* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          TONY, WE HAVE A QUORUM WE CAN GO. 
          YEAH, 
          [ AGENDA CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION Remote Meeting July 30, 2020 5:30 P.M.  ]
BECAUSE IN THE, IN THE ESSENCE OF TIME AND WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UM, I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION AT 5:35 PM. 
          UM, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MIA HONAKER HERE. 
          ERIC STEVENS HERE. 
          YOLANDA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEP. 
          UM, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE MINUTES FROM LAST FROM THE JULY 27TH MEETING. 
          UM, DO THE, DO WE HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES? OKAY. 
          THE MINUTES STAND AS WRITTEN THEN OUR NEW BUSINESS TONIGHT IS THAT WE WILL BE CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS FOR OUR COMMISSION VACANCIES AND OUR FIRST APPLICANT TONIGHT IS TARA HARVESTS. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? ALRIGHT, WELCOME TARA. 
          I DO KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO CHOOSE THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR OUR VACANCIES ON THE BOARD. 
          WE HAVE A NINE MEMBER COMMISSION. 
          WE HAVE FIVE VACANCIES AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE SELECTION OF COMMISSION MEMBERS AS WELL. 
          SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE GOING TO START OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS. 
          I WILL BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE OUR COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE. 
          I AM THE CHAIRPERSON, YOLANDA STEPHENS, ERIC STEVENS, MIA HONAKER, AND RHONDA SUMMON, OUR COMMISSION MEMBERS. 
          WE HAVE 30 MINUTES TARA. 
          SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY SUCCINCT INTERVIEW FOR YOU TONIGHT. 
          SO, UM, WELCOME OUR FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU TONIGHT IS HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHT AND TELL US IF YOU'RE A REGISTERED VOTER. 
          I AM A REGISTERED VOTER. 
          I HAVE BEEN IN HUBER HEIGHTS, UH, ABOUT FOUR YEARS. 
          UM, I MOVED HERE. 
          WE WERE LIVING IN BELMONT, BUT MY SON WAS GOING TO PATHWAY DOWN BY NORTH DAYTON GARDEN CENTER. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT DROVE US TO COME TO HUBER. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK IF YOU WERE SELECTED AS A COMMISSIONER? I'M A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE PAR FOR THE COURSE FOR ME. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO CAN YOU SUCCINCTLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND YOUR PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS? SO I THINK I WOULD START WITH KIND OF MY EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL WORK STUDENT AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY. 
          UM, AS I INDICATED IN MY STATEMENT OF INTEREST, YOU KNOW, I KINDA CAME FROM A MORE PRIVILEGED BACKGROUND GROWING UP IN CENTERVILLE. 
          WE WERE BY NO STRETCH OF THE MEANS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST EARNING PARENTS ARE SO IN CENTERVILLE, BUT IT DOES COME WITH A, AN UNDERSTANDING, I GUESS, NOT KNOWING AT THE TIME OF PRIVILEGE, UM, AS A SOCIAL WORK STUDENT, ONE OF THE LARGE PROJECTS THAT WE DID WAS A TUTORING PROGRAM, UM, WITH DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY WESTWOOD PRE K THROUGH EIGHT. 
          AND I REMEMBER I HAD MADE A STATEMENT IN A SCHOOL THAT I WOULD LIKE MY SON TO GO TO DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BECAUSE DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT AND COMING FROM CENTERVILLE AND HAVING SUCH A NOT DIVERSE BACKGROUND IN MY MIND, SOMEHOW DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT DIVERSITY. 
          WELL, ONCE I STARTED TUTORING IN THESE SCHOOLS AND I WAS WORKING WITH A YOUNG CHILD THAT COULDN'T READ THE WORD BLUE IN THIRD GRADE, AND I KIND OF STARTED GETTING THIS, THIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT THAT IT CAN START EVEN AT THE PRE K LEVEL OF, OF WHAT SOME OF THE BARRIERS AND THINGS COME WITH. 
          SO THAT STARTED ME ON THIS KIND OF PATH WITH THE CITIZEN SCHOLARS CERTIFICATE AT SINCLAIR OR AT BRIGHT STATE, EXCUSE ME, WAS A SERVICE LEARNING BASED CERTIFICATE. 
          SO I WAS DOING VARIOUS SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS WITH THE DATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THIS METRO PARKS, UM, WITH, UM, EXCUSE ME, VOLUNTEERING AND SOUP KITCHENS AND POVERTY PROGRAMS. WE STARTED A FOOD PANTRY AT WRIGHT STATE, UM, AND IT WAS JUST VERY EYEOPENING FOR 
          [00:05:01]
ME, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT CAN IMPACT AND AS A SOCIAL WORKER, UM, ONCE I WAS IN MY FIELD TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN AS SOCIAL WORKERS, WE HAVE BIASES, WE HAVE THINGS THAT GO ON IN OUR OWN MINDS THAT WE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY CHECKING AND WE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY WORKING TOWARDS BETTERMENT. 
          AND EVEN AS SOCIAL WORKERS, I WAS ASTOUNDED BY WORKING WITH PROFESSIONALS THAT HAD HORRIFIC VIEWS AND, AND THESE VERY CLOSE MINDED OPINIONS. 
          AND, AND I'M LIKE, YOU'RE WORKING COMPLETELY AGAINST THE CODE OF ETHICS THAT WE ALL SAID WE WERE GOING TO STAND FOR WHEN WE BECAME SOCIAL WORKERS. 
          SO I THINK ONCE I HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HONESTLY HAD AN EDUCATION IN RACE RELATIONS AND SOCIOECONOMICS ISSUES AND PUTTING MYSELF IN COMMUNITIES AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES THAT I HAD NEVER BEEN INTERACTED WITH BEFORE GROWING UP IN CENTERVILLE, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I BECAME IMPASSIONATE FOR. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO A SINGLE MOTHER OF A YOUNG SON THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKES ME HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAN THE CONVERSATION THAT MY PARENTS HAD WITH ME GROWING UP, YOU KNOW? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, SO TARA, TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING. 
          WELL, I THINK THAT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMISSION IS A CITIZEN BASED KIND OF ADVOCACY GROUP OR, UM, YOU KNOW, GROUP TO WORK WITH THE CITY COMMISSIONS OR THE CITY COUNCILS. 
          UM, THE POINT OF THE COMMISSION WAS TO FIELD. 
          UM, MAYBE, SORRY, I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. 
          LET ME JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH. 
          YOU'RE FINE. 
          , YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE ARE CONFLICTS OR THINGS THAT NEED AN OUTSIDE VIEW OR A NORMAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS LENS, UM, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF A POLITICAL STANCE, YOU KNOW, UM, TO WORK THROUGH AN EDUCATION OUTREACH TYPE OF A COMMISSION TO, YOU KNOW, BETTER HELP THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY IS AMAZING HERE IN HEBREW HIDES. 
          IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY DID DRIVE ME TO MOVE OUT HERE. 
          UM, BUT THEN YOU GET ON SOME OF THESE FACEBOOK GROUPS AND YOU HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE SAYING HORRIBLE THINGS, AND IT'S LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE LAPSES, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE VERY DIRECT ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD MAYBE BENEFIT FROM THE MORE DIVERSITY TRAINING. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          NOW THIS IS, THIS WILL BE AT LIKELY A VERY TIME INTENSE, UM, COMMISSION. 
          ARE YOU OPEN TO THAT TO COMMITTING A, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME TO, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CHANGES. 
          YOU KNOW, I'VE REACHED THIS KIND OF GOLDEN AGE OF PARENTING WHERE MY SON IS 11 AND THE HANDS OFF PARENTING PART IS REALLY NOT AS INTENSE WHEN YOU'RE A SINGLE PARENT AND YOU'RE DOING IT ALL BY YOURSELF. 
          AND OTHER THAN HIS SELECT SOCCER THAT DOES ENCOMPASS SOME EVENINGS OF MY TIME, YOU KNOW, HIS TEAM CAN HELP OUT. 
          DEFINITELY. 
          I HAVE FOUND MYSELF HAVING A LOT MORE TIME ON MY HANDS THAN I HAVE HAD. 
          SO THE TIME COMMITMENT FOR ME, YOU KNOW, MY JOB AS A REGULAR NINE TO FIVE. 
          SO I DEFINITELY HAVE TIME TO COMMIT. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISIONED FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THIS COMMISSION? I REALLY THINK LIKE THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TYPE OF, UM, PROGRAM, PROJECT, SOMETHING EITHER BEING LIKE A SERIES OF EVENTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT TO DRAW COMMUNITY TOGETHER, TO SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF THIS AREA. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TURKISH IMMIGRANTS, UM, THAT ARE MOVING TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF SINGLE PARENTS OF, UM, MULTIRACIAL CHILDREN. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY JUST TO THIS COMMUNITY AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY, BROAD ACTIVITIES TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. 
          UM, AND I THINK EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, OR EVEN THE TOWN HALL TYPE MEETINGS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN VOICE CONCERNS 
          [00:10:01]
AND, UM, THEIR OWN IDEAS OF HOW TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF THE CULTURAL FAIR THEY DO DOWNTOWN. 
          MY SON WENT TO ONE YEAR AND JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH ALL OF IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          IT JUST SHOWCASES THE DIVERSITY OF YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO YOUR TOP THREE WERE GIVEN, LET'S GO WITH, UH, LIKE, UH, THE SHOWCASE OF, UM, THE EVENTS AND BRINGING TOGETHER AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, TOWN HALL TYPE FORUMS, UM, OR JUST EDUCATIONAL TYPE ACTIVITY. 
          OKAY. 
          GOT IT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO RESPOND TO A SITUATION DEALING WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RACE AND HOW DID YOU RESPOND? SO I WORKED FOR THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING AND MY ROLE IS BASICALLY THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER. 
          SO I FEEL ALL OF OUR INCIDENT REPORTS AND VARIOUS THINGS. 
          UM, BUT I WILL HAVE TO SAY WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING THERE, I HAD A CLIENT THAT I HAD NICKNAMED AVA, THAT WAS NOT HER NAME. 
          SHE WAS GERMAN AND SHE WAS MEANER THAN HELL. 
          AND SHE WAS LITERALLY THE MOST RACIST HUMAN BEING I HAD EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. 
          SHE WANTED HOME HEALTH CARE, BUT SHE HAD TO BE A WHITE CHRISTIAN, 50 YEAR OLD WOMAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS IN OUR FIELD BECAUSE OF THE AGE GROUP THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH COME UP A LOT. 
          AND IT'S OFTEN THAT I HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON MY PROVIDERS OR DOUBLE DOWN WITH CLIENTS THAT WE WILL NOT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM OR FASHION, EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I GUESS MALE VERSUS FEMALE SOMETIMES EVEN COMES IN WHEN IT COMES TO HOME HEALTH CARE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIRECT TIMES WHERE YOU HAVE TO CALL PEOPLE OUT FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR AND TELL THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BEHAVIOR IS NOT ALLOWED. 
          AND IF THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE PROVIDING SERVICES. 
          SO SOMETHING I TANGLED WITH ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND IN WHAT WE DO FOR A LIVING COMES UP WAY TOO OFTEN, STILL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO HAVE YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO NOT GIVE SERVICES TO A PERSON BECAUSE OF THAT? OR WE'LL PUT IN? YES. 
          I MEAN, YEAH, SHE, SHE ENDED UP BASICALLY GOING WITHOUT SERVICES BECAUSE SHE, SHE, EVERYONE WE SENT OVER THERE, SHE SENT AWAY. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALMOST WALKING THIS LINE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF AT EMINENT RISK FOR ISSUES BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN INTOLERANCE. 
          AND WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, I PUT IN COUNSELING, LET'S GET YOU SOME COUNSELING, LET'S GET YOU ANYTHING WE CAN TO EDUCATE YOU, TO TRY TO HELP YOU. 
          UM, I USED TO ALSO, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE ANTI-RACIST ACTION WHEN I WAS A YOUNG TEENAGER AND WE USED TO GO AND, UM, PROTEST CLAN RALLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND THEY WOULD BE SO VIOLENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S, IT'S A LOT, LIKE WHAT I'VE SEEN NOW IN PORTLAND, YOU KNOW, TARA AT 18 WOULD'VE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN PROTESTING THOSE THINGS AND IN THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT'S THE SAME THING AS KIND OF GOING ON THAT WHEN YOU WERE SILENT TO THESE THINGS, YOU WILL, YOU'RE ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S INTOLERABLE TO ME FOR IT TO CONTINUE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU MENTIONED BIAS EARLIER. 
          CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS, YOU KNOW, OF MY OWN PERSONAL OR JUST IN GENERAL, EITHER? EITHER. 
          I, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS TALKING WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS OUT HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS THAT ARE PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS OLDER THAN ME. 
          I'M IN MY EARLY FORTIES. 
          AND IT WAS WHEN I KIND OF, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER DISCUSSION WAS GOING ON. 
          AND, AND, AND THIS IS A GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT IS PROBABLY NOT AS LIBERAL AS MYSELF. 
          AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAT I HAVE TO HAVE WITH MY CHILD, THAT MY PARENTS NEVER HAD TO HAVE WITH ME ON HOW TO INTERACT POLICE. 
          I WAS A SMART MOUTH, SOMETHING TO SOME SHERIFFS IN CENTERVILLE. 
          AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MY SON SINCE HE WAS ABOUT SEVEN, THAT, YOU KNOW, POLICE HAVE A BIASED AGAINST YOUNG BLACK MEN, WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE OUTRIGHT LOOKING. 
          YOU KNOW, MY SON 
          [00:15:01]
COULD, COULD BE MANY THINGS I GUESS, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION WITH MY CHILD THAN MY FRIENDS DO WITH THEIR CHILDREN. 
          AND THAT TO ME IS THE LINE IN THE SAND THAT WHEN MY FRIENDS ARE USING MY SON, AS THE EXAMPLE TO TELL THEIR FRIENDS, WELL, IF IT'S CAMERON AND YOU GET STOPPED BY THE POLICE, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HELP CAMERON OR NOTHING HAPPENS TO HIM. 
          AND IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE BECAUSE OF MY SON, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE BIASES THAT THERE'S THIS INHERENT FEAR THAT SHOULD BE THERE, OR THIS INHERENT, INABILITY TO CONTAIN SELF, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I GUESS I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BIAS WHEN IT COMES TO FEAR OF YOUNG BLACK MEN, BUT RAISING A YOUNG BLACK MAN HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED THAT VIEW FOR ME AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD IN MY TWENTIES WHEN WE WOULD GET PULLED OVER MY SON'S FATHER. 
          AND I, I ONCE GOT A TICKET FOR LETTING MY FATHER DRIVE MY CAR THAT CARRIED SIX MONTHS IN JAIL, JUST FOR LETTING HIM DRIVE MY CAR. 
          CAUSE I GOT PULLED OVER AT FIVE OAKS. 
          AND WHEN I WENT TO COURT, SHE'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU? AND I SAID, WELL, GUILTY, I GUESS SHE SAID, NO, HONEY, THIS CARRIES SIX MONTHS IN JAIL. 
          I HAD NO IDEA I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE I LEGIT. 
          SO I HAD TO PLEAD DOWN TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE WHEN I STILL HAD A DRIVER'S LICENSE. 
          SO THOSE DAILY BIASES, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU GOT TO WORK HARDER TWICE AS MUCH. 
          AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE JUST BOTHERING ME TO MY CORE, THAT I REFUSE EVEN AS A SOCIAL WORKER, AS A PARENT, AS VARIOUS THINGS TO JUST NOT ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE? THAT'S A HARD ONE BECAUSE IT'S IN THIS CURRENT TIME AND DATE, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU GOT TIRED OF ARGUING WITH PEOPLE THAT AREN'T GOING TO VOTE AGREE, BUT I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO FIND THAT COMMONALITY THROUGH EDUCATION, THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. 
          AS LONG AS YOU'RE EXPECTING SOMEBODY TO JUST SIT THROUGH A SLIDE SHOW OR SOMETHING ABOUT DIVERSITY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT. 
          EDUCATION IS THROUGH ACTION. 
          EDUCATION IS THROUGH, THROUGH TOUCHING AND FEELING AND TASTING AND, AND CULTURAL EVENTS. 
          YOU KNOW, I, MY SON'S SOCCER TEAM IS, IS SO DIVERSE. 
          AND I THINK SOME OF THE PARENTS THAT'S THE EDUCATION FOR THEM OF LIKE WHAT THEIR HATE COMES DOWN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HAVING TO BUILD THIS WALL WHEN THERE'S FOUR LITTLE, YOU KNOW, HISPANIC KIDS ON THIS TEAM WHOSE PARENTS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ITI ANTS. 
          YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LIVING, BREATHING, HUMAN BEINGS. 
          THEY'RE NOT PEOPLE COMING TO TAKE YOUR DAMN JOBS AWAY. 
          AND I'VE SEEN IT MYSELF CAUSE WE PLAY TEAMS IN WAPAKONETA AND YOU KNOW, ALL THESE OUT IN THE STICKS PLACES. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S ONE THING THAT I TRULY DO LOVE IS I HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE LITTLE SOCCER TEAM THAT JUST IS TEACHING DIVERSITY EVERYWHERE IT'S GOING, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE CHILDREN AND THEY JUST WANT TO PLAY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT IN ITSELF, I THINK THE EDUCATION THROUGH ACTION IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO OUR LAST QUESTION FOR YOU AND YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? WELL, I THINK IT'S THE HISTORIC JUST INEQUALITY. 
          YOU EXPECT GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED TO THE TABLE TO SOMEHOW BUILD THEIR OWN TABLE, MAKE THEIR OWN PLATES, FIND THEIR OWN MEAT, COOK IT AND DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS. 
          YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE DISENFRANCHISED PEOPLE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. 
          AND THEN SO SOMEHOW JUST SAY CATCH UP IS, IS WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH TO GROW FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE WE ARE. 
          IT JUST BECAUSE WE SAID YET, PEOPLE WERE GIVEN CIVIL RIGHTS AND IN 1965, ACTION HAS NOT SHOWN THAT WE'RE STILL FIGHTING AS WOMEN. 
          YOU'RE STILL FIGHTING THROUGH LGBT RIGHTS IS STILL FIGHTING, YOU KNOW, TO, TO NOT BE KILLED WHEN YOU'RE PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS HISTORIC DISENFRANCHISEMENT CONTINUES, BUT NOW IT'S BECOME A CLASSISM. 
          IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, IT'S AN ACCESS TO GOODS. 
          [00:20:01]
IT'S AN ACCESS TO EDUCATION. 
          IT'S AN ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD, I JUST TO QUICKLY DIGRESS THIS, THIS CHILD IN THIRD GRADE, THEY CAN'T READ THE WORD LOOP. 
          THIS SYSTEM DECIDED IN THIRD GRADE THAT HE HAS A PRISON BED WHEN HE TURNS 18. 
          THAT'S HOW THEY BASE. 
          THE AMOUNT OF BEDS THERE'S NEEDED IN PRISON IS IF YOU FAIL YOUR SECOND OR THIRD GRADE READING TEST. 
          AND, AND, AND THAT STATEMENT IN ITSELF IS WE ARE NOT WORKING TO, TO EDUCATE CHILDREN. 
          WE ARE WORKING TO THE PRISON TO PIPELINE, YOU KNOW, THE PRESCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE IS WE HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, WHEN DETROIT'S GETTING SUED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWING THEIR CHILDREN TO BE IS, IS JUST, I MEAN, IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE HISTORIC DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF PEOPLE, OF LOWER CLASS THAT LIVE IN AREAS THAT ARE IMPOVERISHED. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, TARA. 
          VERY MUCH. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? I DON'T BELIEVE I DO. 
          I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, THE, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO INTERVIEW. 
          UM, I ENJOY HEBREW HIDES. 
          I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ROOM TO GROW AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TABLE TO HELP HUBER HEIGHTS GROW AND BECOME A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE FOR ALL. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THE COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO ASK TARA? THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU TOO. 
          BYE BYE. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD ONES. 
          AWESOME. 
          YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF STICKING TO THE SCHEDULE. 
          SO THAT'S ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME. 
          AND SHE, SHE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, SPENT SOME TIME ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND WE STILL MANAGED TO GET THROUGH, SO, OKAY. 
          SO, UH, I DO NOT SEE THE NEXT PERSON IN THE ROOM YET, BUT, UH, THEY, I DID TELL THEM TO SIGN IN RIGHT AT THE ALLOTTED TIME. 
          SO, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF DOWNTIME. 
          UM, SO WE'LL JUST WAIT FOR, UH, THE NEXT APPLICANT, WHICH IS, UH, ERIC RICHARDSON, UH, TO JOIN US. 
          I WILL NOTE THAT, UH, THE FOUR THAT WERE SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT, UM, UH, NOT ONLY DID WE CONFIRM THE INTERVIEW, BUT THEN THEY CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED THE LENGTH FOR THE, UH, JOINING THE MEETING TONIGHT. 
          SO, UH, WE HAVE DOUBLE CONTACT WITH ALL OF THE APPLICANTS. 
          OKAY, GOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SCORING OUR CANDIDATES. 
          I THINK MAYBE WHAT I'LL DO FOR THE FUTURE INTERVIEWS IS TELL THEM TO JOIN A FEW MINUTES EARLY AND WAIT IN THE LOBBY. 
          AND THEN IF WE HAVE SOME EXTRA TIME, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE, RATHER THAN HAVING TO HAVE A PAUSE IN BETWEEN TO GET PLAN, YOU LEARN BY EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF EXPERIENCE DOING, UH, INTERVIEWS REMOTELY LIKE THIS. 
          SO THIS PART OF IT AT LEAST IS NOW. 
          SO I, YEAH, CAUSE NOW YET, SOMETIMES YOU MAY ACCOUNT FOR SOME OF THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, I SURE ERIC'S HAPPY. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS GENTLEMAN IS HAVING ANY ISSUES IN THAT, BUT THAT'S THE ONE ELEMENT THAT IS 
          [00:25:01]
SET TO DEAL WITH. 
          WELL, HE'S GOT ONE MINUTE. 
          SO WE TOLD THEM TO SIGN ON. 
          SO MAYBE HE'S JUST BEING VERY PUNCTUAL. 
          ARE OUR SCORE SHEETS PUBLIC. 
          WELL, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON HOW WE UTILIZE THEM AS A COMMISSION. 
          UM, IF YOU'RE USING IT JUST FOR YOUR PERSONAL NOTES AND THEN WE SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S ONLY RETAINED BY YOU AND NOT SUBMITTED TO THE COLLECTIVE, THEN IT WOULD BE A PERSONAL RECORD AND IT WOULD NOT BE A PUBLIC RECORD. 
          HOWEVER, IF WE DECIDE TO GO WITH A SYSTEM OF, UH, COMPILING THEM AND SHARING THEM AMONGST THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, THEN THEY, IT WOULD BECOME A PUBLIC RECORD. 
          OKAY. 
          THERE IS WELL, MR. RICHARDSON. 
          HELLO. 
          HEY, HOW ARE YOU? VERY WELL, THANK YOU. 
          DO I GOT THE RIGHT CAMERA VIEW HERE? ALL RIGHT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I'LL CRACK YOUR SCREEN. 
          WELCOME TO YOUR INTERVIEW FOR THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION. 
          I AM YOLANDA STEVENS. 
          I'M THE CHAIRPERSON TO THE COMMISSION AND WE HAVE OUR OTHER THREE COMMISSION MEMBERS, ERIC STEVENS, MIA HONAKER, AND RHONDA SUMMON WITH US TONIGHT. 
          SO TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, 30 MINUTES WITH YOU. 
          SO A VERY SUCCINCT INTERVIEW, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DIVE IN AND START WITH OUR FIRST QUESTION. 
          CAN YOU TELL US HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS AND IF YOU WERE REGISTERED, RIGHT. 
          OKAY, SURE. 
          UH, YES, I AM A REGISTERED VOTER. 
          UM, AND TWO I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY. 
          I WANT TO SAY OVER, OVER AT LEAST 20 YEARS. 
          OKAY. 
          IF YOU WERE CHOSEN, UM, FOR THE COMMISSION, WOULD YOU UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK, BE WILLING? SURE. 
          NO PROBLEM AT ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          MR. RICHARDSON, CAN YOU PLEASE SUCCINCTLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS? OKAY. 
          UM, WELL I GUESS WHAT I'VE DONE, UH, JUST GOOD THING HERE. 
          MY CAREER IS THAT OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS BEING IN MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE, UM, UH, I GUESS WELL TRAINED IN THE AREA OF, UM, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. 
          UM, HAVE I PARTICIPATED ON A COMMISSION OR SOME TYPE OF A BOARD BEFORE? NO, BUT, UM, THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. 
          UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORKFORCE, THAT'S THERE. 
          SO WE CAUSE YOU, YOU HAVE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE AND, UH, YOU NEED INCLUSION, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO IDEALS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PROFITABILITY, UH, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, UH, IMPORTANT AND STATISTICS SHOWS THAT, UH, COMPANIES AND GROUPS THAT ARE MORE DIVERSE ARE DEFINITELY, UH, MORE COMPATIBLE, MORE PROFITABLE AND OUTPERFORM, YOU KNOW, OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE NOT AS, UH, AS DIVERSE. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW COMMITTEE, UH, I'M SORRY, A NEW COMMISSION. 
          UH, MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT IS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF LIKE A, UM, ADVISORY, I GUESS, SERVE 
          [00:30:01]
AS AN, UH, AN ADVISORY ROLE FOR THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL OR THE, UH, CITY MAYOR AND, AND THINGS OF THOSE NATURES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS OF HUBER HEIGHTS ONE HAVE YOU GO OPPORTUNITY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY AND I GUESS THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS ARE NOT HINDERED DUE TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE SITUATION MAY BE, YOU KNOW, RACE, COLOR, CULTURE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT IT'S NOT HINDERED. 
          SO TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT'S WHAT THIS COMMISSION, UH, IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OFFER, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN THEY SEE THINGS THAT ARE, UH, NOT GOING, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCORDINGLY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND TELL US WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING. 
          WELL, I MENTIONED WALKED IN A SERVING, UM, IT, IT WAS GREAT THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME UP. 
          I WAS THANKFUL FOR THAT. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY I GET AN INSTANT, YOU KNOW, BE A PART OF THAT, BUT THIS YEAR I TURNED 50 AND, UM, I HAD HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF TALKING WITH SOME FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, MENTORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          JUST TRYING TO PUT SOME PERSPECTIVE AND THINGS, UH, IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, UM, FROM A CAREER STANDPOINT, FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT LIFE AND THAT KIND OF DEAL. 
          AND, UM, AND I GOT TO TALKING ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE WORLD. 
          SO CHANGES AND, UM, INCLUSION. 
          AND I, YOU KNOW, AND HOME WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, IS THAT IN ORDER FOR ME TO START, TRY TO MAKE CHANGES THAT SEEM TO THINGS THAT APPLES I NEED TO GET IN THERE AND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN REALLY IMPACT, MAKE SOME CHANGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN AND TRY TO GET YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, TURNED AROUND AND THEN GET IT MOVING, UH, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SO THAT OTHERS CAN GET A CHANCE TO SEE, WOW, HEY, THEY GOT SOME GOOD GOING ON IN THAT COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, MAYBE EITHER A, I WANT TO BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY OR B HOW DO I GET MY COMMUNITY TO KIND OF COOPERATE AND DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO I IT'S BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME, UM, YOU KNOW, AND FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S, I DON'T BELIEVE IN OSMOSIS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          I TEND TO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GOD DRIVEN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME UP BECAUSE OF THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, THIS IS A PRETTY TIME INTENSE COMMISSION BECAUSE IT IS A NEW COMMISSION. 
          WHAT'S YOUR TIME AVAILABILITY OR YOUR LEVEL OF TIME COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, I THINK IT'S A, A LUMP. 
          SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT THERE. 
          UM, AND THEN WITH JUST BEING A NEW COMMISSION, TRYING TO GET THINGS STARTED, I WOULD TEND TO BELIEVE IS PROBABLY GONNA MEET A LOT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT TO KIND OF GET THIS THING UP AND RUNNING AND WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, SO IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A FEW HOURS OR WHATEVER THE DEAL IS PER WEEK OR SOMETHING, UM, I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, I, I'M PRETTY MUCH GOOD CONTROL OF MY SCHEDULE. 
          I TRY TO BE ORGANIZED. 
          I TRY TO SCHEDULE THINGS OUT, YOU KNOW? YES, I DO HAVE THINGS GOING ON. 
          IT'S JUST LIKE, I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES. 
          UH, BUT THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION IS, UM, HAS SOME IMPORTANCE TO ME. 
          SO THEREFORE I'M WILLING AT THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, SOME SACRIFICES IN MY CURRENT SCHEDULE TO, TO TRY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THE COMMISSION? UH, WELL, I GUESS MY FIRST ONE WOULD BE, UM, SITUATION WHERE, UH, VOTER EDUCATION, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, WOULD HINDERS A COMMUNITY, IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST THINK, AH, MY VOTE DON'T COUNT. 
          IT DOESN'T MATTER. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THEY FAIL TO REALIZE THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A STOP SIGN, THAT'S PUT UP. 
          IF THERE'S A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, THAT'S PUT UP. 
          IF THERE'S SOMETHING PASSED, IT HAD TO BE VOTED UPON. 
          AND IF YOU'RE NOT A PART OF THAT, UH, YOU'RE BEING LEFT OUT. 
          AND I THINK THERE HAS TO BE, UH, A SYSTEM, A MECHANISM IN PLACE THAT HELPS EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT WHY THEY ARE VOTING AND WHAT THOSE VOTING ISSUES ARE. 
          I JUST REMEMBER AS A LITTLE KID, YOU WALK AROUND AND YOU KNOW, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU SEE PEOPLE GOT THE SIGNS OUT FOR THE SCHOOL LEVY FOR THIS AND FOR THAT. 
          AND YOU MIGHT KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT WAS OF A LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE. 
          AND I THINK WE'VE KIND OF OVERLOOKED THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, HAPPEN WITH THIS COMMISSION, WITH THAT. 
          THE SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THIS IS A BAR THAT IS 
          [00:35:01]
TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, GET OUT AND VOTE BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS JUST FEEL THAT MAN, YOU KNOW, MY VOTE DON'T MATTER AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE AND THAT KIND OF DEAL, BUT I TEND TO DIFFER WITH THAT BECAUSE I THINK IF WE COULD GET ENOUGH PEOPLE WITH ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GET INTERESTED, OR I BELIEVE WE COULD CHANGE AND DO SOME THINGS A LOT DIFFERENT. 
          SO THAT'S KINDA MY FIRST THING. 
          MY SECOND THING WILL BE, UM, IS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AND BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE BECAUSE, UH, I LIKE DIVERSITY, I THINK IS GREAT. 
          I THINK IT CREATES COMPETITION. 
          I THINK IT MOVES THE NEEDLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BECAUSE IF YOU GOT TOO MANY PEOPLE THINKING, ONE WAY, THAT'S ALL YOU GOT IS ONE WAY A UNIQUE COLLABORATION OF PEOPLE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE A BUNCH OF ID WOLVES IN ORDER TO PUT THEM TOGETHER. 
          AND THEN I THINK THAT MAKES YOU STRONG. 
          I THINK THAT PUSHES YOU FORWARD, UH, TO DO THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. 
          BUT I THINK WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO CELEBRATE THE DIFFERENCES OR DIVERSITY IN PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S EDUCATION, WHETHER IT'S FINANCE, WHETHER IT'S RACE, WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS. 
          I DON'T THINK WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COMMISSION AND START WITH THAT RIGHT HERE AT HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO CELEBRATE, UH, THE DIVERSITY IN EACH OTHER. 
          WE GOT A GOOD COMMUNITY THIS YEAR. 
          WE GOT WHITE, WE GOT BLACK, WE GOT SOME AT THE TOP END OF THE FINANCIAL CHAIN. 
          WE GOT SOME THAT ARE NOT AT THE TOP. 
          WE GOT MILITARY FOLKS. 
          WE'LL GET CIVILIAN FOLKS. 
          I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD BASE TO DO SOME THINGS WITH. 
          SO LET'S DO THAT. 
          BUT THEN IN ADDITION TO CELEBRATING, LEARNING HOW TO APPRECIATE DIVERSITY, I THINK WE NEED TO, BECAUSE I CAN RECOGNIZE A PERSON'S DIVERSITY, BUT IF I DON'T INCLUDE THEIR IDEAL AND BRING IT TO THE DECISION TABLE, THAT'S THE WRONG ANSWER. 
          SO ALONG WITH DIVERSITY, YOU GOTTA HAVE INCLUSION. 
          YOU GOTTA BE AT A, BRING THOSE IDEALS AND THEY ALL GO TO THE DECISION TABLE AND THEY ALL GET EQUALLY WEIGHED. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COMMISSION DO RATHER I'M ON IT OR, OR SOMEBODY ELSE'S ON IT. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN FOR THIS, THIS, UH, COMMUNITY HERE, HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          AND, AND I THINK THE THIRD THING IS, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS OPEN UP A, UM, A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS, UM, THAT HAS TO BE PRESENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE HEAR PEOPLE SAY, OH, WHY DO I GET INVOLVED? WHAT I DO? THEY DON'T CARE, NOBODY LISTENS OR NOTHING, BUT I THINK IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT PEOPLE CAN VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND NOT ONLY VOICE THEIR CONCERNS, BUT I THINK, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SITUATION, IT'S GOTTA BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT YES, YOU MADE THAT, THAT, THAT ISSUE, YOU BROUGHT IT UP AND THEN IT NEEDS TO BE BROADCASTED, PUT SOMEWHERE TO SAY, HEY, DID SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING WITH IT? OR DID SOMEBODY NOT DO SOMETHING WITH IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE ACCOUNTABILITY COMES IN. 
          SO THOSE ARE MY THREE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO RESPOND TO A SITUATION, DEALING WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RACE AND TELL US HOW YOU RESPONDED. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, WELL, I GET A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          ONE, UH, WITH ME BEING A LICENSED REALTOR, UM, YOU GET INTO THINGS, UM, ABOUT RACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND THE GOOD THING IS WITH BEING A REALTOR, PART OF US RENEWING OUR LICENSE, WE HAVE TO TAKE, UH, TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND, AND FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          SO, UH, THAT IS A GOOD LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE TO ME, UH, THERE, BUT, UH, WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE A, IT WAS A WHITE SELLER AND SHE, UM, YOU KNOW, MADE IT OBVIOUSLY KNOWN THAT GUESS WHAT, UM, Y'ALL CAN SELL MY HOUSE, BUT IT CAN NOT GO TO A BLACK FAMILY. 
          UM, MY, MY FAMILY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THIS DECREE THAT THIS HOUSE WILL ALWAYS BE OWNED BY, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT IS WHITE. 
          WELL, OKAY. 
          I GOT IT. 
          I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE PERSON. 
          UH, BUT I'M SORRY. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T BE A PART OF THIS TRANSACTION WITH YOU. 
          UH, SO THEREFORE THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND SEVER THAT AND GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS, BECAUSE ONE, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO DO IS ILLEGAL. 
          AND TWO, UH, IS JUST NOT MORALLY CORRECT, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE A PART OF THAT, UH, AT ALL. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S A SITUATION THAT'S THERE. 
          UM, I'VE HAD A SITUATION HERE RECENTLY ACTUALLY WITH AN EMPLOYEE WORKING AT A CUSTOMER'S LOCATION. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS THAT WERE WORKING FOR THE CUSTOMER WAS SHINING A LITTLE RED LASER LIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND THE GENTLEMAN, AND HE LOOKS DOWN AT HIMSELF AND SEIZES 
          [00:40:01]
LASER LIGHT AND OBVIOUSLY THE MOUTH, UM, HE DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT. 
          HE SAID A COUPLE OF WORDS TO THEM. 
          UM, AND, UH, AND THEN HE CAME BACK, HE'S OBVIOUSLY UPSET ABOUT IT. 
          YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? HEY, MAN, LET'S KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S GOING ON? AND YOU YOU'RE UPSET, UH, EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT HAPPENED. 
          I GOT AHOLD OF THE CUSTOMER AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT MY GUY'S SAYING? CAN YOU DO SOME INVESTIGATION ON YOUR PART? LET'S FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED AND IT'S CIRCLE BACK. 
          AND THEN YOU, AND I LET'S TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. 
          SO HE INVESTIGATED AND DID A GOOD JOB WITH IT. 
          UM, WE, UH, SAT DOWN, WE TALKED ABOUT IT. 
          WE CAME UP WITH A RESOLUTION THAT I THINK WAS SATISFACTORY FOR HIM TO TAKE ACTION ON HIS PART. 
          AND I THINK IT WAS SATISFACTORY ON MY SIDE FROM MY GUY. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS BIAS? OKAY. 
          WELL, UH, WELL WE ON THIS CALL, I'M SURE YOU GUYS CAN SEE BEHIND ME IN MY OFFICE HERE. 
          UH, I'VE GOT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUFF ALL OVER THE WALL, SO THAT'S A BIAS UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL THING. 
          OTHER THAN THAT. 
          NO. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I MEAN, IF WE'RE TRUTHFUL AND WE'RE HONEST WITH EACH OTHER, WE ALL HAVE BIASES. 
          UH, I'M A BLACK MALE. 
          I HAVE A BIAS. 
          UM, SO IF SOMEONE TELLS ME OR WHOEVER THAT THEY DON'T A BIAS, UM, MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE A HEARTBEAT OR A CONSCIENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR MAYBE JUST NOT BE TRUTHFUL WITH THEMSELVES. 
          BUT I BELIEVE WE, WE ALL HAVE BIASES, UH, BUT I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE AREA AS IT RELATING TO THIS, UH, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SITUATION IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BRING OUR BIASES AND PUT THEM ON THE TABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'D BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR BIASES AND LESS COME UP WITH THE DESIRED SOLUTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, BECAUSE MY BIAS SHOULD NOT, UH, AFFECT YOU NEGATIVELY. 
          AND YOUR BIAS SHOULD NOT AFFECT ME NEGATIVELY. 
          SO THEREFORE WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR BIASES, MESH THEM TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING. 
          THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE HAVING A BIAS, I THINK IS DIVERSITY. 
          I THINK THAT'S GOOD. 
          WE SHOULD HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES, BUT HOW DO WE MESH THOSE DIFFERENCES TOGETHER TO MAKE SOMETHING GREATER? BECAUSE WE ALL THINK ALIKE, WE ALL GET THE SAME BIAS. 
          I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GROW. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          UM, I HAVE, UH, I HAVE OWN PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. 
          UH, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO BE, I THINK YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE BEING UNDERSTOOD. 
          AND I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN. 
          I THINK YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE TRYING TO BE UNDERSTOOD. 
          AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENCES BECAUSE WE COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS. 
          UM, I THINK IF WE, FIRST OF ALL, UNDERSTAND WHERE EACH OTHER IS COMING FROM, UM, WE MAY NOT AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          WE MAY ONLY AGREE 10%, BUT, BUT LET'S WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE AGREEING ON THE 10%. 
          AND LET'S NOT FOCUSING ON THE 90% THAT WE DON'T LIKE ABOUT EACH OTHER OR APPRECIATE ABOUT EACH. 
          YEAH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          OUR LAST QUESTION IS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? UM, I THINK THERE'S QUITE A FEW CHALLENGES. 
          UH, ONE, I THINK THERE'S A CHALLENGE OF NOT BEING HEARD. 
          UM, I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT, UM, TODAY, UM, RATHER IT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MAYBE YOU DON'T AGREE WITH A PERSON'S PROTEST, MAYBE YOU DON'T AGREE WITH, UH, PERKINS TACTICS OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOT NEEDED HER. 
          SO I WOULD SAY THAT'S NUMBER ONE. 
          I THINK NUMBER TWO, UH, WE WILL FEEL AS THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN TOLD, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T MATTER OR YOU DON'T COUNT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM. 
          I THINK IT'S A PROBLEM WHEN, UM, SYSTEMS ARE SET UP, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UM, WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ANOTHER PERSON, 
          [00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, MAY HAVE. 
          SO I THINK THOSE THINGS JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE HERE. 
          I KNOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, ON A TIME LIMIT AND THAT KIND OF DEEP, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO ANY OF YOU GUYS MORE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. 
          CAUSE LIKE I SAY, IT'S, IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO SO, UM, BUT I THINK HAVING THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SITUATION IS NOT FAIR, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYONE THAT'S A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN ACCEPT, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF I GO FOR SOMETHING, THIS GUY GOES FOR SOMETHING AND HIS SKILLS ARE JUST BETTER THAN MY, HIS SKILLS ARE JUST BETTER THAN MINE. 
          AND I GOT TO WORK ON MY SKILLS AND COME BACK AGAIN. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S THE PROBLEM WHEN YOUR SKILLS ARE, ARE EQUAL OR BETTER. 
          AND, UH, YOU DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY OR IF IT'S A SITUATION WHERE IT'S A CIVIL RIGHTS, YOU KNOW, SITUATION WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MISTREATED OR YOU'RE NOT HEARD BECAUSE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST THINK THAT'S UNFAIR. 
          AND I THINK THAT MAKES IT TOUGH FOR PEOPLE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT'S THE RICHARDSON. 
          THAT WAS OUR LAST QUESTION. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? YES. 
          SURE. 
          UM, AND IT, MINE IS REAL AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE ON THE CALL, SO I CAN ONLY SEE ONE SCREEN AT THE DISTRICT. 
          ONE YOURS, YOURS HAS BEEN FROZEN THE WHOLE TIME. 
          SO HOPEFULLY I'M NOT LOOKING CRAZY. 
          UM, MY, UH, WHAT I WOULD SAY FOR, YOU KNOW, AND I GUESS THE, A NEW, UH, COMMISSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, GETTING GOING, UH, I WOULD JUST PUT IT OUT THERE TO THE MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THIS COMMISSION SO FAR. 
          YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR INTENT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN WITH THIS COMMISSION AND THEN TO, UH, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION, WHICH WHAT'S DRIVING YOU GUYS TO LET YOU DO THIS? WELL, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS. 
          I'M, I'M, I'M A REAL, UM, STRAIGHTFORWARD TO THE POINT, NOT A PERSON, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO GO GET IT, LET'S GO GET IT. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU GUYS INTENT IN YOUR WAY, HAVE THE CHANCE TO ANSWER IT. 
          AND WHAT IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL MOTIVATION TO MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN? OKAY, MIA, GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          LET ME MAKE SURE NO. 
          HELLO, ERIC, UM, BEING, UH, I'VE LIVED HERE PRACTICALLY ALL MY LIFE SINCE I WAS FIVE. 
          SO 45 YEARS, I'M DATING MYSELF. 
          WE'LL BE 50 HERE SHORTLY TOO. 
          SO I AM, UM, MY PASSION THAT WHAT DRIVES ME HERE IS THIS IS HOME AND I'M TIRED OF SEEING THINGS AT MY HOME THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. 
          AND I CONTINUOUSLY HEAR NEGATIVE. 
          I HEAR THINGS, I EXPERIENCE THINGS AND THERE'S GOOD POSITIVES TOO. 
          AND IT'S NOT ALL NEGATIVE OF POSITIVE STEW, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH RACE, ALL MY INCIDENTS, HONESTLY, MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH RACIAL INCIDENCES AND STUFF HAPPENED HERE, HERE AT HOME, MORE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED. 
          AND, UM, I HAVE A SON WHO'S NOW A YOUNG ADULT. 
          WHO'S COME BACK FROM SCHOOL AND STUFF AND HAS SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND IT'S GOT TO STOP. 
          IT STARTED WITH ME. 
          AND NOW IT'S WITH HIM. 
          IF W IF I DON'T MAKE THIS CHANGE, I CAN'T KEEP SAYING WE NEED TO CHANGE. 
          WE NEED TO CHANGE AND NOT DO ANYTHING. 
          SO MY INTENT OF DOING, BEING PART OF THIS IS TO BE PART OF ACTIVE CHANGE AND MAKE THAT CHANGE TO MOVE US FORWARD. 
          AND SO WE DON'T HAVE OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCES OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN A PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME. 
          RIGHT. 
          IT SHOULD BE OUR PLACE. 
          THEY'RE DEAR TO US, THAT'S DEAR TO OUR HEART, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT. 
          SO I'M GOING TO START WHERE I LIVE. 
          YEAH. 
          GOTCHA. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY, RHONDA. 
          YOU'RE ON MUTE. 
          HI, ERIC. 
          HI, RON. 
          HOW ARE YOU? THANKS FOR, FOR INTERVIEWING. 
          I WON'T KNOCK YOUR MICHIGAN STUFF OFF. 
          UM, KNOW FOR ME A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, ABOUT THIS JUST I'VE SERVED ON OTHER COMMISSIONS. 
          AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT CUBER HEIGHTS IS A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY FEELS WELCOME AND WHERE EVERYBODY HAS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, AND, AND I DON'T MEAN JUST THAT IT'S HANGING ON THE WALL SOMEWHERE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT. 
          I WANT IT TO REALLY BE TRULY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR 
          [00:50:01]
EVERYONE. 
          UM, ALSO AS A SINGLE MOTHER, YOU KNOW, I'VE EXPERIENCED THE WHOLE CLASS DISCRIMINATION THING AND THEN THE GENDER DISCRIMINATION, AND THEN AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN, I'VE EXPERIENCED BIAS, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I'VE TRIED TO REALLY EDUCATE MYSELF, HAVING CHILDREN FROM, YOU KNOW, MILLENNIAL CHILDREN IN GENERATION Z YEARS. 
          WE'RE VERY OPEN TO MY CHILDREN HAVE ACTUALLY HELPED TO EDUCATE ME TO BE MORE OPEN AND TO BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO THINGS, EVEN IF I DON'T AGREE WITH THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD THERE'S ROOM FOR ALL OF US IN THE WORLD. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO SEE A CITY, A STATE, A WORLD THAT REPRESENTS THAT. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY, WHAT'S DRIVING ME. 
          GOOD. 
          THANKS, RHONDA. 
          WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU, ERIC. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          WHOA. 
          HEY, WHAT'S UP? SO, SO I, SO MY, MY REAL GOAL IS TO GET TO A, A PLACE IN TIME WHERE WE DON'T NEED A DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMISSION, RIGHT. 
          UH, TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE AGAIN, SYSTEMIC RACISM IS A THING OF THE PAST, RIGHT? WHERE PEOPLE ARE, ARE BEING TREATED FAIRLY, UH, BEING GIVEN, UH, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO NO LONGER HAVE, UH, SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WE HAVE, THAT, THAT, THAT RESULT IN SYSTEMIC RACISM, RACISM, WHERE, WHEREAS, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE WEALTH GAP, WE WANT TO CLOSE THE WEALTH GAP. 
          WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. 
          WE WANT TO CLOSE THE, UH, THE GAP WHEN IT COMES TO HOMEOWNERSHIP. 
          UH, WE WANT TO CLOSE THE GAP WHEN IT COMES TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND PAY. 
          UH, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE BUILD A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE, UH, COME TOGETHER, BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, UH, CAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE MORE THINGS IN COMMON THAN THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T, RIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN, IT TRULY IS BUILD THESE RELATIONSHIPS, COME TOGETHER, WORK TOGETHER. 
          AND THEN A LOT OF THESE THINGS WILL, WILL BECOME A THING OF THE PAST, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T SOLVE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T SOLVE THE COUNTRY'S PROBLEM, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL, UH, DO ONE, SOME DO A PART IN THAT, RIGHT. 
          AT LEAST WE CAN TRY AND EFFECT, UH, HUBER HEIGHTS AND HOPEFULLY THAT RADIATES OUT TO THE LARGER DAYTON AREA. 
          AND BEYOND THAT, RIGHT. 
          AGAIN, WE WANT TO BE A PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT TRULY EMBRACES DIVERSITY. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND RIGHT. 
          AND RECOGNIZE THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT BRINGS VALUE, RIGHT. 
          UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE, UH, RIGHT. 
          AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN GROW. 
          AND THE SYNERGY THAT YOU GAINED BY THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO RIGHT. 
          WE WANT TO CELEBRATE IT AND WANT PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF IT SO THAT WE CAN BE A BETTER, A BETTER CITY, A BETTER COUNTRY. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANKS. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH RACIAL DISPARITY AND YOU SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN THE NEWS AND INCIDENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, THAT WE DON'T WANT TO REPEAT HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS, HUBER HEIGHTS IS A PRETTY DIVERSE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, BUT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DIVERSE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ISSUES WITHIN OUR CITY. 
          I WANT TO CREATE, UM, HELP CREATE AND FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, BUT ALSO BRING SOME VISIBILITY TO ISSUES THAT DO EXIST SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AS, AS A COMMISSION. 
          YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SHARED THE, THE INCIDENT WITH YOUR, THE REALTOR PIECE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TODAY. 
          AND YOU KNOW, HERE IN DAYTON. 
          SO YEAH, IT DOES HAPPEN. 
          SO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND SAY, THIS IS REAL. 
          SO HOW DO WE ADDRESS IT AND HOW DO WE PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE SO THAT THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN? SO THAT'S MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT OR REASON WHY, UM, I WANT IT TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMISSION. 
          WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, ERIC, AND WE'VE APPRECIATED GETTING TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOU. 
          GREAT, GREAT, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND, UH, GO BLUE. 
          HOPEFULLY I'M, YOU'RE A MAN OF CHOICE AND IF NOT, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, I CAN STILL SUPPORT THE COMMISSION OR WHATEVER, SOME KIND OF WAY DOWN THE ROAD, BECAUSE IT IS A BIG FIGHT. 
          YES, IT IS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          YOU GUYS TAKE CARE. 
          BYE BYE. 
          BYE. 
          UM, OUR NEXT CANDIDATE IS IN 
          [00:55:01]
THE LOBBY, SO I WILL LET HIM IN. 
          HELLO, MR. AKINS, ARE YOU THERE ACTUALLY, DR. 
          AKINS? UM, I THINK HE'S MUTED. 
          HELLO? HOW'S EVERYBODY GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          SO FAST. 
          WELL, UM, WHICH ONES ARE FOR TOMORROW? WELL, WELCOME FRED TO YOUR INTERVIEW FOR THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTIONS COMMISSION, AND WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 30 MINUTES WITH YOU TONIGHT. 
          SO IT'LL BE VERY QUICK AND SUCCINCT. 
          UM, I'M YOLANDA STEVENS, I'M THE CHAIRPERSON FOR THE COMMISSION AND WE HAVE, UM, OUR OTHER THREE COMMISSION MEMBERS, ERIC STEPHENS, MIA HONAKER, AND RHONDA SUMLIN. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA START OUT WITH OUR FIRST QUESTION FOR TONIGHT. 
          THE FIRST QUESTION IS PLEASE TELL US HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          AND IF YOU ARE A REGISTERED VOTER START WITH, YES, I'M A REGISTERED VOTER AND I'VE NOT MISSED AN ELECTION YET. 
          UM, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS SINCE, UM, DECEMBER OF 1994. 
          I HAD TO THINK ABOUT OUR NOW, IF YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? OH, I THOUGHT WE DID THAT ALREADY. 
          PERFECT. 
          PLEASE SUCCINCTLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS. 
          YOU MEAN OTHER THAN BEING A BLACK MAN LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES? UM, I HAVE A QUITE, QUITE A BIT OF EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, AND, AND I'LL SPEND SOME TIME WORKING WITH THE, UH, WITH A COUPLE OF CIVIC GROUPS, THE, UM, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE, UH, ON CAMPUS WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY USED TO COME OUT AND DO, UM, OUR A B PROGRAM, BLACK EXTREME ENTREPRENEUR EXCHANGE PROGRAM, UM, AND WORKING WITH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS EARLIER IN MY YEARS, WHEN I MOVED TO DAYTON WITH THE NAACP, WITH, UH, JESSE GOODING, THE SERVING ON THE, UM, ON, ON A FEW OF THOSE, UH, COMMITTEES WITH THE NAACP. 
          AND SINCE DEREK FORWARD TOOK OVER PROBABLY A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAVE NOT BEEN AS ACTIVE, BUT, UM, I HAVE DONE SOME WORK WITH THE NAACP AND OF COURSE, UH, THE VARIOUS WALKS AND DRIVES THAT WE HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN A DAYTON AFRICAN AMERICAN WELLNESS WALK. 
          AND THIS IS STUFF THAT IS, UM, NOT, NOT WORK RELATED. 
          OF COURSE I DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT COME IN THAT ARE WORK RELATED ON CAMPUS. 
          UM, AND MOST OF THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, OUR VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES WITH STUDENTS AND, UM, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS AND POLITICAL FORUMS, JUST BASICALLY NOT TO, NOT TO, TO GUIDE THEM TOWARDS PARTISAN ACTIVITY, BUT TO, TO, UH, TEACH THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING AND STAYING ENGAGED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. 
          OKAY. 
          TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE, YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING WELL, I'M INTERESTED IN SERVING THEM TO MOSTLY TO, TO HELP GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY. 
          NUMBER ONE. 
          UM, AND, AND I THINK THIS IS, UM, A PRIME OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR ME TO ENGAGE WITH HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, UM, WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT, ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND RELATED EVENTS IN HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          I THINK, UM, WE NEED TO WORK ON OUR RACIAL EQUITY TOOLS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT THAT I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THE CITY OPERATES, BUT IT DOESN'T APPEAR AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT THERE IS, UH, THERE'S AN EXPLICIT CONSIDERATION FOR RACIAL EQUITY, INTO THE DECISIONS FOR PROGRAMMING AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN INDIA, IN THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS. 
          WE JUST, I WANT TO HELP BE THERE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT AND, AND, AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSE IN ITS INTENTIONALITY WHEN IT RELATES TO, UH, CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, UM, NOT, NOT DO THIS IT'S, 
          [01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAKEUP OF A FEW BRIDES IS AS IT RELATES TO MINORITIES, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, UM, WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB NOW FROM, FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED. 
          I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKING FOR ANYTHING EITHER. 
          UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN INSTANCES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY KIDS WERE GROWING UP AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ON THE CALL HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME AND SAID, HEY, SOMEBODY CALLED HER A NAME OR WHATEVER THE CASE. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I JUST HAD WALKED UP TO THE SCHOOL, TALKED TO MR. PAUL MEYER SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE GOT AN ISSUE. 
          UM, LET ME HELP YOU TO HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF THAT AND NOT AFRAID TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE HAVE ISSUES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RESORTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT ISSUES THAT AS THEY RELATE TO RACE. 
          SO WE FIND OURSELVES, UM, EITHER OFFENDING EACH OTHER OR, OR, UM, OR RETREAT INTO OUR CORNERS WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING THOSE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS. 
          AND I THINK THEY JUST NEED TO BE ON A BROADER SCALE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE FOREFRONT SO THAT WE CAN HANDLE, HANDLE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE PROGRESSIVELY THAN, THAN WAITING ON SOMETHING TO BLOW UP AND HAVING ALL KINDS OF ISSUES WITH THE CITY. 
          CAUSE WE ALL WANT THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO SINCE THIS IS A NEW COMMISSION, IT WILL BE, UM, AN WE'RE UNDERTAKING SOME, SOME BIG INITIATIVES OR FORESEE THAT IT WILL BE A, A GOOD TIME COMMITMENT. 
          WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF TIME, TIME, COMMITMENT TO GET TO THIS COMMITMENT? WELL, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A NINE TO FIVE, NOT QUITE WELFARE REPORT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I'M PRETTY INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS. 
          I CAN COMMIT SOME TIME. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, W WE ALL HAVE TIME TO MAKE OUR HOMES A LITTLE BETTER, AND THIS IS, THIS IS CLOSE TO HOME. 
          SO IF I HAD TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE SHELF TO, TO SACRIFICE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO NOT THAT'S, THAT'S NO PROBLEM. 
          I DON'T, MY KIDS ARE GROWN, EVEN THOUGH RACHEL WAS PROBABLY IN THE OTHER ROOM. 
          SHE COULD PROBABLY HEAR ME. 
          SHE'S GROWN. 
          SHE KEEPS SAYING, I DON'T LIVE HERE YET. 
          EVERY, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TWO DAYS I'M LOOKING AT IT, I'VE RAISED MY TWO KIDS. 
          ONE OF THEM STILL LIVES IN HEBREW HEIGHTS AND JONATHAN STILL LIVES HERE. 
          AND RACHEL LIVES OVER IN BEAVER CREEK AND THEY BOTH WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          SHE WORKS ON BASE. 
          HE WORKS OVER IN ONE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS HERE. 
          UM, WE, WE ARE WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE AREA AND THIS IS HOME, SO THE CO WILL MAKE THE COMMITMENT. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THE COMMISSION? THE TOP TWO OR THREE, TOP THREE? UM, I WOULD SAY, UM, NUMBER, NUMBER ONE, BE ABLE TO FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, MINORITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE CITY. 
          UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE W WHEN YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVE DIVERSITY IS WHEN YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY EVERYBODY'S INVITED, UM, SO THE PARTY, SO IT COMES TO THE PARTY. 
          INCLUSION IS, IS WHEN YOU MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VAPE, TO DANCE. 
          SO, AND, AND THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION DIVERSITY AND SAID, WELL, NO, LOOK, WE HAVE THIS, WE HAVE THIS. 
          BUT INCLUSION MEANS TO, TO, TO BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE, TO THE, TO THE FOREFRONT AGAIN, AND STILL RESPECT THOSE DIFFERENCES AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS THE DIFFERENCES OF THOSE PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT GROUPS, HOWEVER, THEY ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH THAT, THAT ADDED VALUE TO THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION. 
          I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WITH THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE NUMBER ONE, TO CREATE COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF DIVERSITY AND THE NEED FOR INCLUSION. 
          UM, NUMBER TWO, I WOULD SAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INFUSE THOSE, UM, THOSE RACIAL EQUITY TOOLS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THAT WE ARE, THAT WE ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE DIVERSE AND, AND RESPECTING THE, UH, THE CONTRIBUTION OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. 
          SO WHO, AND AGAIN, NO MATTER HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE APART OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          OKAY, THAT WAS NUMBER TWO, RIGHT? THAT WAS NUMBER TWO. 
          AND NUMBER THREE, SIMPLY BE RESPECTFUL. 
          AND OUR EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS WHEN WE GO TO KROGER OR MEIJER, OR, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER WE ARE AND TRY TO TEACH OUR COMMUNITY TO VALUE THAT DIVERSITY. 
          AND I THINK IF WE CAN DO THOSE THREE THINGS, THEN WE BEGAN TO IMPACT THE, UM, THE, THE, THE ECONOMY, IF YOU WILL, AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO RESPOND 
          [01:05:01]
TO A SITUATION, DEALING WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RACE, AND TELL US HOW YOU RESPONDED. 
          UH, LET ME SEE WHEN I HAD TO DEAL WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY OR RACE. 
          UM, AND I'M THINKING THAT THERE ARE SO MANY INSTANCES, CAUSE I SERVE LIKE ON THE, UM, THE STRONG STAR OIL STRONG START TO FINISH, UH, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PANEL. 
          AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE AND EQUITY AS THEY RELATE TO, UM, EDUCATION AND EDUCATION AND WHAT WE CALL THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS. 
          AND THAT, THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST TIMES THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEBODY WHAT, WHAT FARE DOES HE IS. 
          AND, AND, AND I'M KIND KINDA LAID BACK ABOUT MY APPROACH, BUT TO PUT IT, WE'LL TRY TO PUT IT SUCCINCTLY, I'LL PUT IT. 
          I GAVE HIM AN EXAMPLE, SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE 10 KIDS, RIGHT. 
          AND THIS IS HOW I EXPLAINED IT TO THEM. 
          UM, IF ALL OF THOSE 10 KIDS NEED SHOES AND YOU GIVE THEM ALL A PAIR OF SHOES, WHERE IS THAT FAIR? YEAH, THAT'S FAIR. 
          NOW. 
          THEY ALL GOT SHOES. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE GOOD. 
          RIGHT? NO, WE'RE NOT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT EQUITABLE. 
          RIGHT? IF THEY HAVE SHOES THAT FIT IN, THEY ALL HAVE SHOE STRINGS AND THEY CAN WALK IN THOSE SHOES AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE THE SAME STEPS AND MOVE WITH THE SAME PROGRESS. 
          THEN THAT BECOMES EQUITABLE. 
          AND IT WAS IN THAT MOMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FOLKS AT THE TABLE FROM DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY SEE EQUITY AND FAIRNESS DIFFERENTLY, UM, AND MAYBE NOT IN THE SAME FRAMEWORK PARADIGM AS I DO, THEY WERE BETTER ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT WAS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND OFTEN I INFUSE MYSELF INTO THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS SO THAT I CAN HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQUITY INCLUSION, WHAT DIVERSITY IS VERSUS INCLUSION, WHAT THAT MEANS IN A BROADER SENSE TO HELP, NOT JUST AN EDUCATIONAL, BUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO MAKE THEM BETTER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS, A BIAS. 
          OH, I GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF BIASES. 
          OH, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT? RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, I USED TO TELL HIM, I STILL, MY EMPLOYEES ALL THE TIME, THEY SAID, ARE YOU PROUD THAT IT'S YOUR BOSS? BUT NO, ALMOST EVERYBODY IS PREJUDICE. 
          WE ALL COME TO THE TABLE WITH DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE THINK MAKE PEOPLE, UM, DIFFERENT FROM US. 
          THOSE ARE PREJUDICE, ACTING ON THOSE PREJUDICE BECOME THE DISCRIMINATORY. 
          BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BIASES, BIASES, AND SOMETHING THAT, THAT SOMEBODY CAN DO OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN BE, THAT MAKES THEM WHAT IT MAKES YOU THINK THAT THEY CAN'T DO SOMETHING. 
          LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M BIAS AGAINST SLOW PEOPLE. 
          SO WHEN I HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IN THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ENVIRONMENT CAME TO ME AND SAID, HEY, I'M LOOKING FOR A LIGHT WORK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND IT TRIGGERS ME, OKAY, NOW WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME? AND, AND JUST FOR ME, BECAUSE I KNEW MY TIME WAS VALUABLE IN RUNNING RESTAURANTS, IT WAS A BIAS. 
          OR IF SOMEBODY CAME IN WITH AN APPLICATION AND IT TOOK THEM THREE AND A HALF MINUTES TO GET FROM THE DOOR TO JONAH, BUT I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS DRAGGING FEET. 
          YEAH. 
          I GOT BIASES BECAUSE I KNOW I NEED YOU TO WORK IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I NEED YOU TO MOVE FAST. 
          AND IF YOU'RE NOT DEMONSTRATING THAT COMING IN THE DOOR, THAT'S A BIAS. 
          SO A BIAS IS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE BRINGS TO THE TABLE THAT IS GOING TO INFLUENCE HOW YOU THINK ABOUT THEM WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THEM. 
          THAT'S A BIAS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE? AND THAT GOES BACK TO MY, UM, MY, MY NUMBER ONE POINT, HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THAT? YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND SHARE EXPERIENCES, BUT YET YOU HAVE TO START. 
          UM, AND THIS IS THE TRICKY PART. 
          YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT A SAFE SPACE. 
          AND THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN MAKE THAT A SAFE SPACE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THAT SPACE FEELS SAFE AND SECURE ENOUGH TO EXPRESS IN THEIR PARENTS TIMES AND PERSPECTIVES THAT WILL BE, UM, TARGETED OR, OR HARASSED. 
          AND WAS THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN. 
          THEN YOU CAN, THEN YOU CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS FACE TO FACE. 
          I HAVE A LOT FRIENDS OF ALL DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS. 
          AND THEY'LL ASK ME, CAN I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU OFFLINE? AND I DON'T MIND YEAH. 
          INBOX ME YOUR PHONE NUMBER. 
          AND I CALL THEM AND I GIVE THEM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND THIS IS WANTING TO TEACH THEM WHY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, 400 YEARS OF OPPRESSION, IT'S DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN THAT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PARADIGM. 
          UM, SO W WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, EQUITY AND DIVERSITY, 
          [01:10:02]
YOU HAVE TO BE ON A, I'M NOT GONNA SAY A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, BUT AT LEAST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE OTHER PEOPLE. 
          AND THAT CAN ONLY BE COMMUNICATED IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE TO START THAT, BUT BY MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT ENVIRONMENT EXISTS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION. 
          YES. 
          SO, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? THE CHALLENGES FACED BY FOLKS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS WHO, UM, IGNORANCE IN MY OPINION, IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. 
          UM, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE I DEAL WITH LOUD VOICES THAT SIMPLY DON'T KNOW WHY THOSE GROUPS FEEL UNDERREPRESENTED, OR WHY THOSE GROUPS ARE UNDERREPRESENTED, OR WHY THEY FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO EXPRESS THE REASONS THAT THEY'RE UNDERREPRESENTED. 
          AND, UM, AND, AND GETTING PAST THAT IGNORANCE IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. 
          YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT JUST SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, OR THEY JUST SIMPLY DISAGREED. 
          AND THEY'LL SAY, WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, MY FOLKS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, RUNNING THIS FOR WHATEVER, HOWEVER MANY YEARS, AND WHY CAN'T BLACK FOLKS OR PEOPLE OF COLOR OR NATIVE AMERICANS OR WOMEN, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, HOW COME THEY CAN'T BE LIKE ME? AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE, THEY'VE STARTED THE RACE FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT STEPS AHEAD, SO THAT, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. 
          SO IT'S THAT IGNORANCE THAT, THAT, THAT IS IN THE WAY OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. 
          AND ALMOST ANYWHERE YOU GOT FOLKS THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA AGREE WITH YOUR PERSPECTIVE. 
          SO, AND AGAIN, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT AND TRY TO TALK TO THEM. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEIR MIND. 
          SO ALL YOU CAN DO IS BE POSITIVE AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. 
          I WISH YOU THE BEST. 
          AND GOD BLESS. 
          WE'LL KEEP IT MOVING. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          DO YOU, THE, ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO ASK FRED FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS NOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? UM, NO, NOT AT ALL. 
          NOT AT ALL. 
          HOW, UM, WHEN, WHEN DOES THE DECISION PROCESS COMPLETED? REALLY? OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          SO WE WILL MAKE A I, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, THE WEEK OF THE AUGUST 12TH, AND THEN THEY WILL ACT ON, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION. 
          IT'S I DON'T KNOW THAT. 
          YES. 
          FELLOW HIGHER ED PERSON, DR. 
          AKINS. 
          UM, I WORK AT WRIGHT STATE FOR THE CULTURE AND IDENTITY CENTER ALSO CAMPUS. 
          SO ANOTHER HIGHER ED FOLK BOLINGO CENTER, UH, NEXT TO THE BOLINGA. 
          I DO LATIN X, ASIAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS. 
          WE'RE ONE OF THE FOUR. 
          SO, BUT I DO WORK WITH THE BOLINGA CENTER, SO THAT'S COOL. 
          WELL, THAT'S THE QUESTION OF MEETING ALL THESE EDUCATORS. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          IT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BYE. 
          BYE. 
          I DID SEND AN EMAIL TO OUR LAST INTERVIEWEE JUST A SECOND AGO, TO LET THEM KNOW. 
          WE ENDED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND THAT SHE COULD SIGN IN AS SOON AS SHE'S AVAILABLE. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR TILL SEVEN TO CONTINUE WITH THE LAST I'M GONNA GRAB A QUICK GLASS OF WATER AND I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. 
          I REALIZE I TYPE MUCH BETTER THAN I WRITE, BUT SINCE MY COMPUTER IS BEING USED FOR THE MEETING, I DIDN'T WANT TO TYPE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND TRY TO DECIPHER MY OWN LITTLE CHICKEN SCRATCH HERE 
          [01:15:32]
AGAIN. 
          SO IN CASE HE WANTS TO WATCHING THE LIVE STREAM, WE ARE JUST IN BETWEEN OUR THIRD AND FOURTH INTERVIEWS AND A WAITING FOR THE LAST INTERVIEWEE OF THE NIGHT TO JOIN US IN THE REMOTE MEETING. 
          AND I'M, AS SOON AS THEY DO, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THAT AND WRAP UP THE MEETING FOR THIS EVENING, JUST FYI, YOU CAN RIGHT CLICK ON THE INTERVIEWEE'S PICTURE AND IT'LL JUST PIN THEIR PICTURE SO THAT YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THEM. 
          AND KEVIN WANTS TO BECOMING EXPERTS IN, UH, VIRTUAL MEETINGS AT THIS POINT. 
          HUH? IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE AN EDUCATION OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF FIELD YOU'RE IN. 
          UM, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO LEARN IT ANYMORE, WHETHER YOU WANT TO, OR NOT NO LONGER AN OPTION. 
          YEAH, WE'RE ALREADY, I THINK DID, UM, SAID ONLY ABOUT LESS THAN A THIRD OF OUR CLASSES ARE GOING TO BE IN PERSON. 
          SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE CALLING IT A HYBRID SCHEDULE, MOST OF OUR CLASSES ARE FULLY REMOTE FOR FALL. 
          SO STUDENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR FACE TO FACE CLASSES ARE NOW SLOWLY GETTING EMAILS THIS LAST WEEK OR TWO TO SWITCH THEIR CLASSES TO FULLY ONLINE. 
          LIKE MY SON'S IS FULLY ONLINE AND I WAS DEBATING GETTING, I STILL WANT HIM TO LIVE ON CAMPUS AND PAY ALL THAT EXTRA MONEY FOR HIM TO BE FULLY REMOTE, BUT HE WANTS THAT EXPERIENCE OF LIVING AWAY FROM HOME. 
          SO WE'RE SO YOU'RE TOURING BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PARENTS WHO ARE NOW WANTING TO PULL THEIR FRESHMEN OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT EXPERIENCE OF LIVING ON CAMPUS. 
          AND DON'T WANT TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF BEING IN A DORM. 
          AND THEY DON'T HAVE FACE TO FACE CLASSES AND THEIR RULES TODAY WHERE THEY CAN'T HAVE VISITORS. 
          SO YOU CAN'T HAVE VISITORS IN YOUR DORM AND YOU BASICALLY, ALL THE COMMON AREAS HAVE BEEN CLOSED. 
          SO, AND MOST SERVICES ON CAMPUS ARE REMOTE. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM. 
          IT'S LIKE, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOUR KIDS ON CAMPUS, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SAME PROGRAMS FOR THEM IN THE FALL. 
          YEAH. 
          IT REALLY IS A SHAME IF YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, A NEW COLLEGE STUDENT OR SOMETHING, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT EXPERIENCE. 
          I TRY TO ENVISION WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE HAD I BEEN IN THAT SITUATION, CAUSE THOSE ARE SUCH FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES AND STUFF. 
          AND MOST OF IT IS BASED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, FACE TO FACE CONTACT AND SITUATIONAL, NOT JUST THE EDUCATIONAL PART, BUT THE SOCIAL PART AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          SO MY DAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, SHE FINISHED HER FIRST YEAR, COLLEGE LAST YEAR. 
          I SEEN WITH THE SCHOOL DOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND, UH, SO, BUT A FEW WEEKS AGO SHE PLAYS ON THE VOLLEYBALL 
          [01:20:01]
TEAM DOWN THERE AND THE COACH HAD A, WE HAD A ZOOM CALL AND, AND SHE TOLD, UH, YOU KNOW, TOLD THE PLAYERS AND THEY HAD THE PARENTS THERE AS WELL SAYING, HEY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A VOLLEYBALL SEASON THIS FALL. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THERE, THE CAMPUS WILL BE OPEN, BUT I'M ENCOURAGING YOU ALL TO JUST STAY AT HOME. 
          RIGHT. 
          IT'S, YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST,  PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE SEPARATES IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S THE BETTER CHOICE FOR YOU. 
          AND OF COURSE MY DAUGHTER, AND MAYBE A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT WERE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, YOU KNOW, CAUSE ONCE YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AWAY FROM HOME, ESPECIALLY FOR YOU AND YOU COME BACK ON YOUR MOM AND DAD'S ROOM, IT'S NOT THE SAME, RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY. 
          THOUGH. 
          YOU'RE DUCKED. 
          CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE UNDER MY ROOF, I MEAN, YEAH, YOU'RE AN ADULT. 
          SOMEBODY GIVE YOU SOME READERS, BUT STILL YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL. 
          SO IT SEEMS A LITTLE POINTED. 
          I SAID, I TOLD HER, I SAID, WELL, TECHNICALLY YOU CAN GO BACK IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN'T FORCE YOU TO STAY HERE. 
          BUT AGAIN, IF YOU REALLY THINK THIS THING THROUGH, IS THIS THE BEST THING FOR YOU TO STAY HERE AT HOME? PLUS I SAID, IF YOU WENT, LIKE IF YOU WENT BACK TO CAMPUS, CAMPUS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. 
          YOU WON'T HAVE A LOT, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO ENJOY SOME OF THE, THE SOCIAL, UH, EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCES THAT YOU NORMALLY WOULD HAVE. 
          RIGHT. 
          THERE'D BE A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS. 
          YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GO, MAYBE THE STUDENT UNION AND HANG OUT. 
          RIGHT. 
          HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE VISITATION. 
          IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, AFTER A WEEK OR TWO I'LL WANT TO COME HOME BECAUSE THIS ISN'T WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I EXPECTED. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M NOT MOM AND DAD'S HOME, BUT I JUST CAN'T DO A WHOLE LOT. 
          THERE WAS NO PARTIES AND THERE THERE'S NO REAL EVENTS THAT YOU CAN REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW? UM, AND SO, SO I THINK SHE RECOGNIZED THAT AND SAID, YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BEST FOR ME TO STAY AT, STAY AT HOME AND UH, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THE NEXT SEMESTER. 
          UM, SO YEAH, IT, IT IT'LL BE DIFFERENT. 
          SO HOW ARE THEY? SO AT RICE STATE, ARE THEY, IS THE TUITION STILL THE SAME, WHETHER YOU YOU'RE, YOU GO ON CAMPUS OR WHETHER OR NOT WHETHER YOU DO IT VIA ONLINE, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          WELL, CAUSE STILL, UM, OUR FACULTY ARE STILL TEACHING AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT JUST, WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO HAVE 'EM IN PERSON, LIKE IN PERSON MEETINGS OR IN PERSON THING. 
          AND I HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD YET. 
          AND IT'S STILL, I'M STILL WAITING ON WHEN I'M EVEN ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO MY OFFICE TO GET, TO GET MY KID, ANY SUPPLIES. 
          I MEAN, I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE BACK ON CAMPUS SINCE MAY. 
          SO THEY NOW, THEY JUST OPENED UP THIS WEEK TO ALLOW SOME FACULTY IN SO THEY CAN GET IN THEIR ROOMS, THEIR OFFICES TO GET THEIR, UM, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO TEACH. 
          SO THEY'RE ALLOWING THEM IN THIS WEEK. 
          AND I KNOW SOME OF THE OFFICES OF THAT DON'T HAVE FACE TO FACE STUDENTS. 
          AREN'T STUDENT SERVICES, SUCH AS OUR PAYROLL, HR, THOSE, UM, THOSE OFFICES ARE ALLOWED TO BE BACK AT WORK, BUT THEY, UH, THEY WORKING ALTERNATE, ALTERNATE SHIFTS, LIKE ONE DAY THERE'LL BE IN THE OFFICE AND THE OTHER HALF WILL BE HOME. 
          THEN THE OTHER HALF WILL BE IN. 
          THEN THEY GO BACK AND FORTH. 
          BUT I WORK IN A STUDENT, STUDENT FOCUS AREA, WHICH MEANS IF I'M THERE AND THE CENTER IS OPEN, NO MATTER WHAT YOU TELL THE STUDENTS, THEY COME IN, THIS IS THEIR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. 
          THEY HANG OUT THERE. 
          THEY DO. 
          AND, UM, I, WE ARE AT THE POINT OF THE DIRECTORS AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT NOT BEING THERE UNTIL YOU ALLOW STUDENTS BACK ON CAMPUS BECAUSE MAKE DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR US TO BE THERE. 
          AND THEN HAVING TO TELL STUDENTS THEY HAVE TO LEAVE BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANT IS TO NOT BE WELCOMING AND TELL STUDENTS THEY HAVE TO GO AND THEY'RE IN THE PLACE THAT THAT'S THEIR HOME, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THEIR AREA. 
          SO RIGHT NOW WE JUST PREFER, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET THE STUDENTS BEYOND CAMPUS THAT WAY, THEN JUST NOT OPEN THE CENTERS FOR FACE TO FACE. 
          WE'LL STILL CONTINUE TO DO VIRTUALLY, LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING SO, BUT IT'S ALL, IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE NEW, NEW THING. 
          AND IT JUST TRYING TO GET OUR, UM, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATION JUST TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. 
          IT'S, IT'S HARD. 
          STUDENTS HAVE QUESTIONS, PARENTS. 
          I AM DEALING WITH PARENTS EVERY DAY WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, SO SHOULD WE MOVE THEM IN? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU. 
          I I'M, AS A PARENT, I WOULD PREFER NOT TO, AS THAT WOULD BE MY CHOICE. 
          BUT AS SOMEBODY WHO SEES THAT THE SCHOOL'S ALREADY HURTING FOR FINANCES AND ENROLLMENT, WE, WE WOULD BE SERIOUSLY IN MORE FINANCIAL TROUBLE LOSING A LOT OF RESIDENTS. 
          SO YEAH. 
          SO I'M, I'M TORN CAUSE I'VE HAD PARENTS TELL ME, SHOULD I SEND THEM TO THE SINCLAIR? IT'LL SAVE YOU MONEY. 
          I'M LIKE, GOD, YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT, YEAH. 
          IF THAT'S THE CHOICE DO FOR YOUR GENERAL ED, THEN I DON'T BLAME YOU. 
          YOU KNOW, BUT SEEING HOW MY ENROLLMENT'S DOWN, I REALLY NEED YOU ON CAMERA. 
          YES. 
          THAT THOSE TWO HATS 
          [01:25:01]
THAT YOU'RE WEARING, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          IT'S A PARITY THAT AS A, AS A, AS AN EMPLOYEE. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS OBVIOUSLY COULD FLIP, BUT GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. 
          THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS INTERVIEW WITH ME. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          I'M GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER TO YOLANDA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M TALKING TO MY SCREEN, BUT NOT TO YOU. 
          APPARENTLY I AM YOLANDA STEVENS. 
          I'M THE CHAIRPERSON FOR THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION. 
          SO WELCOME TONIGHT. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS COMMISSION. 
          UM, HAVE, OR OTHER THAN THREE COMMISSION MEMBERS WITH US TONIGHT, MIA HONAKER, RHONDA SUNLAND AND ERIC STEVENS. 
          AND WE WILL BE CONDUCTING A 30 MINUTE INTERVIEW TONIGHT. 
          SO, UM, AND WE'LL BE TAKING NOTES OF SEE PEOPLE LOOKING DOWN. 
          THEY'RE STILL PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT AHEAD AND DIVE IN. 
          AND OUR FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU TONIGHT IS HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS AND ARE YOU A REGISTERED VOTER? OKAY. 
          I, THIS IS MY THIRD TIME LIVING IN CUBA AND THIS TIME IT'S BEEN 14 YEARS. 
          UM, AND OTHER TIMES I WAS HERE RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. 
          I LIVED HERE LIKE FOUR YEARS AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER YEAR, UM, BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, BUT 14 YEARS I'VE BEEN A REGISTERED VOTER SINCE, UM, I THINK 1970. 
          I'VE NEVER MISSED ANY ELECTION. 
          I'M VERY, VERY, UM, ADAMANT ABOUT THAT. 
          SO. 
          OKAY. 
          IF YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? ABSOLUTELY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, PLEASE SUCCINCTLY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY ENGAGED, MINT, AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'VE GOT A LOT OF THAT TYPE OF BACKGROUND. 
          I WORKED, UM, 29 YEARS FOR THE UNITED WAY IN DAYTON AND I WAS DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION AND ALSO ETHICS AND DIVERSITY, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THAT. 
          UM, SO WE DID A LOT OF, UM, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS FOR OUR UNITED WAY STAFF. 
          EVERY MONTH WE WOULD HIGHLIGHT A DIFFERENT, UM, ETHNIC GROUP THAT WE WOULD BRING HER IN AS A SPEAKER. 
          UM, WE WOULD EVEN, UH, PROVIDE AN ETHNIC LUNCH FOR THEM. 
          UM, SO THAT WAS THE, UM, THE, THE, UH, LOCAL EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. 
          I WAS THE LGBTQ, UM, CONVENER FOR THE UNITED WAY OF AMERICA. 
          AND IN THAT CHARGE, UM, THERE WERE, UM, A GROUP OF US THAT REPRESENTED ALL OF THE DIVERSE GROUPS THAT WERE EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE NATIONAL UNITED WAY SYSTEM. 
          AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL AND TO, UM, PROVIDE EDUCATION, UM, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WAS TO REDEVELOP AN HR TOOL KIT THAT INCLUDED DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE POLICIES FOR THE VARIOUS LOCAL UNITED WAYS TO USE. 
          AND THEN ALSO LOCALLY, UM, I'M THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE DATE AND THE LGBT CENTER. 
          I DID THAT FOR MANY YEARS AND, UM, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO, UH, ACTIVATE LGBT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, UM, AND ASIAN COMMUNITY JUST TO GET THEM INVOLVED IF, IF THEY HAD THAT INTEREST IN THE LGBT CENTER. 
          UM, I'VE JUST DONE A LOT OF THAT. 
          I'VE BEEN, UM, ON COMMITTEES WITH, UM, EQUALITY, OHIO I'VE DONE, UM, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, OUTREACHES WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN. 
          SO BESIDES WORKING IN HR FOR, UM, 47 YEARS, A LOT OF THAT WORK JUST BY, UM, BEING IN THE HR FUNCTION, INCLUDED DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WORK. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING. 
          UM, I'M NOT REAL KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE PURPOSE IS. 
          UM, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SERVING THOUGH AS A, AS A 
          [01:30:01]
CITIZEN OF HUBER HEIGHTS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE DIFFERENT DIVERSE GROUPS WERE RECOGNIZED IN VARIOUS, UM, UM, UH, EVENTS THAT WOULD HAVE HA THAT WOULD HAPPEN THAT THE CITY MIGHT SPONSOR, UM, UH, IN, UH, IF THERE ARE LAWS AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT NEED TO BE DEVELOPED THAT ALL OF THE, UM, DIVERSE GROUPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE, UM, ACCOMMODATED UNDER THOSE, UH, RULES AND SO FORTH. 
          UM, AND I APOLOGIZE NOT BEING A LITTLE MORE UP TO DATE ON EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMISSION, UM, HAS OR HAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED TO THIS DATE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WE'RE NEWLY FORMED COMMISSION, SO, OKAY. 
          THAT'S WHY I DON'T KNOW. 
          YEAH. 
          SO HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO THE COMMISSION? THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS A NEWLY FORMED COMMISSION THAT WILL BE QUITE A BIT OF TIME, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT PHASE AND THINGS. 
          SO WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO GET? WELL, I'M RETIRED NOW. 
          I'M, I AM 70 YEARS OLD. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE ON A LAW. 
          YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO ASK THAT, BUT I'M 70 YEARS OLD. 
          UM, I DO, UM, VOLUNTEER WORK WITH MY THERAPY DOGS. 
          UH, WE VISITED A LOT OF LOCATIONS AROUND THE DAYTON AREA, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, I PRETTY MUCH HAVE COMPLETE FLEXIBILITY AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT, UM, WOULD BE A VOLUNTEER TYPE OF, UH, OF AN ARRANGEMENT WHERE, UM, I CAN START GIVING BACK CAUSE I MISSED THAT AS PART OF MY WORK. 
          UM, SO I HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND A LOT OF TIME THAT I COULD DO VOTE FOR THIS. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THE COMMISSION? WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS THINKING. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE VIA A, UM, A SURVEY, AN ONLINE TOOL. 
          UM, SO I WOULD THINK THAT, UM, BEFORE ANY OTHER, UM, FORWARD MOTION COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED, THAT WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE THINKING, IF ANYTHING MISSING IN THEIR, IN THEIR LIVES, BEING A CITIZEN OF HUBER HEIGHTS OR WHAT THEIR ASPIRATIONS WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD, UM, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE PRESENTED TO THEM AS CITIZENS. 
          UM, I GUESS ANOTHER THING WOULD BE VISIBILITY. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF EVENTS WANTS THIS PANDEMIC IS OVER WITH, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF EVENTS THAT ARE HELD IN HUBER. 
          I MEAN, EVEN SOMETHING LIKE THE FARMER'S MARKET THAT IS HELD, UM, HAVING A BOOTH THERE, IT WOULD HAVE INFORMATION, UM, THAT COULD BE GIVEN ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE COMMISSION IS DOING. 
          UM, AND I THINK PROBABLY THIRDLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, UM, LINKS TO OTHER, UM, SIMILAR TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN CITIES THAT COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO COMPLETELY REINVENT THE WHEEL. 
          WE COULD REACH OUT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU FOLKS DOING IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT SEEMS TO WORK AND SEEMS TO BE SUCCESSFUL? UM, SO I THINK THOSE WOULD BE THREE GOOD WAYS TO GET STARTED. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHTY, GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO RESPOND TO A SITUATION, DEALING WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RACE AND TELL US HOW YOU RESPONDED. 
          UM, ACTUALLY I HAD THAT A LOT IN MY WORK WITH UNITED WAY AS A HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR. 
          UM, I WOULD HA I MEAN, I KNEW WHAT THE EMPLOYMENT LAWS WERE AND I KNEW IN MY HEART WHAT I, WHAT, WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME AS THE HR DIRECTOR AND THIS WOULD BE IN LIKE HIRING DECISIONS. 
          AND, UM, THERE WERE TIMES THAT I HAD TO GO UP AGAINST, UM, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, UH, WHO WAS A NON-MINORITY WHO WANTED ME TO HIRE A FRIEND OF THEIRS WHO WAS A NON-MINORITY. 
          I WAS LEANING TOWARD THE MINORITY CANDIDATE STRICTLY BECAUSE OF THE BACKGROUND AND THE EDUCATION AND THE, AND THE, UM, THE LIST OF EXPERIENCES THAT PERSON HAD. 
          AND, UM, I WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS BECAUSE WE WERE A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION 
          [01:35:01]
ABOUT MY OWN WILLINGNESS TO FOG FOLLOW THE CEOS, UM, UM, DIRECTIVES. 
          UM, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT TENSE BECAUSE HE WAS MY DIRECT SUPERVISOR. 
          SO THAT WAS A LITTLE TOUGH ON THAT. 
          BUT, UM, I WANT OUT IN THE END, SO I WAS GLAD ABOUT THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          I WAS GLAD ABOUT THAT. 
          SO THE OUTCOME WAS, I HIRED MY MINORITY CANDIDATE AND, UM, THEY HAD A GOOD 10, 15 YEARS WITH THE ORGANIZATION. 
          UM, SO IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD. 
          IT WAS A GOOD OUTCOME. 
          GOOD. 
          CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE? IT COULD BE THAT YOU HAVE, OR THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED, I HAVE EXPERIENCED WELL, OR THAT YOU HAVE, OKAY. 
          I'M A LESBIAN AND, UM, I HAVE, UH, I'VE HAD ISSUES, UH, AND I'M, I'M ALSO A CATHOLIC. 
          AND WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET, I WAS, UM, IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM ALL OF MY VOLUNTEER WORK AT MY PARISH. 
          AND THAT WAS REALLY HURTFUL CAUSE I'VE BEEN A CATHOLIC ALL MY LIFE AND I WAS VERY ACTIVE AT THE, AT THE PARISH. 
          UM, THAT WAS A, UM, I GUESS THAT WAS A PERSONAL BIAS AGAINST ME. 
          AND ONE, I CAN RECALL, UM, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, UH, HAD LOST HER VISION AND SHE HAD TO HAVE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF ADAPTIVE SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE TO BE ABLE TO DO HER JOB. 
          AND THE ORGANIZATION WAS NOT WILLING TO, UM, SPEND THE MONEY ON ACCOMMODATING HER. 
          AND, UM, AND SHE WAS AN EXCELLENT EMPLOYEE. 
          WE NEEDED TO KEEP HER. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I SAW THAT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THROUGH REGULAR CHANNELS. 
          SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME GRANT MONEY AND, UM, GET WHAT SHE NEEDED. 
          AND SHE WORKED ALMOST AS LONG AS I DID AND RETIRED FROM THE ORGANIZATION. 
          SO, RIGHT. 
          HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE? UM, I, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON NOW IN THE WORLD, THAT'S THERE. 
          I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT VALUE DIVERSITY. 
          UM, I, I THINK I WOULD FIND, UM, SITUATIONS AND INCIDENCES WHERE DIVERSITY ACTUALLY WAS SOMETHING THAT ADDED TO THE SITUATION. 
          IT WAS SOMETHING THAT, UM, MADE EVERYTHING BETTER AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL COULD LEARN FROM. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY, I GUESS, TO STRESS THAT EVERYONE BRINGS VALUE TO THE TABLE AND THAT, UM, UH, I CAN'T THINK OF A SPECIFIC INCIDENTS, BUT I THINK JUST TO, UM, DESCRIBE THAT EVERYONE DOES HAVE VALUE AND THEY CAN BRING THAT AND, AND OVERALL EVERYONE CAN LEARN FROM DIVERSITY AND, AND MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER BECAUSE OF IT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION. 
          OKAY. 
          IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? I THINK GETTING A FOOT IN THE DOOR, UM, GETTING, UM, UH, TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE VALUE THAT THEY BRING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR AND, UM, AND SHARE YOUR TALENTS THAT YOU HAVE, IT'S THAT TO ME IS A REAL STUMBLING BLOCK FOR A LOT OF MINORITIES. 
          AND I KNOW THAT HAPPENS A LOT. 
          UM, UH, I THINK THAT UNDER-REPRESENTATION IN A LOT OF SITUATIONS IS A, IS A CHALLENGE FOR, UM, UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS. 
          UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I STRUGGLE EVERY DAY ABOUT HOW I CAN, AS ONE, ONE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE OF A, UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE OF A SYSTEMATIC CHANGE TO MAKE THINGS 
          [01:40:02]
SO THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. 
          AND, UM, WE'RE ALL RECOGNIZED. 
          AND, UM, UH, I, I DON'T, DOES THAT, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION CHALLENGES? DO YOU SEE THAT THEY FACE, WELL, I THINK, UM, RACE RACISM IS STILL OUT THERE AND I THINK THAT'S A REAL, I MEAN, I JUST, IN THE LITTLE BIT OF DISCRIMINATION I HAVE FACED AS A GAY WOMAN, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE SOME OF THE STRIFE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT BLACK PEOPLE AND BROWN PEOPLE GO THROUGH. 
          UM, I JUST, UM, I THINK RACIST, YOU KNOW, RACISM TO ME IS JUST A REAL, IT'S A TERRIBLE BLEMISH ON OUR COUNTRY. 
          AND, UM, I, TO ME, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT PEOPLE WOULD FACE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          MEMBERS HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO THE ONES THAT WE JUST ASKED? UM, ARE YOU ASKING ME? I WAS ASKING THE COMMISSION ENDED UP, SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M SORRY. 
          YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          I DO NOT. 
          OKAY. 
          I APOLOGIZE, ERIC. 
          I CUT YOU OFF. 
          NO, I WOULD JUST SAY THANK YOU, VICKY. 
          OH, SURE THING. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, VICKI. 
          WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE CONSIDERING ME. 
          AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK ME? YOU HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND ALWAYS GLAD TO HELP. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          HAVE A GOOD EVENING. 
          ALRIGHTY, BYE. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THAT WAS OUR LAST INTERVIEW FOR THIS EVENING. 
          SO IF WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL KNOWN THIS, THIS, OKAY. 
          THEN WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING FOR TONIGHT AT 7:17 PM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I CAN'T HEAR YOU. 
          YOU'RE ON MUTE AND WILL REJOIN AGAIN ON MONDAY AT FIVE 30 FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF INTERVIEWS. 
          SORRY. 
          AND, UH, UH, GOOD JOB EVERYBODY. 
          I THINK IT WENT WELL TONIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LINK UP AT FIVE 20. 
          BYE BYE. 
          ALRIGHT, BYE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.