 See hopefully that worked. It showed up as a safe link, which there he is. Okay. Welcome Dr. Shabazz. All right, so then I'm going to go ahead. This is amazing. All of us are here. I'm so, I'm so happy about that. So I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting to order as soon as I can find my agenda. Okay, so welcome. I'm calling to order at 2.35 p.m. the March 28th meeting of the African Heritage Reparation Assembly. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2021, this meeting will be conducted via remote means. Members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so via Zoom or by telephone. Please see instructions below. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time via technological means. So welcome everyone and let's just quickly go over what we're going to be reviewing today. So as promised, we're going to try to keep this to an hour and we're going to focus most of our time today continuing our discussion about community engagement and the community survey as well as launching and engage Amherst project page for our assembly. And then because of the deadline that's approaching on the mass humanities grant that we spoke about previously, I want to bring that to our attention and see what we'd like to do for that. We do have some meeting minutes that are ready to be approved. But I didn't get them to you guys in time. Okay, that was the question. Okay, perfect. I finished them on Saturday. So that's no problem. We'll do that next time. I kind of had that sense. But since it was on the agenda, I just thought I'd mention it. Okay, good. So before we get into it, there aren't any attendees right now. So we don't need to hold a public comment at this moment. But before we sort of jump into things, are there any questions or comments? Okay, good. So Yvonne and Dr. Shabazz, you by the way, Dr. Shabazz, you're showing up as me, which is really sweet. So we talked last week, we started discussing the a survey, a community survey. Actually, we may have been discussing this for a couple weeks now. And I presented some objectives that we worked on together. Actually, Dr. Shabazz, I think you were there for the very beginning of that meeting. And then we talked about me checking in with the Dunahue Institute, who we contracted with to do the black census to see what thoughts and ideas they might have about developing a survey and whether that was something they could help us with. So I have reports to offer back to the assembly. I did have a chance to have that conversation. But what I also want to share in this same context is the black census is almost completed, which is really exciting. And I did get because I got to meet with Kerry in person. So she was able to show me some highlights. It was really interesting. And she, if all goes well, and everyone's okay with this, she will be able to come and present potentially at our next meeting to present the findings and share the visuals with us and take questions and all that kind of stuff. And then we can really dig into what we want to do with that information. But I did want to share that piece of things. So I'm going to share my screen so we can bring up the objectives one more time. So Yvonne can look at them and so everyone can just look at them again. Let's see here. I don't know if I'm doing this right. Let's see. Yeah. All right. So can everyone see that? Yeah. Okay. So I, based on our discussion last week, I reworked this a little bit. And this was something that I sent to Kerry at the Dunahue Institute prior to our conversation. So starting with the first objective to, of determining the community's understanding of the meaning of reparations. So how do community members define reparations? And what do community members know about the history of reparations in the US? And really, it doesn't have to be limited to the US and probably shouldn't be. And then determine the community's understanding of the historical context of racial injustice in Amherst. So now this brings us from a broader discussion about reparations to what is the local question here and historical context. And so what do community members know about the injustices and crimes that have been perpetuated against people of African heritage? Have community members read any of the resources on our website, including some of our reports? What reactions do community members have to these resources? What other knowledge of racial injustice in Amherst and lived experience? And then gathering perspectives about truth and reconciliation. So what perspectives do community members have about the truth and reconciliation process? Who should be involved in that process? And what level of interest do community members have to engage in the process? And then of course, using the survey to promote our charge as an assembly online and at community events. So it's a tool to engage the community. And we talked about developing a stakeholder group that could be sort of our lead folks to be recruited to help them to help us distribute this survey to sub communities within the broader Amherst community. And I think that's a really important part of the process. They may also help to translate the survey when necessary and then to serve as interview participants and recruiters for additional interviews, oral history stuff. And last week we reviewed the conversation I had with Brianna, who's the communications director at the town. She recommended that we do a survey monkey and then we viewed the age and dementia friendly project on Engage Amherst, which if you haven't had a chance to look at it, you should definitely take a look. It's really great. So that's sort of an overview of what we discussed last time. And then I went ahead and had a conversation with Donahue. But before I report on that, I just want to see if there are any questions from anybody about that so far or comments. Good. Okay. So I had a really interesting conversation with Kerry who has a lot of experience developing surveys. She's developed surveys locally. I believe she's just finishing up on a survey she worked with Wayfinders. Wayfinders is the organization that was recently identified or chosen as a developer for like 70 plus affordable housing units here in Amherst. And she has also had now some experience working at the Donahue Institute. And one of the things, and this is important for Ivan and Dr. Shabazz to know because this came up last week, Alexis actually brought this forward, is the question of who is working with us and are we looking to find people of African heritage to participate in this work? Like for example, if we were to partner with the Donahue Institute on this survey. And so I just wanted to highlight that point and say that that is something that Kerry and I discussed. But overall, what I got out of that conversation is given the subject matter that we're dealing with here, and given the fact that it is critical that we reach into every corner and nook and cranny of this community to talk to them about this. Her suggestion was that we may want to think about leading with focus groups that would then guide us and inform us on the process of developing the survey that would go out to the broader community. And one potential structure we talked about is if we want to go with the plan of identifying leaders in various sub communities to then ultimately distribute a survey and have conversations with the sub communities about the work that we're doing, then we could start by identifying those folks and having focus groups with those folks to gain feedback on how the survey should be designed and what sorts of questions should be on it. Like we talked last week that the age-friendly and dementia survey was 70-something questions. I know many people who have taken it now, it seems like it's a very thorough survey, but is a 70-question survey what we're after? And what sorts of questions do we really want to be asking? What are we trying to get out of this? So I really liked the idea of identifying stakeholders and then having some focus groups first to help us to guide this process. And I will say that that's what the Board of Health did and I participated in one of those listening sessions and I thought it was really, there were some flaws to it potentially, but it was a good process. And Jennifer, I see your hand is up, so please go ahead. Hi, I don't know where it is in the mix, but I know that the Crest program is going to have ambassadors in different communities that they're going to use to do something similar to get feedback about how the Crest program is doing and then also to kind of help engage folks in town so that could be a possible way that, because we kind of do need to be able to support these individuals, we need to give them stipends and then they need to be able to give gift cards for those who participate. So that might be something that we could all kind of do together. And some, either, you know, they can have them, you know, they can start with Crest and then take on yours or vice versa, whichever comes first. But there are a pretty long list of folks who've already been identified that I can share with the share. I'd rather not share in the meeting because then I have to, you know, put people's names out there. But yeah, I really appreciate that. And just to clarify, the stipends are for the ambassadors and the gift cards are offered for folks who respond, whether it be to the focus group or to a survey. And I know that the bid has, I think, offered gift cards, maybe the chamber, I have to look. It was at the chamber, okay. So we could try to see what might be available for our work as well. Oh, and this really brings me to kind of another topic, but it's very much related that I want this body to discuss. And Dr. Shabazz, I see your hand is up. It's blending in there. So please go ahead. Well, I'll say the feeling I have just looking at the design of what we're seeking to know through the survey at this point. I would like to hear a little more discussion or rationale for the needs of focus groups to inform the survey. The way I see the goals that have been gone over in terms of the kinds of things we want to know at this stage is sufficient to develop, I think, a set of questions. We're not asking at this point in this survey for, for example, ideas about what harm should be addressed or what ways in which, what kinds of reparative justice efforts. That's not what we're seeking. Right now we're seeking, what do you know about the process? What do you, you know, what do you think about the process? You know, whether you've consulted certain materials to understand the basis of this process. And to me, I think that can be, that can, you know, one can develop a set of questions out of that, that can give us, give us that sense from the community at this point. If we were trying to do something more extensive, like getting at the harms that, that, that people are seeing and, and getting at what prioritization of those harms or getting at, you know, what kind, what ways in which we should repair, which I don't think we ought to be doing at this stage in the process. But if we were doing that, then I could see the, perhaps the step of, of looking at focus groups and looking at other things to develop the types of questions to ask. But since we're not at that point, we're not at that stage with that, with those other kinds of questions, I think, I think it's possible to go ahead and draft a very succinct survey that gets at the objectives we've gone over without, you know, and able to kind of move expeditiously, begin to move expeditiously on it. That's just me. But if there are other viewpoints on the assembly about, you know, you know, taking a little more deliberative approach, then I'm open to being persuaded on that. Thank you, Dr. Shabazz. Are there other thoughts on that? Yes, or? I agree with what you were saying, Mimilcar, but I would like to, for us to think about when you're constructing a survey, the questions themselves are very, really, very, very important because those generate the kind of information that you want. So the questions have to be constructed very carefully. So I can see the value of a limited set of focus groups, which would help us to develop the questions in such a way that they are targeted and they get clarified through those participants who participate in the focus group. And that's what I see the value of a focus group is. It's only to give us the ability to sharpen the kinds of questions we have and to clarify the kinds of questions we have so that when we do do a full survey, we have a really a good high degree of confidence in terms of how individuals may respond to those questions. Thank you. Are there other thoughts on that? If I'm just reflecting back on what I've heard Dr. Shabazz and Dr. Rhodes say, it sounds like we don't necessarily need to draw this out into a multi-month focus group prior to developing questions, but that we may want to begin to build the survey, develop the questions, and then have some focus groups to, as Dr. Rhodes said, sharpen the questions and make sure that we're really clarifying what it is we're looking for. And I think that's a really good compromise personally. And I'm completely on board with that. But I would like to hear from Yvonne and Hala and Alexis as well. Well, we'll come back then for a second to that. Oh, yes, Dr. Shabazz, please. I guess what I would follow up with to say what I'd recommend is we take a stab or however we move this process forward, we take a stab at writing out a set of questions. From the objectives we've articulated and then have those as a basis to test out on the focus group or whatever you would say. But just to come at the focus group with broad point prompts from the objectives thing we went over, I just don't think, I think that's going to drag things out. But if we came with questions developed from that objective sheet and then see what the responses to the questions, are they clear? Are they asking what we need them to ask? I think Benwood could make the focus group perhaps a little more pointed in giving us back what we need. Yeah. And that was, by the way, Curry definitely encouraged us to try whatever it is we have out on folks. So that might be, that's a great solution. Yes, Yvonne. Just wondering, I think that it has to be a productive time, the focus groups, and education and knowledge has to be before. And I don't think that we want to pick and choose and correct me if I'm wrong. We're not picking and choosing who goes into these focus groups or are we vetting people beforehand? That's my first question. And then the other question is, which I don't agree with, I think it should be open. But I think the folks who come into the room need to be aware and knowledgeable of some of the broader aspects of the committee and reparations so that we get right to the information. So, you know, I know there's probably, and you could ask, what's her name, Kerry? Kerry, yes. I have met like 10 Kerry's in the last like two weeks. I don't know. It must be Kerry's picture. I'm just saying. Everybody's named Kerry or Kelly. I'm so confused. But I think that Kerry might know more about how we vet people to be in these focus groups. And like I said, I'm not encouraging there to be exclusivity because that's not what we want. But we do want folks who are willing to contribute and are productive in the mix. And so I don't know if that means a little like pre-survey or application process or some kind of way to know who's in the room beforehand and get them some documents they can read beforehand so that when they come into the room they're all set to go and ready to go. I think that would go a long way to making those times really productive. I also want to say that the, I mean, there's two, and we could have a conversation about what is the best way to have this, but is it that focus sometimes location is important? So, are they all happening in the same place? Or are we doing them in different places so that that will attract different populations, you know what I mean, to the actual focus groups? And are they in person or is everything by Zoom? I think that's the other issue, is there's probably folks who may not want to come in person and they want to have it by Zoom. So, I know those are all sort of the logistical questions, but I think that if we tackle some of those it might go a long way to us having some really productive data and information. Absolutely, those are really important aspects and in fact there was a technical term for the sort of pre-interview or application, like it's a pre-screening that can happen for folks. And I agree that providing some sort of materials in advance to those folks is really helpful. I think the question of location is absolutely critical for any sort of focus group. So, if we wanted to move forward with trying to build some questions, would you prefer to try to do that altogether or would you prefer there to be a subcommittee that of two members that works on that and then brings it back to the larger assembly? Can we just not call it a subcommittee because then you have to and if there's only two people then that's fine. Yeah, okay. So, the options would be that two of us and in fact three of us including Jennifer really. So, it could be up to two of us plus Jennifer or we could do a workshop for the whole assembly. So, like our next meeting could be a workshop where all of us are participating. We take the objectives and we start working on some questions. So, I'm curious just from a process perspective what the assembly members feel would be the most efficient and effective way of getting at this. So, we can stop talking about it and start working on it. So, any thoughts on that would be yes, Dr. Shabazz, you're muted. So, the idea of starting on it is fine. I just had a question about whether opening a Google doc or a doc on a drive that everybody could have a chance to look at. Is that an OML issue or what? Yeah, it is. I think I would have to get clarification on this. I think if we started it together in a public meeting, I don't know. I would have to get that. I would have to get clarification, Jennifer. I don't know if you have any experience with the community. What did the community safety work and group do when they develop their questions or the human resources commission or anyone who you've... So, usually things are assigned into two or three people that work on it and then it gets sent to the groups for their input and CSWG was using me as that portal. So, if you were going to respond to something, Dr. Shabazz, it was going through me, but I think that that's borderline open meeting violations too. So, it's really... I would think that a working document... I mean, I think that if everybody wanted to give their input or their questions to you and then you wanted to consolidate them and then present them at the next meeting, that would be fine. Actually, yes. That is actually fine to do. So, if for example, everybody on the assembly sent just Jennifer and I, their ideas, look at the objectives and send questions, send ideas in any one of those categories, then Jennifer and I can organize them and start to actually build something coherent. And then that can be brought back to the next meeting and we can use that as the starting point to really get it solidified. Does that sound like a plan that we could agree to? And maybe what we do is... Like, if we want the Black Census to be presented at our next meeting, if we're going to keep the cadence of meeting once a week, then we could have the Black Census presented at our next meeting and we can put this off to the following meeting, which would give everybody two weeks to send in their questions and give Jennifer and I time to put it together and she could even probably start getting things into Survey Monkey and sort of setting things up so we have an idea visually of what things would look like and things like that. Does that sound like a good plan process wise? Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay, great. Thank you, Hala. Yeah, and I'll check with Alexis. Dr. Rhodes, does that work for you? That works. Okay, excellent. So just if whatever questions and even let's say like Dr. Shabazz, let's say you want to start a Google document for your own stuff, you can share that with Jennifer and I. Like, as long as we're not sharing it with the whole group, I think we're okay to do that. Whatever format works, you can text me, you can call me, you can email Jennifer, whatever way you want to get the information over to us is fine. Okay, great. So just one other thing I want to plant the seed to think about is about our budget and something I've been thinking about a lot is and we talked about this in the beginning like we're going to need money to do things we need right but we have this but this fund that's been established it's has $206,000 maybe a little more in it from last year's holdover that Paul gave to us. There are going to be by the way and this is actually not on the agenda today so I don't know if I can I'm going to leave that aside just in case for now but I think it would be wise for us to think about of that $206,000 just from for our own sake internally and from the community's perspective for us to split out X amount of dollars that maybe we're calling like an administrative budget or a working project budget or whatever it is we want to call it so that it's very clear to our community that and transparent that we're not wanting to tap into reparative justice dollars haphazardly to do work we're delineating X amount of dollars for the work that we need to do out of that budget and we're being really upfront and honest and clear about it and that way when we do want to spend money on whatever things we're going to spend money on we and it doesn't mean that that has to be set in stone but I would just say for accounting purposes that we have that we break out a category now that is clearly for administrative purposes for our work and I'm curious what folks feel about that or think about that yes or I think that we might want when you say administrative purposes we might want to define that define define it in such a way that it's operational I mean that it's something that is really clear to the council who have to vote on it yes that is the word word I was seeking exactly Yvonne yeah um yeah that's kind of what I was I'm gonna say as well maybe you want to come up with a specific budget of how the money is being used for administrative work so if it's for copying or if it's for consultants maybe or if it's you know like be really specific about what it's being used for and then well it's good too because then we'll have a total you know I have a bottom total that says this is what the money is used for and this is the budget and and then it's all clear and clean you know no no gray areas yes exactly exactly okay and um uh earth um I was uh my hands up okay down now okay um I'm gonna have to be out of here in about three minutes yeah yeah so okay well I'll think about then for our next um for our next meeting we'll I'll think more about that but I just wanted to bring that out so just to recap before Irv has to leave and we're gonna talk about the mass humanities grant um we are going to between now and um can we just Irv before you have to leave if we could confirm our dates um has this is this time 230 on Monday's doable for folks if we do that on the fourth and the eleventh yeah yeah as long yeah as long as they're consistent for me uh then I then I then I know it's there otherwise it just ricks havoc with my calendar yeah I have to figure something out um so the fourth definitely is a thumbs up for 230 on the fourth okay the eleventh um my son has an adopters appointment so meeting at 330 would to 430 would be better for me um so I don't have to change it's very difficult to change doctors appointments these days um so but I know Alexis said that she I thought was in a class during that time but and that's I thought why we had done the 230 today so um I have to check with her about that but would 330 on the eleventh be possible for folks I have a somewhat of a conflict on the fourth okay okay so I'm in a meeting from two until three o'clock so I mean I could join at three but I don't need you three three no let's do yeah let's be a clock on the fourth yeah I'm busy till yeah but I can clear my schedule from then on on on Monday's yeah awesome okay so is everyone good for the fourth at three o'clock great okay and then on the eleventh um we'll do 330 if that's okay for one hour okay I may not be able to I won't be able to stay on the eleventh for a full hour if you start at 330 but you know actually I can start at three on the eleventh because the appointment ends and so why don't we actually why don't we do um yeah the the fourth at three o'clock and the eleventh at three o'clock does that work okay all right and herb jumped off so I think that would work for him too okay that's great thank you perfect yeah all right so I want to just quickly I'm gonna quickly share my screen again to show you we talked about this a while back um mass humanities has grant a grant program happening um mass humanities is the organization that's responsible for the reading of the Frederick Douglass on the common that some of you may have participated in in various communities they do that um but the one that we were looking at is called expand massachusetts stories um and this is up to 20 000 that can be used for all of these different formats that they um list here so it could be used for oral histories um I think initially we had talked about doing a documentary of the assembly's work um and 20 000 I I think Alexis 20 000 would go pretty a good way and um Ivan I know you have more experience than I do on this probably wouldn't cover everything but it would it would probably be a good chunk for us um so what we have to do here if we want to pursue this is we have to have a letter of inquiry into them um by April 11th at midnight close to midnight 11 59 p.m so I wanted to see if one if there is an assembly member that wants to tackle this and write the letter of inquiry to bring back to the group a draft to bring back to the group that would be fantastic but I know everybody's very um time crunch these days so if nobody is available to do that I could attempt something to bring back to you all um for review um and drafting together at that point so I'm fine with either but if you if there is someone on the assembly that feels they'd be really well suited to do this um that would be fantastic and could do it in the timeline uh that's here yes Hala I'm not sure if well suited but definitely eagerly willing awesome okay that would be fantastic um and Ivan did you want to add to that I don't I mean I'm willing to add some expertise I'm just so busy I've I've got a couple of really um intensive things happening right now in my life which makes it really difficult to say yes but um I mean I'd love to work with Hala on it but um I'm concerned about the scope and the goal of this project that still yet needs to be determined um this is talking about storytelling oral histories um that's a big undertaking you know I know initially we were talking more with the video about documenting process and this um this uh proposal this um grant is more I think more about a documentary that's you know um not about documenting process but more about the stories of residents you know and I think that's important but I don't know how that fits into the scope of this project so I think there needs to be some defining you know first uh because that'll also define um effort you know like like planning the project itself you know once we define what we're trying to get at then you know that will also define you know how we kind of put everything together and how we plan and what the production means absolutely and even writing the letter of intent right if we're not clear yes absolutely yeah Alexis um yeah this was actually something that I was going to bring up um because when I saw this and I was also thinking about you know in terms of how much labor it takes it I was thinking about um micro content versus macro content or like pillars of content right and so I was thinking you know one smaller project could be something that's very intertwined with this process and with our survey which is these oral histories and the thing about these oral histories which I agree that they're extremely important they can really only be you know it's it's not like we you know ask someone to say something and then we write it down and no longer becomes an oral history anymore so like I know that there's ways that we can do either through podcast like just with audio like getting podcasting sort of style audio or even just holding you know just hosting those oral histories I feel like that's a project in its own and could be added to a larger documentary project but in this in this looking at this I feel like we could just focus on that oral histories which could you know they yeah so anyways I was thinking about it in terms of that of course we didn't talk about it I think that this is great that we should define it but I think even just for this like if we were to go with this I feel like the oral histories and and getting those people like I think about the Yiddish Book Center like this this is what they do all the time with Jewish oral histories and so they have people come into their place and they just record them and they have them available for people to view all the time and so I don't like this seems like an amazing opportunity to do just that and I feel like that can add to a larger thing but I without me saying the same thing 500 times yes I feel like this could be a way for us to just focus on the oral histories I'm going to be quiet now. I think that is very wise and that sounds right on point from my perspective and knowing that from your experience we could take sort of the micro content as you said and then put it into a more macro project I think is great and so you know I think that oh Dr. Shabazz I'm so sorry at your hand is up yes please. Oh go ahead finish your thought. I was just going to say that if two people like for example if Hala and depending on whether you know I think Yvonne what I heard you say is you're pretty busy but you'd be willing to review something that sort of got together so maybe if Hala and Alexis started sort of working on this together for the letter of intent and then I'm happy to jump on a meeting with them I think the three of us together yes my question is I love that idea about micro and macro but is this a different direction or focus for the committee? I think that's a good question but I think that oral histories is going to be something that we're absolutely would be pursuing so I don't think it's like a totally off the rails different I think it's just doing something I think we're given kind of what we're doing we're very likely to get awarded I think if we write a good letter of intent so we don't want to miss the opportunity and I do think that oral histories are something that we're going to be pursuing but maybe Dr. Shabazz has something to add to that. Okay so I feel that as part of a section of what broadly is called the harm report or kind of the analysis of the the problems we're trying to to address I'm focused on the area of peoplehood of the the ways in which the the dignity of African heritage people historically in the town of Amherst has been harmed and and ways in which that our our narratives our historical narratives have been interrupted and and held back and as a part of that then of that overall report area that would go into informing our our municipal plan what we're charged the plan we're charged with developing my feeling is is that uh some select oral interviews with uh not exclusively elders but but because we could go for an an intergenerational set but I think a a set of first person first hand voices who can speak along the lines of what Alexis how Alexis spoke at the at the the the town council meeting you know of of direct first hand experiences will go a long way toward rounding out the kind of harm report that we want to have as part of the basis of the municipal plan we we will put forward so I have no problems with I think along the lines of what folks said that we could we could write up for the supply for this envision a kind of micro set we're not you know we're not positing uh to do the kind of comprehensive oral history of African heritage people in in Amherst in fact we may I may even have a sample inquiry letter from when my partner D recently received a grant or a couple of years ago back before the the pandemic actually received a grant for creating some oral histories here in the town I don't think it was through this mass humanities program but was maybe through a cultural council but again some of the same information may be there may be useful toward developing the inquiry letter but but be that as it may I think that if we could project a a set of interviews of three of four that we would all we would kind of discuss and target on the basis of what we're trying to show um you know identify who those might be and then have the funding through this grant to uh to commission uh someone to uh audio and perhaps video visually record the that select group then that could complement the written piece of the report on the the interruption of our historical narrative of our peoplehood that uh slavery and the uh the years after slavery have have have wrought I think that would round it out nicely so I don't think it takes us off point and I don't think that it conceived in this way I don't think it takes us off point I think it fits in within the scope of the kind of reporting areas one of the reporting areas that that will be a part of the of our work that will then help to inform the overall plan that we're charged with and so I think you know thinking of it in that very limited set we're not trying to complete you know create a corpus uh of of oral history interviews we're trying to instead do a select set that could really speak to the kinds of harm that uh to ourselves culturally as a people as a as a nation uh within a nation that's that that that select group that's where I think this could really fit in meet the objectives of the mass humanities grant but then also fit in to our overall uh charge and our overall work that's my two cents thank you for articulating that so well Dr. Shabazz that really I think that sounds great thanks to all of the input for around that because wow we're getting efficient as an assembly I gotta say it's just like the trust that I feel with this group that like no matter what it's gonna um yeah that that works um I think and and I think Alexis is what so it sounds to me let me just Jennifer are three people including if you wanted to be able to be there if our would three people be fine for open meeting law in a set because we're seven actually even though we don't have seven your quorum is four right yeah quorum um I you know I will check with Paul but I mean if you're gonna do three I can just post the meeting it's it's not that hard I rather post it but then you guys have to meet somewhere or you'd have to meet via zoom and I would send you a link we wouldn't have a quorum though right because I know I know and but sometimes they get really um she means she would post a subcommittee yeah a subcommittee meeting because it's three quorum would need to be the before it would be right but what it would mean is that you'd have to do it as a public meeting which means I could come and like do the opening pieces and then go or someone I could hand over chair to somebody for that subcommittee because you'd still have to know the subcommittee would create their own chair that's how we did it with CSWG and so anytime they had more than three people at a meet three or more people at a meeting we we called it a subcommittee I got it that's why the magic number was two two okay oh should I not come no I think should I just come as a guest no you can't do that either that's not allowed but I I think what could happen is Yvonne depending on how eager you are I think that like Alexis and holly could get things started or you and holly could get things started or two of you could get things started and then bring it out into the public in a public meeting that we would have and then that sort of you know so it really depends um a subcommittee is going to sort of add an extra layer of things that people have to track and follow and and post for and I think that they can become problematic but and we're also looking at a turnaround time here that's pretty quick like April 11th which is you know two weeks from now um so um let me just ask each member Alexis how eager are you to sort of be working on this initially on the letter of intent um so sorry let me just look at my calendar here um so it's it's due April 11th right exactly okay yeah I am I am eager I have time next week this week is bananas for me but I have a lot of time next week um before Friday and um yeah but is it is it a situation where we can't even like work off of the same google drive right yeah if there's if it if it's three then we're getting to the point of where we have to if just two people holla I was yet coming to you to what how eager do you feel to work on this and I see Dr. Shabazz your hand I'm gonna go holla and then Dr. Shabazz I was gonna say if there could be a preliminary draft we could even start to discuss it maybe 10 minutes on the fourth before we meet and then we could do another meeting I would just sit yeah so there could be like a rough draft and then Yvonne or Alexis who have ideas um can either bring it and then we all start working on it differently but I was just a suggestion so would you be willing to do a rough draft and bring it for discussion at our next meeting on the fourth and then I believe it can it also be placed in the the packet the packet so people can have it ahead of time and yes so we're meeting on the fourth which is I don't I'm sorry I don't have a calendar in front of me it's next next Monday yeah so then um I have to post the meeting for Thursday so if the draft I can have for Friday and then I can put it in then everybody can have it over the weekend is that enough time for folks you don't say Wednesday I was like I'll get it to you Wednesday well I mean even better as it is possible but give yourself the space yeah because the agenda is going to be super easy to post because um we know what I can give it to Jennifer literally email to her after this meeting so because what we'll do for the agenda for next week is we'll have the presentation of the Black Census given the Dunne-Hew Institute can meet with us and we'll review this draft and then on the 11th what we'll do is we'll bring back the questions on the community survey for discussion and we'll approve the final document to be submitted that night by 11.59 p.m. on the Mass Humanities Grant does that work okay Alexis and Yvonne are you comfortable with that for that for that piece of things okay thank you halla will create a draft and then we're all going to look at it next week exactly yeah I guess my concern would be that we're going to review it again on the day it's due and so we should decide who's submitting would that be you Michelle sure me or Janet one of us will submit it um but I think what we want to make sure to do is on the fourth if we need a subcommittee to meet between the fourth and the 11th that we'll just make sure we do that so that it's not on the 11th that we're scrambling um a few hours before it's due um that way the 11th we're really doing a public final approval of the letter and then one of us myself or Jennifer will submit it through the portal great okay awesome all right awesome well it is 3 30 um and there aren't any attendees in the um in the with us here so we do not have to do public comment and there are no topics that I did not foresee being here so if there are no other comments or questions we can move to adjourn I'll wait one minute though to make sure any hands all right this was a great meeting thank you all so much um and adjourning at 3 31 and we'll see you next week bye