Steering Committee Monthly Meeting
Date:November 22, 2016
3:00– 4:30pm EST; 12:00 – 1:30pm PST
On-line: ko text:joinUrl
Phone: +1 (224) 501-3412; Access Code: 533-297-309
Present: Co-chair Melissa Gombar (Madison), Co-chair Janine Anzalota (Boston),Roderic Southall (Met Council), Joy Marsh Stephens (Minneapolis), Mary Morrison (Tacoma), Ben Duncan (Multnomah), Glenn Harris, Julie Nelson and Simran Noor (Center for Social Inclusion / Government Alliance on Race and Equity), and Tracey Ross (PolicyLink)
Absent: Karen Shaban (Fairfax County), Sandi Galvez (Alameda County), Leon Andrews (NLC)
Item / Notes / Action Item(s)- Welcome – Melissa
- Strategizing about current political moment
Discussion of city, county and state concerns
- Withholding of federal funds for sanctuary cities
- Attacks on civil rights / creation of a “Muslim registry”
- Rolling back of AFFH rule
- Changing nature of CDBG, taking $s away from community-based housing providers
- Cut backs of federal funding – drive the need for additional services
- Others?
- Resolutions – symbolic statement of who and what we are, putting a stake in the ground
- Convene an emergency response working group – include people from legal and intergovernmental relations, along with experts from the field
- Series of pop-up meetings / convenings / conversations – same day in mid-Jan – connect to action steps
- Others?
- Increase of rainy day fund
- Others?
Julie – importance of us being organized at the local level, hard to know how bad the transition from campaigning to governing is going to be, prepare for the worst, importance of clarity of vision and direction in this moment
Glenn – analysis of voting data, can’t misinterpret the situation
Tracey – colleagues from other organizations – how to reach out to white working class – can’t be distracted – equity does benefit all people
Concerns
Mary – also policing
Janine – dealing with an increase in hate crimes and harassment
Roderic – emerging larger backlash, Met Council established a new advisory council on equity – now both inside the agency and more broadly – people are really queasy about the conversations
Joy – concerns about Obama’s EO re: transfer of militarization of police
Strategies
Ben – likes the strategies; need to oppose the rebranding of white supremacy – “alt-right” – videos that are explicitly racist; can’t get caught up
Glenn – think through particular topics that would be helpful for people to understand, political research associates – could do a member-only briefing and prepare some speaking points to be able to respond
Mary – could use the help
Ben – identify the partners, struggle with the challenge, need to have consistent language with how we describe hate groups (not a political ideology); need to be informed from a political and policy perspective
Glenn – good to spend time looking at policy issues
Roderic – link the branding to actions, it doesn’t work to call things fascist
Simran – make the connections for people
Roderic – likes the emergency response working group idea. Needs to be peer to peer.
Joy – knows there have been some discussions in Minneapolis, but not personally a part
Janine – law department and intergovernmental relations (or within departments, e.g., Public Health)
Ben – likes the concept, although Multnomah might not have a point person. Media relations might be another key need
Glenn – might GARE provide support for individual jurisdiction response
Agreement re: emergency response strategy – Joy, Janine, Melissa, Ben
Purpose – taking up space – government advancing racial equity.
Janine – get it out to people
Glenn – any concerns about voter suppression?
Melissa – did see some gerrymandering, and voter id
Ben – relationships with community based organizations. An inside-outside strategy will be important. Need to use this opportunity to mobilize people.
Tracey – PolicyLink will be doing a webinar on Sanctuary cities, probably late January. / Julie will arrange a briefing by PRA, contextualize the narrative
Ask GARE members who has legal expertise, intergovernmental relations people – people willing and able to be in leadership (also have people who need to “move”)
Media / messaging committee
Strategy overview– Julie, Janeen and Melissa will come up with a draft
- Work planupdates / reports, as needed
Subject area groups
Work groups
Ad hoc
- Meeting of state reps – sharing strategies and brainstorming challenges
- Emerging issues / planning for the full membership call
- Info needed for the web site
- Closing