here's what I need you all to know. There's been an undercurrent that has been rumbling and rolling through this city and It didn't just start What blew the lid off of it? What a what literally blew the lid off of it was the death of a Tatiana Jefferson? it was the current that has just been building and building and building from economic injustices racial injustices social injustices and that and Her death is what? erupted the volcano and For so many years We talked about race, but we talked about race in such very hushed tones Black people talked about race white people didn't talk about race because race didn't affect them But it was a conversation that we always had now. We're having it publicly And it's one of those things is that conversation as I said earlier It makes you uncomfortable it makes you uncomfortable if you're black because now I have to explain to somebody How I feel as a black person in a situation Then I have to make you as a white person Understand that I'm not playing a race card. I'm playing a real card and my differences are our differences of So many times are parallel our Comparisons are parallel, but then when you add race into it it becomes perpendicular It's a conversation that you can never ever understand. So Yes, it is about a multitude of things but because of a Tatiana Jefferson We can have this conversation because So many times it has been like pulling teeth To just understand to just have somebody understand That when I get pulled over by the police, I'm nervous I'm nervous and I've said before I'd much rather be pulled over by a veteran officer than a rookie officer Because I'm never quite sure what that interaction is going to be like and as a mother of a now 18 year old son who's six foot three and two hundred and forty pounds every time he leaves the house I'm nervous and my late husband was Fort Worth PD So it's not a good feeling. It's not a good feeling for anybody It shouldn't be a good feeling for black people. It shouldn't be a good feeling for white people It shouldn't be a good feeling for brown people blue people pink people purple people it's everybody should be uncomfortable, but we should be having this conversation and So you can keep your pictures up because you're absolutely right She is the reason why we are here and her name is a Tatiana Jefferson Thank you very much for that Got another question here and that is as as leaders of the community you folk up here at the front of the Table at the front of the room as leaders of the community. What do you need to do? Personally in order to be in greater tune and touch with everyday people in the community and in the city What do you need to personally do in order to be in greater touch? With the people in the community Anybody wanted officer notes, sir It's really pretty simple If we want to be more in tune with the community We have to be in the community. I Think for far too long we and law enforcement Have expected the community to come to us on our terms and do what we think is best The difference we're seeing now is if we're going to Provide a safe space for everyone We have to work on public safety with Everyone we have to meet people where they are we have to realize look at the areas where we're not seeing The same crime rates. What do you see there? You see a lot of resources you see a library or a swimming pool on every corner You see all the great job market low unemployment Look at the areas where we're seeing more crime You see food deserts. You see low-performing schools You see areas where people are looking for work, but they can't find it and haven't been given the job training to Take that job in the first place and sometimes when industries come in they hire from outside the community We have to actually be in the community to see what the issues are We can listen to someone talk all day about what the problems are But we have to actually be out there. We have to see it. I'm not gonna stand here and tell you I know how you feel that would be disrespectful to you I have children and council member gray. I've not had to have that conversation with them I'm fortunate that I haven't So I can't say I know how you feel but I empathize with you and anyone else who's had to have that conversation Especially if it's been because of a negative interaction with law enforcement I will say we have some amazing men and women on the forward police department to do great work every day But we're not perfect We're working to be the best we possibly can be and the best way to do that is by being in the community Appreciate that sir Fernando. What do you personally and what do folk in the city manager's office need to do? To heal this gap in this divide, sir I think we need to do our part To bring into this conversation The folks who are not here tonight Who are not watching? remotely Who are not engaged if I were to use a common term? Before orth way I Think I would get diametrically opposite responses From different segments of our community if you're white and Affluent and belong to a country club and have a good job The fourth way is wonderful Because you benefit from it, but if you're black And poor and live in stop six the fourth way means something entirely different and means you don't have a voice It means you don't have a seat at the table and so We need to bring folks into this Conversation who don't even realize We need to have this conversation and who don't even realize that they themselves have as much a stake In the outcome of these discussions as the folks in this room And so that's how I intend to do my part dr. Shelton to address the issues that a Tatiana Jefferson has Brought to our attention Appreciate that sir We really don't have a whole lot of time And we need to continue to grapple with this as a community I would recommend that this be session number one on This matter and hopefully more discussion in the future I'm gonna ask one last question. I want every panelist here to speak to this And we've spoken of course the reason why we are here is a Tatiana Jefferson Y'all know I'm a professor and we deal with a whole lot of things related to the black experience in America. I want every panelist to tell us if You could wave your magic wand I Heard that and change one thing about this city of Fort Worth Y'all have talked about policy You've talked about a number of things and that's fair game as well But if you could wave your magic wand and change one thing about this city that would bring about greater equity and Inclusion in the city of Fort Worth. What would it be? Christina Brooks, it doesn't have to have anything to do with your office Doesn't have to have anything to do with the position that you currently hold a rather reason why you are here But if you had one thing you could change What would it be Christina? You go first and we'll roll down the line the distribution of resources equitably instead of making sure that newly formed sections of The city are Equally as prioritized or as the communities that have been in Fort Worth from the beginning and have been denied Economic financial and human resources That on the corners of stop six that Liquor stores are replaced with Grocery stores that have fresh food and Meat that's not spoiled and the cigar shops are Replaced with health care clinics where reputable doctors look at black women and black men and Listen to them when they tell them what the problem is and They understand that just because we have melanin in our skin doesn't mean that we have a higher threshold for pain that we can see That we can walk our children down the street and Know that when they walk into the elementary school or the high school or the middle school That's within walking distance of our home That the teachers are Providing a curriculum That represents accurately the history of our people as part of the American history Thank You miss Brooks I See y'all Which is say her name signs? After everybody has spoken one by one so miss Brooks has just done let's say her name After everybody speaks on a count of three y'all say her name one two three Miss Rodriguez, please tell us if you could make wave your magic wand. What would you change in this city a? couple things I Think accountability would be the word that comes to my mind first not only accountability from a more systems approach or Office organizational level, but also at the individual level accountability For ourselves for our own actions for how we interact with each other and along those lines more empathy And this is probably not only a city forth worth wish but a global humanity wish for most of us Many of us need more empathy and how we engage with each other and how we Engage with police officers or community members. We just more empathy if we had a little more empathy We'd have a little more compassion Be a little more open to making changes that are might be outside of the box Thank you very much on a count of three one two three Mr. Sessions if If I could go back I wish I could Go back in time as we all do But none of us can go back to yesterday and Make it Today, but we all can start today and make it tomorrow a better for everyone I wish I Could make everyone police officers citizens jurors judges Blind like justice is supposed to be Blind but somebody along the way keeps giving justice Cataract surgery by Focals. They want it to be to see where it is not blind. I wish we could go back in time and live up to the words that are in the Constitution what is in our hearts and I Wish I could go on Allen Avenue Back a year ago and Close the door, but I can't But her death Opened the door The her death opened the door for this conversation and for so many other people who have been Mistreated by law enforcement by the judicial system Thank you very much sir on a count of three say like you mean it y'all one two three Ms. Price Mayor price You know if I could change one thing I would wave my wand over it and people would Not see skin color not see wealth But we would all see caring loving hearts and equity and a lot of that begins with Education and I'm talking about as Christina said Equity and education if you walk your child down the street to the school You should have exactly the same expectations that your child's going to have the same Education that a child on another side of town is getting that jobs are readily available to everyone in this community that health care and access to food and health care and healthy living and that Education are there for all of us and that housing and transportation are available for everybody I think the youngest among us is where it really begins to change if we can change the Trajection of their lives. We can make it better for everyone Thank you very much on the count of three y'all one two three Mr. Nokes for me it comes down to opportunity Unfortunately, not everyone in every community gets the same opportunities Not everyone gets the same chance not everyone has the same hope One thing about a Tatiana Jefferson that I've been told over and over again. She had hope She had hope for a bright future. She had big plans Everyone should have big plans. Everyone should have hope that those plans can be realized Everyone of us has a part to play in that and I know I have a part to play in that I'll say again. I know we're not perfect If I could wave my magic wand I would make sure those opportunities were available for everyone in the city for worse one two three Miss Gray if I had one wish, what would I change? I change perception. I Change how we perceive our neighborhoods I Would change how the media perceives our neighborhoods and how they report if something happens in The south side or stop six or eastwood or Polly the media tells you it happens in stop six eastwood or Polly if it happens in TCU Tanglewood any place else you never know where it is that it happens I'm because of that perception We don't get Those economic opportunities. It is a lot harder for those economic opportunities to come our way and we do a really We have to do overtime to sell our communities and our communities have value. I Shouldn't have to Go four or five miles To the other side of town to buy groceries and to shop Because my money is green just like everybody else's money is and so if we as an economic group Spending our money all across town you would want to make that investment into the community I would change the last thing I would change is our perception of each other How we treat each other In our in our communities because we have spent a lot of time talking about Police involved shootings, but we come with our own share of Hurts and issues that we have to figure out how we heal within So what I would change would be perception and we don't have to say it on three because I'm a say her name is a Tatiana Jefferson say it loud say it proud a Tatiana Jefferson Miss Lafayette Miss Harrison Lafayette, okay If I had a magic one, I would most definitely bring changes to police reforms We have to think about when you have police shootings How many days that it takes to arrest police officers? We have to make higher bonds with them and it has to be some type of accountability We must continue to engage with leaders Citizens voters taxpayers to find out what it is that they want to adapt in their communities We have to continue to have conversations We got to sit down and we have to make sure That these shootings stop It starts on a local level Stars on a state level and a federal level We must get oversight boards We must get federal oversight boards and when we do this we can be a part of the changes For the better for worse Thank you on account of three one two three Fernando Thank You dr. Shelton and by the way, thank you for agreeing to moderate tonight's discussion because if I could change one thing it would be our Our attitudes toward talking about these difficult issues We have a tendency as human beings To avoid subjects that make us uncomfortable Particularly subjects that require us to change our beliefs Interactions, but I think tonight we've had one of the most honest and thoughtful discussions in which I've been engaged In a long time But these these kinds of discussions should be common and They should be prevalent across our community Not just a special event, but I have it And if I had a magic wand That would happen Thank You, sir We've been through the road I'm just about done before I hand this to Mayor Price What would you change if you had the magic wand you live in this community also Wow I'm gonna tell you there's a lot of things that I would change I Grew up in Los Angeles, California I didn't own a red shirt till I was 22 years old because I lived in a crib neighborhood So look at my chest the suit I have for tonight And I left there and I went to Cleveland, Ohio And I've then I moved to Miami, Florida and now I live in the great state of Texas In all of those places black people have been second-class citizens And all I remember as a kid watching my father get pulled over by the LAPD because he drove a Mercedes Benz in south central And the cops told him the only time they've seen a black man in a Benz was a dope dealer And I'll never forget that But let me tell you the flip side On the flip side of that My parents had two boys One of them would grow up to be a professor the other one would grow up to be an airline pilot I know homies and got homies and front brothers that have done the same things and sorority sisters and home girls That have done it too the problem in this country is a deep-seated issue of racial inequality that we have not been honest about for centuries We need to address those issues of Poverty of inequality I Firmly believe and as a professor I can tell you today that I taught Tiana We found out the day your sister was killed I was teaching introduction to sociology to 250 students that day and I put my lecture on the back burner that morning I was supposed to come in and talk about something. I can't remember what it was But we opened it up and just said damn it. Let's talk about it Just let it flow What we need to do is let it flow and that's why I say tonight is just the beginning because we got to let her speak And we got to let my man speak I know you do but tonight's not the night y'all But I'm advocating for you because half of the game is letting people express themselves But that being said ladies and gentlemen this conversation tonight has to lead to bigger as I've always said to my students What ultimately matters is policy not personality Policy changes I follow you I feel you What changes the circumstances of the contemporary African American experience is more policy that allows the doors to open So that more black folks who are college with college degrees can have more sons who become college professors and airline pilots How does that happen? Because we've got to have greater economic development and opportunities and public schools And good jobs So I'm glad y'all fired up tonight But let us continue to remember the long arc of this game is not just about Police brutality It's also about economic vitality and that's what opens the door to American dreams I'm sorry for teaching I get into it. I start preaching like pastor Whitley Whitfield here That being said the magic wand the magic wand that I would change If I could change anything right now I would make sure that every young African American child in the United States of America has a quality education And has the opportunity to to make it happen for her or himself because the That's what's up. I give you that too. I give you that too that being said Mayor oh Wait, wait, wait, wait. This is what I really wanted to end with we're gonna say her name five times hard and Then mayor I'm a handed to you look out. I appreciate that. I appreciate that but that Her sister is going to speak tonight her speaker. It was my suggestion. It was my suggestion. We getting there I said to them. I said hey if she's coming we got to give her the floor Miss mayor wait, wait, wait, wait. Let's do it five times hard on a count of three one two Three a Tatiana a Tatiana a Tatiana a Tatiana a Tatiana Thank you Dr. Shelton, thank you and to all the panel members. Thank you for taking your night and mostly to the community Thank you for being here It's an important conversation. It's a hard conversation Kelly and I've had many of these and we don't always agree, but we're still good friends and We are listening to each other and I've learned an incredible amount from my fellow council members and from many of you It's it. This is hard work as I think Kelly open with and many of you have reiterated But it also is work of the heart It must come from a place where you love this community a place where you're willing to do the work You can't just show up when one instance happens For a Tatiana was the one whose family pushed her to go to school to get a degree to be in STEM Education so we should show up and push other children to do that We should show up for economic development in our neighborhoods help recruit jobs and get them going This is just the beginning of the conversations When we get past COVID, I would love to see the room filled for conversations for roundtables with so many more people and Not just the same faces, but other faces young parents Grandparents who are raising children who need to hear what's going on in their city that they love We have the pleasure tonight of having a Tatiana Jefferson's family with us her uncle and aunt are here in the Jefferson side And it's a my understanding y'all don't want to speak tonight Okay, and then Ashley Ashley Carr her sister is going to start out for just a minute then we'll let the Jefferson speak And then we will close with a word of prayer from pastor Actually, you probably do need a microphone Good evening everyone First I would like to thank the community for being with our family since day one There's been a lot of days of silence Reaching out to the city about different things and excellence and It felt like we were by ourselves and we appreciate you guys Always lifting us up calling and checking on us making sure Zion and Zayn are good This is what this is our family You guys uplift the only Non-profit organization that is made by her family they are Tatiana project We appreciate Fort Worth for accepting that us and accepting that a Non-profit that is going to bring stem Opportunities to the community to the south side community. That's where we start that Because that's that's the neighborhood that looks like the neighborhood we grew up in which was oak lift Texas So y'all already know For anybody else You guys know who her family is You all know where 1203 East Allen Avenue is My request my only request tonight is that we do not Disrespect a Tatiana's legacy and we leave them we leave the mic at this is I'm the only person that will be speaking for the family tonight and that's where we I would like for you guys to respect that and Thank you guys so much Um, let me let me say this All right for anyone that don't want to hear that's fine, but in order to have a child there has to be two people I'm standing on behalf of mr. Marques Jefferson who died 28 days later. So unfortunately unfortunately on behalf of Marques Jefferson a Tatiana Jefferson's father So on me on behalf of mr. Marques Jefferson Ms. Carr I understand your passion, but I would ask that we don't delve into family violence here and arguments Well, we appreciate where you headed and not know where you're gonna get there But as I said on behalf of the Jefferson family mr. Jefferson We hope that the city becomes everything you're trying to do pastor can we Everyone stand up. Let's play No, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay It's okay Family one of the things that I think is very important is that we understand that there cannot be any change if we don't hear within my profession, I live within the crucible Of pain and hearing the conversations that comes out of it And oftentimes they are certainly uncomfortable a family is still in is in is in pain And you've got to be able to hear it Because if you can't hear it you can't heal it That is a part of this process and it is uncomfortable But I think it's very important for us to understand what has transpired on what has happened No matter how much we talk about police Reform no matter how much we talk about the things that needs to change There is a loved one That is gone. We cannot bring her back and a family is still hurting And a family is still in pain. It's not our responsibility to exacerbate it It's our responsibility to hear So that we can heal now Whatever has happened within the context of the family That's something that the family has got to deal with And we pray for them Because it's hard to deal with discrepancies when you have so much pain I hear the pain and it breaks my heart Breaks my heart Because a family in a community is broken as a family As a city That's rally around them as much as we possibly can And if we are to have another opportunity to speak That we give them an opportunity and that we honor the family With what they want us to do and we have deep conversations On the reforms that we need to have and bring to the table such as to bring healing Because no matter what we do we can't bring that life back That Tatiana is gone and the family is in pain So I would ask for everybody who may not understand that level of pain Don't judge it Don't prejudge it Don't call it a black thing A poor thing Because there are people who have money People who are millionaires who have this kind of pain It's a part of the humanistic fabric of our life So don't judge it Pray for it Pray for that family Pray for their hearts Because that's a lot of pain And one year does not dissipate That amount of pain Father, you are a beneficent and great God Thank you Thank you for the leaders who participated in this round table Thank you that their hearts were open to the possibilities of hearing Things that are uncomfortable now Father, we all as leaders bring to the table possible answers We're trying But I pray Father that in the midst of all the answers that we're bringing to the table That we bring our hearts and our minds and our ears To the table too To hear at a deeper level the pains and the pangs of a community We pray that you would bring healing That you would bring healing to the Jefferson family That you would by your grace cover them Allow Father for the mourning and the grief that they deal with And they struggle with on a daily basis, oh God To eventually subside because you are the God of all consolation Be comfort to them through the arms that will hug them Through the lives of God that will pay attention to them Through the policymakers, oh God, that will create policies and structures, oh God That would ensure that this kind of travesty never happens again And Father that we would be able to love each other Without the shade and without the prejudices That blinds us to each other's human plight I pray for these leaders I pray for every family that's represented That may be dealing with their own measure of pain But it may not be on display now That we will all find healing Even in the midst of your saving grace It's in the name of Jesus we pray Amen Thank you, Mayor, for the opportunity Thank you, Dr. Sheldon