 Definitely, sure. And Jen said that sometimes the practice mode means that folks might actually come in as members of the. Yeah, so I will double check. But right now there aren't any. So we, you are recording at this moment. Okay. And I wanted to let you know I got your email. And I have a response coming to you. I think it's a fantastic idea. Oh, hold on one second. Yeah. Hi, Dr. Rhodes. Good afternoon. How are you doing. I'm doing well. I have 40 minutes. I have to get to a dental appointment that's been on my calendar for two months and I couldn't postpone it again. I totally understand. I had that happen to me last week too. And it's so they're so hard to get these days that you have to take them when you can get them. Let me see about Dr. Shabazz. I, so Hala is actually not in the country so she will not be joining us. And let's see, Alexis, I have not heard from I'm going to check in with Yvonne and Dr. Shabazz now. Yes, Miss Bridges is here. Oh, there you are. I can see you, Miss Bridges. But maybe we can't hear. I wonder if you can you hear us, Miss Bridges. She just connected to the audio. Yeah. Awesome. You hear me. Yes, and you're visible. Well, it's about time. Yeah. I don't have a phone, but I just have to figure I'm going to take the tablet into the banks and talk to the powers that be that know what they're doing and maybe they can figure it out. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's, that's well shouldn't have to do that every time. Okay, let's see. So Dr. Shabazz is on the way in. He is. So I'm going to start the meeting as soon as he is in, since Dr. Rhodes has to leave at three 240. So we'll, we'll try to move quickly. Hi, Dr. Shabazz. Hello. Hello. All right. So the meeting is already being recorded. Is that right Pamela? That's correct. Okay, perfect. All right, so I'm going to go ahead and call to order the July 24th meeting of the African heritage reparation assembly at two or 4pm. This meeting is being recorded with the extension of 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. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted but every effort will be made to ensure the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time via technological means. So I'm going to start us off. It's, let me check. We'll do a sound check and when we do that, if you could just say what time you, well with Dr. Rhodes leaving at 240, we will have to end the meeting at 240 unless we get another member. No, Yvonne just texted. Okay, Yvonne is not able to join. So we're going to be very efficient. Let's just do a sound check. Ms. Bridges, can you hear us? Yes, you can hear us. Okay. Yes, I can hear you. We can hear you. Okay. Dr. Rhodes. Oh, can you unmute? Yes, I can hear you. All right. And Dr. Shabazz. Yes, I can hear and I'm here for the duration. Thank you. Okay. I'm going to begin with our first period of public comment so that we ensure we get both periods of public comment in per our agenda. I do see that Jennifer Moisten is in the attendees, Pamela. So she may want to be brought over. I don't, I don't know. You're muted Pamela. I just tried to move her over. I'll try again. Okay, excellent. So this is the first period of public comment. And I am going to quickly read this public comment statement once for both to cover both periods during the public comment period the chair will recognize members of the public when called on please yourself by stating your name pronouns and residential address you're welcome to speak for up to three minutes. And we'll not engage in a conversation but we will certainly be listening closely. So if you would like to make public comment please use the raise hand function if you're coming in by phone. I believe it's pound nine that you can use to indicate that you would like to speak in public comment. We'll just take a second here. All right, I'm not seeing any. We will call public comment once more before the meeting comes before the meeting adjourns. Okay, breath. We're running here. Welcome Jennifer. Can you hear us. Okay, I'll come back and check on Jennifer. Um, so I sent the assembly a copy of the latest draft of our report. The copy sent around six o'clock I retracted that. So the, the latest copy came a little bit later in the evening last night. And that's the draft that we're working with. I wanted to make a suggestion for our time together today. I've been talking to some folks and reflecting on our charge and sort of what is coming. So I'm going to go ahead and talk about the report. And one of the things I've been thinking a lot about is the expectations that folks have. We have various audiences, our primary audiences, of course, the town council, but this will be read within our community will be read outside of our community. The theme that I wanted to focus on today is through lines. And what I mean by that is sort of how we might start to connect the dots, or connect the various pieces of the report more thoroughly. Um, and Dr. Shabazz was on the bill Newman show this morning, black in the valley and there was an excellent discussion if anyone gets a chance to listen to that about our work here in Amherst and also bill Newman was appointed to north Hamptons operations committee so congratulations to him. That's really, really fantastic he's had an interest in in the work that we've been doing for for quite a while. So I think what I'm gathering from talking to folks is people are expecting when they read this report to understand what our view is what our philosophy is and what we're recommending with respect to how the funds should be used. So in some ways, we could be critiqued in the current version of our report that we're just sort of hunting that down to another committee or pointing that to the, you know, to the successor body if that is a dot if that successor body is, is adopted. So, I wanted us to think about in terms of all of the community data that we received, whether it was through the listening sessions, the surveys, we asked questions about systems of change. And so I wanted to really think about what are our sort of high level buckets of areas of concern that we would like to recommend the AHRA that we would like to recommend through our report be supported through this fund. So like for example, we might think about home ownership, we might think about other like the youth youth empowerment comes up as it's a major theme that comes up throughout all the data that we collected. It's also something that came very strongly through the work of the CSWG. And so I'm going to stop there and just sort of open the discussion to members to think about what is it that we're recommending actually, in terms of how the fund should be using what our philosophy is, is it individual cash payments, is it, you know, more structural changes, institutional changes. So the floor is open for anyone who would like to. Dr. So, I looked at, I didn't have an opportunity to go through the entire proposal proposal report, but I did look at the intro introduction and I think that I don't want to go through it now but I think there are some edits that I would strongly recommend be put in here. And so I can we can do that offline. The other thing is that we, I didn't get a chance to look at whether we made specific recommendations in terms of how we wanted to spend the money so when you said that I was looking at I thought there was a section section that was on recommendations so I don't know what that means. What is already there in the report. Under the section recommendations and we went down through a number of them. So, are you saying that those recommendations aren't specific enough for the needs of that are going to be expected from certain parts of the community. What I'm saying is that I think we ought to take a step back. And so we have really, we have very solid recommendations. But I think like Bill Newman's first question today on black in the valley was, how are you recommending that the money be spent. And I have heard that question come up. And what we've done right now is to create mechanisms, which are really important we the mechanism should be in there. But I think what we also need to do is connect some of the community data and one. One idea I have is and I'm going to pull up the report actually but one idea that I have is, for example, we have the categories of CPA, right, and we know that we are going that we expect that some portion of the funds that we have available to us will be for affordable housing, for example, which is a CPA category, or historic preservation. So, how might we expand that part of the report, for example, to give a more clear guidance to the reader about what sort of reparations were recommending. As opposed to saying, and maybe this is what the assembly wants to say but if the assembly wants to say that we think that the funds we have should be more weighted toward individual scholarships or cash payments or something like that then I think we need to be clear about that. So let me, while you keep Dr. Rhodes if you have a follow up, I'm going to just pull up the report while, while you're thinking about that and please go ahead and jump in if. Yeah, now I understand what you're saying I mean, if we were talking about CPA funds. And as an example, in terms of our recommending that we would like to use CPA funds in relationship to housing. We make the general statement, but we don't really give any specificity to it. So, if that's what you're saying then, then, then there's a lot of work that needs to be done because there are some specific recommendations as related to housing. That the age or a could make in conjunction with the CPA. You know, you know, there are, there are, there are funds that are used specifically for housing under the CPA. We could. We could, in effect, save the CPA we would like to partner with you collaborate with you. In terms of using our funds along with your funds for specific programs that target specific harms to the African American community. That would piggyback on what you are doing. That's not something that's Dr. Shabazzam. Oh, there you go. Yes, please go on Dr. Rhodes anyway. And so what we're saying is yes we can, we would use those funds are funds, a hra funds and collaboration with CPA funds under a housing program that they would already be happy. And we would just join in with that to say that our funds would be would be complimentary to theirs, and that our funds then would be prioritized for areas of housing harms for African Americans. Exactly. So that's one such example laid out really well. Dr Rhodes and particularly with the deed covenants that we have which is a known harm that we have documented and so if we're saying that housing is an area of concern that we believe should be focused on by the by the town council and by the successor committee that I want us to be really clear about that. And just to sort of further the point about the through lines is we have this concentric circle situation that we've created around who should be eligible. And we need to be, we need to clearly draw a line, you know, when the when the rubber hits the road so to speak when the recommendations are being made. How does that eligibility criteria, you know, integrate into those recommendations. I'm going to go to Dr. Shabazz. I would say relative to the CPA that I will send specific ideas or recommendations that have come up in conversations throughout listening sessions to me individually. Around historic preservation. And these will really concern some aspects of the built environment that do still exist, but largely deal with aspects of the landscape and the built environment involving what we would call intangible history that is where there aren't any tangible built structures or whatever, whatever that relate but it is simply marks a an area of history that that in that space or that we choose to designate as where certain history can be reflected. In regards to open space. We have certainly had requests about projects concerning African Americans in gardening in in, you know, small scale agriculture, being able to use and having areas of some of our vast conservation areas be be utilizable by members of the African heritage community who wish to do gardening or similar kinds of work in the open space. Also things of the nature of heritage trails and and that that could specifically be places for learning more about the history of African Americans in general and the history in Massachusetts and in the valley. And in recreation about the only thing that I've really heard is perhaps ways in which, you know, youth involvement in in some of the recreational areas could be that that as part of reparations. That cannot afford some of the fees or some of the charges associated with some of our emers recreation programs that this could be a viable area of supporting members of the community in a in a kind of reparative justice way that were whereby the funds available to us would offset some of those costs based upon, you know, the the member of the community that is trying to participate in in certain area recreation program sports programs and the like. So those are just a few things that I can, as I said put in writing for us to look at as far as incorporating in the report and again that stems from both things that have come up in our listening sessions as well as in other feedback that that that at least that I've received and I think others may have received as well. Thank you Dr Shabazz and you know I wonder if the youth empowerment center is what would fall under recreation. And I also wonder if we ought to think boldly about a recommendation, regardless not that we're not thinking boldly all the time but that we that we may want to think boldly about a youth recommendation like be really like center something about youth. I wanted to plant that seed that's something that's been coming pretty strongly to me. Dr Rhodes before I go to you I just want to check in with Ms bridges, just to see if she would like to add to this at this time before coming back to you. Can you hear me. Yes. I know we've had discussions weekend. I'm just concerned. I know we're not talking about number nine and number 10. I think that has to be out of there right now. And I'm concerned when I read the draft and it says we we we who is we who is writing, who is writing, who are writing all this in the draft decide yourself. So when we say we when we submit the report and we say we we mean, like the body hra. So, as we are producing the report over the next several weeks and discussing it, ultimately, the body will vote it before it's, you know, goes to the town council. So that's what the we refers to. That I understand I'm saying, as it's being sent the draft itself. When you draft and I'm reading of who's writing that. So I, I'm essentially taking all of the information that we're talking about, and Mattia Kramer has been attending our meetings and is helping us with writing the actual drafts so we talk multiple times, sometimes multiple times a day. I think we've got the week to sort of take all of the information that's coming through and then to, to, to revise the draft. And in terms of nine and 10. Yes, I think we can hold off on discussing those recommendations until next week. Once we've had a better chance to talk. And, and then, you know, we can decide how you would like, you know, to present those particular recommendations where they're related to you or and I'll also be hopefully talking with with counselor Lopes as well. Right. And I like I said to you I don't think that that exact the example of compensation should not be on there because that's what I mean as as to for me, because for me I think that's my personal business and I think we should use another example, and not the Civil War tablets. Absolutely. Yes, yes, and I did remove that. So we, we have to talk about what I have a couple of thoughts on that too. But okay, so that we can include that. Absolutely. Great. And as I said in the email in terms of the, the number 10, I really, really want to have a chance to talk with counselor Lopes about that before we discuss it as a, absolutely. There was so many coming at me and I was like, you know, my eyes messed up over the weekend. So I really took time to like once it calm down to really like look at everything. So that's why I'm sorry I sent you something so late. No, I finally calm down where I could actually see a little bit better to read. Sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I will be able to have like a zoom like we did last time or something. Okay, that's that that makes sense. So Dr Rhodes, I see your hand is raised, please. I think that everything we do in relationship to our recommendations should be such that we piggyback on already existing programs projects, etc, such as what will be in a CPA. Recreation program for us recreation, youth recreation is a strong wonder it's $500,000 of unspent money for recommendations I for youth planning or youth center. I know that the town manager is strongly on that and is moving forward. What I would recommend is that, again, that we collaborate with that in terms of utilizing our funds for youth sectors with Dr survivors were suggesting one of the very big ways that we can impact youth in this community is by utilizing funds to fund programmatic fees. All right, and also to sponsor programs, because sometimes the programs are put forward, but there's no money to be able to make them a reality is that's a really big thing for for recreation and there are certain programs that are going to be forthcoming, where there's going to have to be programmatic money. And I know a two or three that would have gotten off the ground this summer, we're not for the lack of programmatic money. And that's a big one. So if we can piggyback collaborate and collaborate with the CPA with the housing groups. And other groups that are putting forth programs, so that we're not doing anything that's in the duplicating that which already exists. It'll be something that will fit right in neatly with what the town wants to do anyway. We are just adding funds to make sure that African African heritage people people of African heritage are prioritized with our money. By the way, that gets around a lot of stuff. But it certainly does help us in terms of the limitations that we have. And it collaboration with, I mean, there's the affordable housing trust, there's there are so many groups that we could potentially link arms with and really create more power and strength behind with our recommendations. Thank you. So, I want to second your emotion your emotion, if you will, regarding a strong statement within our report for initiatives like the call for a youth center youth empowerment center. Multicultural center, as well as even centers that already exists like the senior center. What one of the specific ways that I think we can also represent and signal that support is the recommendation that micro grants and major grants be made available from the repair to justice fund. That once it's fully endowed once it's fully up and running, however, that would go to support any specific projects or initiatives concerning people of African descent within those those centers or centers to come. So, for example, within a youth center, if the sufficient interest was expressed that young people wanted to take a tour of historically black colleges. And so then it's a funding question how do we get the transport how to take us to to let us say Howard to take us to Oregon State University to take us in a in a in a day trip or or something, or a weekend trip to visit certain historically black colleges and learn about those opportunities perhaps combined with a stop venture in the DMV at the National Smithsonian African American Heritage Museum, then a micro grant could be applied for within that youth empowerment center where where budgets fall short and there isn't budget for it already available that they could apply from the repair to justice fund for a micro grant or a macro grant, a major grant even if it depending on what the rates of this would be, but that could take a group of a half dozen or however many young people wanted to go on such a trip, the funding would be there if certain elders in the senior center wanted to have a book reading circle around African American authors, and wanted to be able to invite an author to come and visit and be part of to come to the senior center and talk to people. Well again if there wasn't a fund already available, or funds already available to bring in such a writer that is is bringing their, their literary expertise is bringing their cultural expertise around African American literature to the senior center for a speaker that's something that could be applied for through the micro grants of the reparative justice fund. And so to me, these are ways in which we can concretely signal the support within our recommendations for certain kinds of initiatives that are specifically so and so in other words, we understand a youth center in Amherst that could be for the benefit of all you. But how do you signal support within that center for specific programmatic initiatives that could be of concern to the, the history, the culture, the, the presence of of African heritage people and other Americans that, again, all the youth might be interested in, but where's the support for it within the, within the overall work of the center, it might not be there. So the RJ fund could be a place to get that kind of support. So that's just kinds of the ways in which I think we can both address. Yes, a large statement, a general statement of support and endorsement for these kinds of initiatives that we're grappling with that our town is is talking about, but then also specific ways that could support it by virtue of micro grants or grants and aid from the reparative justice fund. And again, that's, that's two things that already exists, like the senior center and the Jones library, but also two things that we're that are being proposed for our town that don't yet exist like a multicultural center or like a youth empowerment center. Excellent. Thank you, Dr. Shabazz. Yes, Dr. Rhodes. I'm going to have to go in a minute, but here are two things. One is that I am not sure if we have already done this but we certainly need to do it. And that is, have we come up with a plan or scenario or suggestion or proposal that will allow us to spend money. That's the reason of the two, the full $2 million, because as of now, if we say, well, we're going to wait until we get $2 million that we may before we spend $1 is 10 years from now. And, and I think we need to really think about that. Let me quickly respond to that. Dr. Rhodes, we are asking that the council accelerate the growth of the fund and we need to decide as a committee how what we're asking is it accelerated so that it's built to $2 million in three years. I did speak with Tom manager Buckleman about what we're planning to recommend and I did suggest that that is our second recommendation to accelerate. So I think that's a, it's an outstanding question we need to answer. Are we asking for an acceleration to reach the full $2 million by 2027, for example. FY 27, or so we'll come back and answer that question next week, but I completely agree. I mean, accelerate means that we are going to be asking for some additional funds from the town in order to accelerate. And that's what we're going to be asking for. And if that's what that's what we're going to be depending on, then I think we better have another strategy or tactics or some other suggested because additional funds is going to be a really tough thing to do, especially with the fiscal situation coming up for 252627. It's just doesn't, it's not going to be possible. We need another strategy or tactics to do this. Okay, so let's revisit that together I in speaking with Sean. I think he recommended that we ask for an acceleration and I think his sense of things. I agree. I agree. That's what he said but as I as I know and Sean knows, if we leave it there. If we leave it there is that is going to be on a recommendation, then I can guarantee you that we will be 10 years before we're able to spend $1. We need another strategy tactic I gotta leave. Okay, thank you Dr Rhodes, you had a second point. So, I'll get that from you later, I guess. All right, so we actually do not have a quorum anymore but I'm going to call the second period of public comment, because we can I believe, listen to public comment with no problem as long as we're not debating any further issues. So, I am going to just stop the share here. And I'm going to, I read the statement once I'm not going to read it again for folks if you are coming in by phone. It's pound nine if you would like to provide a public comment. And otherwise just use the raise hand function and we will bring you into the room. Kiara is going to come over. Are you. Okay. Excellent. Thank you Pamela or Jennifer whoever did that. Welcome Kiara. Nice to see you. I have a couple of comments and just some things that I wanted to offer for you all to consider as you are finalizing your report is for one is the fact that the United States throughout its history has never created any sort of policies to redress damages of policies that deliberately targeted black Americans. And what is what typically happens is that policies will be proposed and black American genocide is often referenced to justify the creation of a policy for example, you know during reconstruction. There are certain policies that were put in place. We had, you know, up to civil rights policies affirmative action, etc. To really address the problem of black Americans and then what happens is that these policies will be justification that initially is to is to address the history. The, when it comes down to the benefit of the policy, it's then expanded to become like, you know, minorities are marginalized groups, that sort of thing, black and brown, those types of that type of language that's, you know, very, very inclusive. And the issue with that is that it that unfortunately, effectively makes those type of policies very ineffective in addressing the problem of black Americans in particular. And the reason for that is because it never really addresses the problem of caste, which is broader than race. And it's something that very specifically addresses I mean affects black Americans specifically in this country, because there's no other group who is who was intended to be and is projected to be the permanent bottom cast in the United States there's no other group in that predicament. And so when we create policies that, you know, don't specifically look at those those problems and issues impacting black Americans. It renders policies often a very ineffective for black Americans and we've seen that when it comes to things like affirmative action and so on. The caste problem is never actually addressed. So yes, I mean I race has a major part to play in that skin color has a major part to play. However, the caste problem, having inherited those badges and incidents of slavery that have never been removed from that population. Those things those things do not get addressed I'm curious how you all intend to address that problem with as you, you know, finalizing your report. So, noting that black, the black American ethnogenesis or creation of the ethnic group started in the United States or in North America, which makes black Americans in indigenous population. And that very specifically makes black Americans have a very unique relationship to the government, a very unique political identity and status that is different from different from any other group, even if skin color is shared. And so, I'm just curious how you all will will address that particular problem, because that's not that that does not get a dress by simply looking at race and skin color, because that's, it's broader, it's a broader problem. I guess is what I'm trying to say so I'm just curious if you are looking at that, and how you will, how you intend to address that as you're formulating your policy recommendations. Thank you. Thank you so much. Great to see you. Okay, if there are any other folks in the audience who would like to make public comment. Okay. So, given we do not have a quorum, I am going to adjourn the meeting but I have one piece of follow up that I just would like to ask Dr. Shabazz, if he would be willing to consider. Dr. Shabazz, as you were talking about the ways that we could potentially build on some of the centers and the things that could occur within those centers. I started to imagine a sort of a philosophy emerging from this group around how we are approaching this plan, and I'm wondering if the capacity allows for you to put some some of that into pen to paper, so to speak, that that Matia could, and I could look at and then the group could look at that would be really wonderful. Absolutely. Absolutely. Awesome. All right. So, and Ms. Bridges, I will be in touch with you and Anika very soon and we'll get together and straighten everything out and have a chance to chat. And so Pamela or Jennifer, did you have anything else to add before I adjourn the meeting? Okay, I don't, I'm not sure if Jennifer made it in but hopefully she was listening. Yeah, she's been listening for some reason. We, I got an error when I tried to move her into panelists and we, I tried sending her an invite and that did not go through her computer so I'm not sure what happened there, but she has been listening. Awesome. All right. Well, have a great week everyone and I'm adjourning at 2.45pm and we'll see you next week and thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone.