* 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. [00:00:01] ALL RIGHT. PERFECT. OKAY. WE [ AGENDA CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION Remote Meeting August 6, 2020 5:30 P.M. ] WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION. UM, AND CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? MIA HONAKER HERE. ERIC STEVENS HERE, YOUR WANDA STEVENS HERE THIS SUMMER HERE. ALL RIGHT. UM, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING. UH, ARE THERE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THOSE MINUTES? OKAY. SINCE THERE ARE NO AMENDMENTS, THE MEETINGS, THE MINUTES STAND AS WRITTEN AND WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR NEW BUSINESS. SO TONIGHT WE HAVE INTERVIEWS FOR OUR COMMISSION VACANCY. WE HAVE FOUR INTERVIEWS, UM, AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST APPLICANT ON WITH THIS NOW, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO HIRE THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. IT CREATES A DIVERSE COMMISSION. SO WITH THAT SAID, OUR FIRST APPLICANT IS MISS LAVERA. AND, UM, WELCOME. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW WITH YOU AND HAPPY THAT YOU HAVE THIS CONDITION AND REALLY HAPPY. SO I'M, I'M YOLANDA STEVENS. I AM THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION AND WE HAVE OUR THREE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS WITH US TONIGHT. ERIC STEVENS, RHONDA SUMLIN, AND MIA HONAKER. AND WE HAVE TONY AND KATIE WITH US FROM THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS AS WELL. SO TONIGHT WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 30 MINUTES WITH YOU WITH QUESTIONS. SO IT'LL BE A PRETTY, PRETTY QUICK SUCCINCT INTERVIEW. THANK YOU FOR YOU TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH US. YEAH. LONDA, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED. THERE'S SOME FEEDBACK COMING FROM SOMEWHERE. UM, LET ME START. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HEARS IT. YEAH, I HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING. I HEAR SOMETHING TOO. SO I THINK MAYBE IF EVERYBODY COULD MUTE THEIR, UH, THINGS EXCEPT YOLANDA AND LOOK ERA. OKAY. LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE IS MUTED NOW. IS THAT BETTER? YES, I HEAR A LITTLE BIT. MIGHT BE ME. OKAY. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO OUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. OUR FIRST QUESTION IS HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS? AND ARE YOU A REGISTERED VOTER? UH, ALMOST 46 YEARS SINCE, UH, 1974. YES, I AM A REGISTERED VOTER. AND IF YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? OH, YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, PLEASE SUCCINCTLY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS. OKAY, MAN, I'M GOING TO START OUT WITH MY BASIC EXPERIENCES MIGHT SOUND STRANGE, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GETTING IN ORDER BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO GET AN IN DEPTH VIEW OF ME ON OCTOBER SIX, 1941. MY MOM PICKED COTTON JUST ABOUT ALL DAY TO WRITE IT SUN DOWN. AND I WAS DELIVERED BY MY AUNT. THEN AT THAT TIME, WHO WAS A MIDWIFE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DID DURING THE TIME I WAS BORN. UH, AND SOME OF MY SKILLS COME FROM MY EXPERIENCE THAT GOES WAY BACK AND, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH, UH, RACE, RACE, RELATIONS, THE COMMUNITY, AND, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DO FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED FUTURE FOR NEWERS, WHERE I DEAL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE BASICALLY. AND I'LL, AND THE PARENTS TOO, FROM AGES FOUR TO 18, IF THEY'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, TEACHING THEM ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARENESS, BASICALLY. AND, AND OKAY, NOW SOME OF THOSE SKILLS THAT I HAVE, UH, LIKE I SAY, COMES FROM MY EXPERIENCE [00:05:01] AND MY EXPERIENCE TO NOT ONLY, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP ALL THE PEOPLE AND, UH, GIVE GOOD INFORMATION TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION. AND, AND AS, AS A RESULT OF THAT, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASON I WAS GIVEN THE MARTIN LUTHER KING AWARD, UH, WHEN I WAS WORKING ON THE BASE. AND, UH, I HAVE TO GIVE THIS, THIS EXPERIENCE TO ALSO WHEN I WAS LIKE ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD AND I WAS GROWING UP, UH, WE USED TO GO TO THE ZOO ONLY ON THURSDAY IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, CAUSE I WAS BORN IN BOLIVAR TENNESSEE. AND DURING THAT TIME, BLACKS COULD ONLY GO ONCE A WEEK. AND THIS WAS DURING THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAD THE WHITE SIGN, THE COLORED SIGN AND THAT KIND OF THING. AND I REMEMBER ONE SUMMER WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10, HOW, UH, AFTER WE HAD MEN AROUND IN THE ZOO ZILLA, IT WAS VERY HOT BECAUSE WE USED TO GO THE END OF JULY AND THE, LIKE THE FIRST PART OF ALL OF US, WE RELY ON UP TO DRINK WATER. AND I'M SO THIRSTY. AND I SEE ALL THESE KIDS IN FRONT OF ME BEHIND ME, IT SEEMED LIKE I WAS FIRST BACK IN THE LINE AND I LOOKED TO MY LEFT, NEVER WILL FORGET. AND I SAW ANOTHER WATER FOUNTAIN AND YOU KNOW, BEING CHILDISH, YOU KNOW, I LOOK TO SEE IF MY SON, HIS GOOD TEACHER WAS LOOKING AND I DASHED OVER TO THE OTHER WATER FOUNDING. AND AS, AS I WENT DOWN TO DRINK, I HEARD THIS SILENCE AND SCUFFLING BEHIND ME. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS HAPPENING AND THE MAIN THING WAS HAPPENING IS THE POLICE WAS GETTING READY TO HIT ME WITH A BILLY CLUB OVER THE HEAD. AND MY SON, HIS SCHOOL TEACHER INTERVENE. AND, AND WHEN THEY GOT UP AND I WAS STANDING THERE, THEY'RE ALL FRIGHTENED. HE SAID, THE POLICEMAN SAID, NAGER, CAN'T YOU READ? AND AT THAT TIME, THEN YOU 10 YEARS OLD, I LOOK UP AND I SEE THE SIGN. IT SAYS WHITE ONLY. AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, FRIGHTENED AND EVERYTHING. AND I BELIEVE AS A RESULT OF THAT EXPERIENCE FOLLOWED ME ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS 16 YEARS OLD, I BECAME A TEENAGE MEMOS, THE NAACP AND I WAS QUITE DIFFERENT. AND ME AND MY SISTER, AND THEN I WENT TO TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY. IT WAS CALLED TRINITY AND I THEN, AND I PARTICIPATED IN SCHOOL IN PHILLY AND WE HAD WHAT WE CALL THE STUDENT NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT. THEY TALK ABOUT THE INVALID MOVEMENT DURING THE SIXTIES, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY STARTED AS A STUDENT NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT AND THE, THE LEADERS IN OUR, FOR THAT PARTICULAR MOVEMENT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. CONGRESSMAN CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS WAS ONE AND ALSO BEVAN'S VIVIAN AND REVEREND CAROLYN MILLER SMITH. YOU PROBABLY WILL SEE HIM IF YOU READ THE HISTORY BECAUSE HE WAS A PASTOR OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, DOWNTOWN CURTIS MURPHY, WHO RESIDES IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. AND THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THAT I GOT, UH, TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE NONVIOLENT MOVEMENTS WHEN THEY PUT OUT THAT THEY NEEDED STUDENTS. AND THE STUDENTS WERE PRIMARILY FROM TENNESSEE STATE, SOME, SOME WAS FROM FISK, BUT THEY WERE BASICALLY A TENNESSEE STATE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY. AND, YOU KNOW, CONNECT CAN FISK. OKAY. I BECAME ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER, GET THEM ORGANIZED SO THAT WE COULD PARTICIPATE. AND WHAT WE DID AT THAT TIME, IT WAS DECENT AGGREGATE PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, LIKE PUT DURING THAT TIME WALGREEN HEAD RESTAURANT, AND THEN OTHER RESTAURANT, THE THEATERS, AND SIT IN [00:10:01] AND, AND WORKING WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE STUDENTS. AND AS YOU KNOW, OUT OF THAT NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT BECAME A VERY, VERY INFLUENTIAL AND VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE LIKE COMMENTS AND VIVIAN AND RIBBON KILL THEM. NOAH SMITH. WHO'S IN HISTORY WHO I USED TO WORK FOR. UH, YOU KNOW, AS STUDENT IN HIS OFFICE, UH, YOU, YOU LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE, HOW TO CONVINCE PEOPLE, TO PULL THOSE PEOPLE IN AND COME IN AND, AND DO THINGS TO OBTAIN WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO. UH, IT WASN'T, IT WAS, IT WAS SOMETIME, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET STUDENTS TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NON VIOLENT BECAUSE IF THEY GOT ATTACKED A SPIT ON OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU COULDN'T FIGHT BACK. SO, SO JUST IMAGINE TRYING TO GET THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, GO DOWNTOWN AND LINE UP AND MARCHED AND BEING HOSED DOWN, IT WAS DIFFICULT. AND THEN YOU LEARN THERE, THEY'RE ALL, ALL KINDS OF PERSONALITIES TO DEAL WITH. AND YOU FIND OUT WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE FROM DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU LEARN NUMBER ONE, WHO REALLY HAVE GOOD INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE AT HEART. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DO THINGS FOR, FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF REASON AND OTHER THAN TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. BUT DURING THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO REASON FOR US TO GO AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT. AND, AND AS A RESULT, WE DID DESEGREGATE A COMMON, UH, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS THERE IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. UH, AND IT ALSO, THEN THERE WAS A COMMITTEE THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE FREEDOM RIDERS TO MY SISTER WAS A FREEDOM RIDER. AND SHE WENT FROM WASHINGTON, D C ON THE FIRST FREEDOM RIDE. I BELIEVE IT WAS TO ALABAMA. AND, BUT I DIDN'T, I ENDED THE FREEDOM RIDE BECAUSE THE FACT THAT MY SISTER WAS A FREEDOM RIDER, ALMOST KILLED MY MOM, BUT, BUT ANOTHER GOOD RESULT OF THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT WAS THAT THE MOVEMENT WAS MOVED TO OTHER STATES. YOU KNOW, THEY TOOK IT TO OTHER STATES AND FROM THERE, AND FROM THERE ON, IT WENT FROM OTHER STATES, THE DESEGREGATION AND ALL OF THE SUPREME COURT DECISION ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PASSAGE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. WELL, GOOD. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE HAD SOME GREAT EXPERIENCES. SO CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE, UH, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING? UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION, WHICH I BELIEVE IS GOOD, IS TO DEVELOP A HARMONY WITHIN, WITH THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND TO GET PEOPLE MORE INVOLVED. AND I PERSONALLY LIKE TO GET PEOPLE MORE INVOLVED IN, IN THE DECISION MAKING AND IN ORDER TO GET THEM INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING, YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE AND THAT THEY ATTEND PURGENT MEETINGS TO GET GOOD INFORMATION, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN INTERACT WITH THE KEY PEOPLE. AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN INTERFACE SAY BETWEEN, UH, UH, THE CITY COMMISSION BETWEEN THE, THOSE, THE COMMUNITY PERSON AND THE CITY COMMISSION. AND, AND I THINK THAT THIS GROUP IS A GOOD, GOOD WAY TO DO THAT. OKAY. UM, SINCE THIS IS A NEW CO COMMISSION, IT IS PRETTY TIME. WELL, IT TAKES, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET RUNNING, UM, AND A BIG COMMITMENT. WHAT IS YOUR TIME COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE I'M RETIRED. OKAY. YES. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. SO WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THE COMMISSION? I TH THE FACT THAT THEY GET A GOOD COMMUNICATION GOING ON BETWEEN, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHAT KIND OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS [00:15:01] THAT THEY HAVE, UH, TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. AND WHEN I SAY BETTER BEFORE, UH, FOR POLICEMAN RELATIONSHIP TO ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND AS YOU'VE NOTICED, UH, AND I KNOW I HAVE NOTICED SINCE I'VE BEEN IN HUGO HEIGHTS SINCE 1974, THAT HUMAN RIGHTS BECOME MORE DIVERSE. AND IT WASN'T AS DIVERSE WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE AS IT IS NOW. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET EVERYBODY INVOLVED SO THAT NOBODY WILL FEEL THAT THEY'RE OUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF, UH, POWER OR TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS OR TO ASK TO GET SOMETHING DONE, THAT KIND OF THING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO 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. OH MY GOSH, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT. AND AGAIN, I DON'T LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE, TO THE SIT INS AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BUT I DO HAVE TO, BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT STEMS FROM THERE THAT I WORKED WITH COMMITTEES ON, UH, NOT JUST COMMITTED PEOPLE AND SEE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT IF YOU'RE NOT WRITTEN DOWN IN HISTORY, ONLY THOSE PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE NOTARIZED DO THINGS. BUT, BUT THE THING ABOUT IT IN THE BACKGROUND, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORKING, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, IT, IT DIDN'T JUST COME ABOUT IN 1964. ACTUALLY, THE, THE, THE GROUNDWORKS FOR THAT PARTICULAR WITH LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS ACT STARTED LIKE IN THE FIFTIES, LATE FIFTIES, WHEN, UH, UH, LATE CONGRESSMAN CLAYTON POWELL WAS TRYING TO GET, UH, THIS ACT PASSED, HE WANTED TO GET A LAW PASSED. IT WASN'T SO MUCH A CIVIL RIGHTS ACT LAW. IT WAS A LAW WHERE HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY THAT WAS A TAXPAYER, UH, ARE YOU ARE, ARE THAT IF YOU PAY TAXES, WHETHER IT WAS FEDERAL OR STATE LOCAL, THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE A RECIPROCAL OF, UH, RACISM, BECAUSE, UH, THAT, THAT IN ITSELF WOULD, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD WORK WITH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I'M PAYING MY TAXES, SAY IN THE CITY OF HUE, THE, OR MY FEDERAL TAXES, I HAVE A SAY, SO WHEN AND HOW THAT MONEY IS USED, AND YOU CANNOT, ACCORDING TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 TIMES SIX, USE FEDERAL FUNDS OR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM TO EVEN ENCOURAGE DISCRIMINATION. SO NOW THE WAY WE WORK TO GET THAT DONE WAS EVEN THOUGH CLAYTON, HOW ARE THE LEAD CONGRESSMAN POWELL HAD A HARD TIME? CAUSE YOU PROBABLY TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS KICKED OUT OF CONGRESS AND, AND, UH, HE WAS, UH, HIS REPUTATION WAS RUINED. AND BASICALLY BECAUSE HE SAID HIS WIFE WAS ON HIS PAYROLL, WHAT WOULD HE, WHAT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THAT TIME IS WHEN WE GET ALL THESE PEOPLE OUT, REGISTERED TO VOTE, AND WE WERE VOTING AND WE GOT TO KENNEDY IN AS PRESIDENT, AND IT TOOK A LOT OF VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES TO DO THAT. MR. BEAR, I'M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF JUST FOR ONE SECOND. WE HAVE THREE MORE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU GET YOUR, UM, FINISHED YOUR POINT ACROSS TO US SO WE CAN MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT OF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. OKAY. OKAY. SO, SO THAT ACT WAS PASSED, UH, THROUGH KENNEDY PRESIDENT KENNEDY WHO APPOINTED HIS BROTHER, BOBBY KENNEDY AS US ATTORNEY GENERAL. AND THEN THAT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, A TITLE SIX OF THE SIXTH CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. 1964 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN JULY ON JULY THE SECOND, 1964. [00:20:02] AND I WAS QUITE DISMAYED DISPERSED JULY LAST SECOND, THAT THAT BIRTHDAY WAS NOT RECOGNIZED. OKAY. SO CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS? OH, YES. UH, I THINK WE ALL HAVE BIASES. UH, UH, DO YOU WANT RACIAL BIAS? IT'S JUST GENERALLY DEICING AND IT WAS JUST A BIAS THAT COMES TO MIND THAT CAN BE RELATED TO RACE AND CULTURE. OKAY. UH, ONE OF THE BUYS THAT I'VE HAD AS A TECHNICAL PERSON IS, IS TRYING TO SURVIVE IN A TECHNICAL WORLD. AND THEY'RE THERE BY SAYS TOWARD, UH, NOT ONLY THE COLOR OF MY SKIN, BUT BECAUSE OF MY SEX, THERE WERE BIASES IN ME GETTING JOBS AND POSITION, PROMOTION, AND ALL OF THAT. OKAY. RIGHT. HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WHEN INDIVIDUALS, UM, WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T SEE THE VALUE? I, I WOULD TRY TO CONVINCE THEM, AND BASICALLY I WOULD START OUT WITH THINGS THAT, THAT THEY DON'T NORMALLY THINK THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO FIGHT THE RACISM. AND THAT IS LIKE, UH, UH, REGISTERING TO VOTE AND GETTING ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND, AND, AND, AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY, UH, SPECIFIC, LUCKILY THE YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND TEACHING THEM ABOUT THE, THE RESULTS OF, OF THEIR BEHAVIOR AND ACTIVITIES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OUR LAST QUESTION IS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? NOW, REPEAT THAT AGAIN, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? IT'S A CHALLENGE JUST ABOUT TO DO ANYTHING, UH, WHEN YOU, IN GROUPS LIKE WHAT I COME FROM, WHERE I COME FROM. AND, AND AS I SAID, BEING IN THE TECHNICAL FIELD, BEING IN NATURE, BEING BORN IN 1941 AND BEING IN A TECHNICAL FIELD AND, AND HAVING TO GET OUT AND MAKE HER LIVING IS VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. UH, EVEN EVEN BEING ABLE TO BORROW, GET ALONE JUST TO SPECIFICALLY ALONG WHERE THAT YOU CAN BUY A HOUSE OR, UH, THINGS THAT THE CHALLENGES OF EVEN BEING ENGAGED, UH, EVEN HAVING, UH, PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES AND BACKGROUNDS, EVEN IN THE, IN THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BEING RIGHT NOW THAT YOU WANTED TO CHALLENGE IS, IS VOTING. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE HAVE NOW IS VOTING, AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE THAT THE CLOSER WE GET TO, UH, TO NOVEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, DO ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE ME TO FOLLOW UP WITH MISS LLOVIERA ON? YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME. DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. WELL, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU SPENDING TIME WITH US TONIGHT TO SHARE YOUR, YOUR EXPERIENCES THAT YOU'VE HAD. AND, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MISS LAVERA. THANK YOU FOR MEETING YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. YOU TOO. OKAY. I THINK WE'RE GOOD ON SCHEDULE. UM, SO THE NEXT APPLICANT SHOULD BE JOINING US SHORTLY. UM, CARLOS MORRISON. UM, BUT I DO NOT SEE HIM IN THE LOTTERY YET. YEAH, [00:25:52] THAT IS HIM. I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S ERIC GOOD DEREK. RIGHT? CARLOS, DID HE GET BOOTED OUT OR COME BACK? MY STAFF, ARE YOU THERE? HE SHOWS US ALL THE OTHER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. MY APOLOGIES. I ACTUALLY ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE DISCONNECT ON THE MICROSOFT TEAM. SO THAT WAS FINE. WELL, SUMMIT, SOMEHOW YOU'RE STILL IN UNDER THE OTHER ONE. CAUSE IT'S FROZEN AND YOU'RE STILL APPEARING. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT. WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING. YEAH, BECAUSE I ACCIDENTALLY LOGGED OUT AND THEN, THEN SIGN BACK IN. AND SO I'M GOING TO REMOVE IT, THAT OTHER ONE THERE. YEAH, THERE WE GO. HE JUST WANTED TO HAVE TO TOLD ME MAYBE TOO MUCH. RIGHT. AND LIKE THE ORIGINAL AIR GOING. OKAY. WE'RE AT SIX O'CLOCK. SO HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE JOINING US IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO I DON'T, I JUST CHECKED MY EMAIL AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY COMMUNICATION FROM HIM AND GET THE DATES MIXED UP. SO FOR ANYONE WATCHING ON THE LIVE STREAM, WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR OUR NEXT INTERVIEWEE TO JOIN US AND WE WILL RESUME THE INTERVIEW PROCESS SHORTLY WHEN WE'RE JOINED BY THAT APPLICANT, I'M GONNA MUTE MYSELF AND TRY TO CALL HIM. OKAY. [00:35:44] CARLOS, [00:35:45] CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU. UH, WE KEEP EYE ON IT. OKAY. NOW WE CAN SEE YOU AS WELL. SO YES, YES. OKAY. VERY GOOD. OKAY. I'M GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER TO GIVE ON TO STEVEN. SHE'S THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION. OKAY. HI, CARLOS. I'M YOLANDA. I'M THE CHAIR AND WE HAVE THREE OF OUR ADDITIONAL COMMISSION MEMBERS, RHONDA SUMMON, ERIC STEVENS, AND MIA HONAKER WITH US TONIGHT. UM, SO WE HAVE A VERY SUCCINCT SCHEDULED TONIGHT. SO I HAVE ABOUT 22 MINUTES. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO OUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU FOR THIS, UH, CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZEN ACTION COMMISSION. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS? AND ARE YOU A REGISTERED VOTER? YES, I AM A REGISTERED VOTER AND I'VE BEEN IN THE HUBER HEIGHTS AREA SINCE I WAS STATIONED AT RIGHT PAT IN 1981. OKAY. AND IF YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR THE COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO PLEASE SUCCINCTLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATED. OKAY. UM, UM, MY PRIMARY, AS I SAID, I GOT TO OHIO BEING STATIONED AT RIGHT PAD, WHICH I RETIRED IN 1997. UH, SINCE THEN I'VE, UH, THEN IN MULTIPLE FIELDS AND PROFESSIONS, UH, UM, BEGAN AS A PROBATION OFFICER. UH, THEN I BECAME A, UM, UH, ALCOHOL AND ABUSE SPECIALIST WITH JUVENILE COURT. UM, AND FROM THERE I HAD, UM, MULTIPLE, UM, AGENCIES THAT I'VE WORKED FOR AND, UM, COMMUNITY RELATED AND COMMUNITY SERVICE HAS BEEN PRIMARY MY BACKGROUND FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS NOW. UM, CURRENTLY WITH EAST WAY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UM, COUNSELOR, UM, UH, COMMUNITY SPECIALIST, UH, WORKING WITH AT LEAST 12 CLIENTS. UM, I HAVE WORKED GUESSES. UM, MY RESUME SHOULD REFLECT THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, BUT I SAID, MY BACKGROUND HAS PRIMARILY BEEN IN, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES WITH A, UM, UH, VARIOUS, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITIES, UM, OR WAS BORN AND RAISED IN NEW YORK CITY. SO THAT WAS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY TO BE BOUGHT. AND THEN THEY SAID THEY'RE COMING INTO THE MILITARY, UM, THAT EVEN, UM, HELPED ME TO GROW EVEN MORE. UH, BUT I'VE DONE. UM, UM, ANYTHING FROM MENTORING OF STARTED HS PROGRAM FOR MY, I HAVE SIX CHILDREN THAT HAVE MATRICULATED ARE STILL MATRICULATING THROUGH THE CUBA HEIGHTS SCHOOL JUST HAD ONE THAT GRADUATED AND STILL HAVE FIVE MORE TO GO. THE YOUNGEST IS 11 WAS, AS YOU SAID, SHE'S 18 AND JUST GRADUATED. UM, SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR MENTORSHIP, UM, UH, THE RANGE MOST A FACILITATOR, UH, SEVERAL CHURCHES, UH, SELF A GOAL IS ONE OR A 10. UM, LIKE I SAID, I COORDINATED THAT WITH TWO OTHER CHURCHES TO GO TO THE ARC, UM, MUSEUM. UH, SO I'VE DONE VARIOUS THINGS. UM, UH, AS I SAID, I FEEL THAT I CAN CONTRIBUTE AND BE A, UM, UM, UM, PROVIDE INSIGHT. UM, I'M WORKING WITH THE, MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, UH, FROM YOUTH TO FAMILIES AND I'VE DONE A LOT WITH FAMILIES AND I SAID, I DO KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE HUBER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY. HAVEN'T LIVED HERE SINCE 1981. OKAY. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING, UM, AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING? I THINK THE KEY IS TO ADD, AND YOU CERTAINLY HAD NATIONWIDE ISSUES IN WHICH, UH, THE, THE, UM, SITUATION DIVERSITY HAS COME UP, UH, TO, [00:40:01] SO TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO SERVE, UH, EACH OTHER. UH, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. UM, YOU KNOW, THE THING, THE CORNER OF MY CORE VALUES HAVE BEEN THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH A DIVERSE GROUPS AND FAMILIES. AND SO I THINK I WOULD, UH, UH, ALONG WITH SAP RAISING MY OWN FAMILY OF SIX, UM, TWO GIRLS AND FOUR BOYS, I THINK I CAN PROVIDE A LOT IN IT. OKAY. YOU THERE JUST, I JUST GOT A COUGH, ONE OF MY FRIENDS, SO I APOLOGIZE. I'M DOING MULTIPLE THINGS RIGHT NOW, WAITING FOR MY DAUGHTER TO COME OUT AND I APOLOGIZE, AND I'M WAITING IN THE VEHICLE. SHE SHOULD BE DISMISSED IN A FEW, AND I'VE GOT TWO AT HOME WIFE, SO JUST, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I'LL DO MY BEST. OKAY. SO THAT KIND OF LEADS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION. UM, WHAT IS YOUR TIME COMMITMENT? THE AVAILABLE TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO COMMIT? BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS WILL BE A PRETTY TIME INTENSE COMMISSION BECAUSE THIS IS A STARTUP. AND WELL, ONE THING THAT MILITARY GAVE ME WAS THE ABILITY TO TIME MANAGEMENT AND HERE IT COMES TO DOING, EXCUSE ME AGAIN, UM, TIME MANAGEMENT. SO I, MY COMMITMENT, UH, I'M MISSING CENTRAL, DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO. UH, I PUT IT ON A SCHEDULE AND, UH, I'M DEDICATED, AND I LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT I DO WHAT, UH, I'VE COMMITTED MYSELF TO DO. SO MY AVAILABILITY IS BASED ON THE NEED. UH, AND I ACCOMMODATE MYSELF AS SUCH. OKAY. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THIS COMMISSION? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN. OKAY. ANOTHER CALL. EVERYONE'S GOING TO CALL ME NOW. I KNOW THIS IS JUST ANOTHER SOUND, BUT GO AHEAD. WHAT DID, OH MY GOSH, TAKE A DEEP BREATH IS CALLING ME RIGHT THIS SECOND. THAT'S HOW IT ALWAYS HAD. YES, IT DOES. WHEN IT RAINS REPORTS. BUT WHAT WAS YOUR, YOU HAD THREE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED ME, I'M SORRY. YES. SO THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISIONED FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THE COMMISSION. I THINK THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE FACT GATHERING AS A NATION IS TO TRY TO UNITE IN A WAY THAT WE CAN BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND BE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT, UH, EQUALITY OR TREATMENT. AND TO MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICE IS HEARD WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SO THE TOP THREE THINGS IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, A GROUND LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, UH, CERTAIN ISSUES ARE TO BRING THAT TO THE TABLE. UH, UH, WE CAN WORK TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION TO THAT, UH, TO BE OUT THERE. UM, UH, WE LOST YOU, WE LOST YOU. THEY KEEP CALLING AND I CAN'T SEND A MESSAGE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, TO GET OUT, TO GET THAT INFORMATION, UH, TO HAVE ACTIVITIES WHERE THE COMMUNITY, UH, CAN ENGAGE AND WORK WITH EACH OTHER SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND. AND THEN TO JUST FOLLOW THROUGH, UH, UH, AS A, BASED ON THE PLANS OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, IT'S BRINGING TOGETHER AND THEN, UH, TO GO OUT TO EXECUTE THOSE THINGS. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHAT, UM, 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, UH, CULTURE, DIVERSITY AND RACE. SO IT HAD TO BE A SITUATION SITUATIONAL TYPE THING. YES. ALRIGHT. WELL, I CAN ALWAYS PULL FROM MY MILITARY EXPERIENCE, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, A MILITARY IT'S ABOUT, UH, HAVE A BUCKET EXPERIENCE WHERE THE PERSON, I'M SORRY. HE KEEPS GOING. HOLD ON A SECOND, PLEASE. COULD YOU TELL CHRISTIAN TO STOP CALLING ME JACOBY, STOP CALLING ME, TELL HIM TO STOP CALLING ME MY APOLOGIES. OKAY, LET ME GET MY, LET ME GET MY COMFORT BACK AGAIN. ASK HIM THE QUESTION AGAIN. WE DO UNDERSTAND [00:45:01] WE'RE ALL HERE. YOU HAVE A DIVERSITY OF BEING POOR. OKAY. I BELIEVE I WAS ANSWERING THAT FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND A STORY WHERE RACE, UH, WE HAD A BASKETBALL GAME. UM, AND AGAIN, UM, IN THE MILITARY YOU HAVE MULTI-CULTURES THAT WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM. WE WERE ONE UNIFORM AND THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN, UH, TWO INDIVIDUALS OF TWO DIFFERENT RACES. AND I SORT OF JUST STEPPED INTO THIS SITUATION TOO. AND WAS THE PEACEMAKER, UH, IN THE SENSE THAT I SAID, LISTEN TO THIS, REMEMBER THIS IS ONLY THE GAME. AND SO I WAS ABLE TO BRING SOME COMFORT. UH, THEY RESPECTED ME ENOUGH AND, UH, THE SITUATION DIFFUSED, THAT'S KIND OF A COMMON THING, BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN PUT ON IN MY 20 YEARS. I'VE NEVER COME ACROSS, HAVING BEEN STATIONED DOWN SOUTH. I NEVER GOT INTO A SITUATION THAT, UH, WHERE RACE CAME INTO IT. SO IT'S KINDA HARD OUTSIDE OF, UM, WITHIN THE MILITARY BASE AND, AND IN SUCH STORIES IN THAT MATTER. BUT I HAVE WORKED WITH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY IN MY VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL, UH, VOCATIONS, UM, RACE, OR IS, COMES INTO PART, BUT I TRY TO MANAGE IT FROM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SAY IT'S TREATING EVERYTHING, EVERYONE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. AND, UH, NORMALLY DON'T RUN INTO THAT, BUT I KNOW HOW I COULD MANAGE THE, IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE ONE, UH, WE HAVE A COMMON FABRIC OF COMMUNITY AND WE WILL EITHER BE, UH, SPEAK SUCCESSFUL OR WE WILL FAIL. OKAY. CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS? OH MY GOODNESS. BIASES AND PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION KIND OF ROLLED TOGETHER. UM, UH, I'VE SEEN THAT IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, LIKE I SAID, I WORK WITH EAST WAY. A LOT OF THE CLIENTS THAT I HAVE HAVE, UH, EITHER MENTAL HEALTH OR DRUG, DRUG, UH, ISSUES. AND, UH, WE HAVE SITUATIONS THAT IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR THOSE WHO GO OUT TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE WITH A LANDLORD, TO GIVE THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, UM, EX UH, THEY'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, UH, TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, AND BIASES COME OUT AND WHERE THEY FEEL THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, CANNOT LIVE AS GOOD CITIZENS. AND, UM, THEY'RE PROVEN MOSTLY MOST OF THE TIME WRONG AS OPPOSED TO RIGHT. SO BIASES AGAIN, AND NOT GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY ANYWHERE THAT YOU DON'T GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOMEONE BASED ON WHATEVER THE BIAS OR PREJUDICE MIGHT BE. THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US. OKAY. HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T SEE THE VALUE? WELL, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN THE RIGHT WAY TO, UH, DEFINE WHAT THAT VALUE IS. I MEAN, UM, ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES, DR. KEN, UH, HE BASICALLY I'LL JUST REPHRASE IT. HE SAID INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE. AND I HAD A SITUATION LIKE THAT HAPPENED. UH, ONE OF MY SON'S BASKETBALL GAMES, WHERE THERE WAS, UH, THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND IT SEEMED THAT WE WERE AWAY AND A REFEREE SEEM TO BE MAKING ALL THE CALLS FOR THE HOME TEAM. AND I SAID THAT VERY SAME THING, UH, AND JUST DROPPED IT IN A NICE WAY TO THE REFEREE AND NOTICED THAT HE DID HEAR WHAT I SAID BECAUSE IN THE SECOND HALF, CAUSE IT MADE MORE EQUALLY AND THINGS TURNED OUT. SO IT'S A MATTER OF DEFINING WHAT THAT VALUE IS AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, UH, IN, IN, IN A WAY THAT IS GENTLE AND EFFECTIVE. UM, AND HOPEFULLY, CAUSE THAT SAID, SOME PEOPLE WILL NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA MATTER, BUT YOU TRY TO EFFECTIVELY TALK TO THEM IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN SHOW WHAT THAT VALUE IS AND THEN MOVE FORWARD FROM THAT. AND THE BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE FROM THAT. CAUSE THEY SAID, UH, WE EITHER, UH, ARE SUCCESSFUL AS A COMMUNITY OR WE WILL FAIL. OKAY. SO OUR LAST QUESTION IS IN YOUR, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? WELL, ONE OF THEM YOU HIT RIGHT THERE, UH, BIASES, PREJUDICES, DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, ALL OF THOSE, AS I SAID, ARE CHALLENGES THAT, UH, AND I THINK BASICALLY COME FROM A MISUNDERSTANDING OR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT. UM, AND CERTAINLY IN, UH, IN, IN, IN THE MILITARY, I [00:50:01] THINK I GOT A VERY STRONG UNDERSTANDING YOUR, THAT SAID, UH, WHEN THINGS COME TO THE WORST, WE HAVE TO BE TOGETHER AS ONE. AND, UM, SO THAT'S BASICALLY MY ANSWER WITH THAT LUNCH. OKAY. ALRIGHTY. UM, DO ANY OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PIGGYBACK QUESTION FOR ME TO ASK MR. MORRISON? NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? UM, YOU DID MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT DEDICATION OF TIME AND I THOUGHT FROM THE JOB DESCRIPTION, I WASN'T CERTAIN AT HOW OFTEN YOU WOULD MEET. UM, UM, THAT WOULD BE, IS I SAID, I NORMALLY CARRY A PRETTY STIFF BUSY SCHEDULE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT AMOUNT OF TIME WOULD BE. IS THAT BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME HOW OFTEN YOU MEET? SO WE, SO ONCE WE HAVE THE COMMISSION TOGETHER, WE HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS ON BOARD, THEN WE WOULD MEET MONTHLY. BUT, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, SO MANY, UH, MANY INITIATIVES THAT WE PLAN TO OVERSEE AND UNDERTAKE, UM, THOSE WILL TAKE A LOT OF, OF TIME AND COMMITTED. UM, I CAN'T, YEAH, WE CAN'T SAY LIKE HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK RIGHT NOW, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A NEWLY FORMED COMMISSION, WE'RE REALLY SETTING A FOUNDATION, UM, FOR THE COMMISSION AND WE'RE, WE'RE IRONING OUT KEY INITIATIVES THAT WE WILL UNDERTAKE AS WELL. SO IT WILL BE PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE TIME INTENSIVE AND A LOT OF THE COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY UNDERSTOOD, UNDERSTOOD. SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE CORE VALUES. AND AS I SAID, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR MOST OF MY LIFE, UH, OF BEING DEDICATED AND COMMITTED, UH, TO THE SUCCESS OF WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. SO, UM, AS I SAID, ONCE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT SCHEDULE IS. I'M FULLY ON BOARD AND, UH, WANTING TO GIVE ALL MANAGERS TO, TO BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, MY INPUT CAN ASSIST IN THE PROCESS TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL OF THE COMMISSION. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL THAT WAS EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT. ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR US, THEN THAT WILL END THE INTERVIEW. WE THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH US TONIGHT, RIGHT? YEAH. AND YOU SEE, YOU GOT AN OUT THERE. I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW. I WISH IT WAS UNDER, BUT SOMETIMES LIFE DOES NOT ALLOW YOU. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE OTHER INTERRUPTIONS, BUT UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR THIS POSITION. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. YES. YOU WANT TO HAVE IT? YOU HAVE A GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. YEAH. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. YES, BYE BYE. OKAY. WE'RE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OUT FOR THE NEXT ONE. SO, WELL, STEFAN, STEFAN AND I, WE DID LAST TIME. I DID ASK THEM TO JOIN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THEIR INTERVIEW TIME. SO HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE JOINING AT SHORT. TELL ME WHAT IS THE NEXT GENTLEMAN'S NAME IS STEFAN RAMIREZ, E S T E P H O N. THANKS [00:55:37] FOR ANYONE WATCHING THE LIVE STREAM. WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR OUR NEXT APPLICANT TO JOIN US. UM, NEXT FEW MINUTES FOR A SIX 30 INTERVIEW, I'M GOING TO TRY TO CALL HIM ON THE PHONE AS WELL. GOOD EVENING. RAMIREZ IS NOW JOINING. GOOD EVENING ESTEFAN. YES, SIR. CAN YOU HEAR ME CORRECTLY? UH, WE CAN HEAR YOU. UM, DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO CONNECTION? I DO NOT HAVE A VIDEO CONNECTION. MY COMPUTER ISN'T COOPERATING WITH ME RIGHT NOW TO, UH, DO A MANUAL. UH, OKAY. OKAY. UM, WELL I'M GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER TO YOLANDA STEVENS. WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION AND WILL PROCEED WITH THE INTERVIEW. OH, UH, STEFAN, WE ARE, UM, I'M YOLANDA STEVENS. I'M THE CHAIR OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZEN ACTION COMMISSION. AND WE HAVE ON WITH US IN ADDITION TO TONY TONIGHT, UM, IS, UH, THREE ADDITIONAL COMMISSION MEMBERS, MIA HONAKER, ERIC STEVENS, RHONDA SOME LIMB. AND WE HAVE KATIE NICELY ONE WITH US FROM THE CITY AS WELL. SO WE HAVE ABOUT A 30 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH YOU TONIGHT, UM, FOR YOU TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BACKGROUND. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO THE QUESTIONS. UH, WE WILL ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS AND THEN AT THE END, WE'LL SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US. THE FIRST QUESTION IS HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS IN, ARE YOU A REGISTERED VOTER? I'VE BEEN A RED, UH, A, UM, RESIDENT SINCE JULY THE NINTH OF 2018. UM, AND I'VE BEEN A REGISTERED VOTER SINCE THEN ON PRIOR MILITARY. [01:00:01] SO I GOTTA GET OUT OF THE MILITARY, JULY THE SEVENTH. UH, AND SO THAT'S WHEN I OFFICIALLY KIND OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANS OVER MY RESIDENCY OVER TO, UM, TO HUBER HEIGHTS SPECIFICALLY. OKAY. IF CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? YES. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE SUCCINCTLY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS. WE'LL DO. UM, SO, UH, I GUESS TO JUST GET A, GIVE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF MY GENERAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UM, WHAT KIND OF BEEN ON THE, UH, THE DOWNFALL? I WOULD SAY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AFTER GETTING OUT IN THE MILITARY TO FOCUS ON MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, BUT BEFORE THEN, I'VE HAD SOME MIXED DIFFERENT EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, UH, UH, WORKING OUT, WORKING WITH, UM, OUT SURF, UH, SLDN UH, SPECIFICALLY IS A LGBT DIVERSITY, UM, NONPROFIT THAT HELPS, UH, UM, DISCHARGED VETERANS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED UNDER DON'T ASK DON'T TELL OR OTHER DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, UH, GET THE, UH, PROPER DISCHARGE, A DESERVED. UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN AN ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBER ON A RED CROSS. UM, THEY DIDN'T CHAPTER SPECIFICALLY A PART OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY AUSCHWITZ COMMUNITY. I WAS WITH THE CHAIR PERSON FOR THAT SPECIFIC COMMITTEE. UM, SO MOST OF THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT I'VE, UH, BEEN A PART OF ISN'T SPECIFIC WASN'T SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT, UM, SPREADING RACIAL AWARENESS, HOWEVER, UH, BEING A MINORITY MYSELF, UH, MY PRESENCE THERE KIND OF HELPED, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RAISED, UH, THAT TYPE OF AWARENESS. I AM BRING THAT SPECIFIC VOICE TO, TO THE COMMUNITY. SO, UH, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE, I GUESS, BACKGROUND ON THAT, BUT, UH, I WENT TO WITH THE RED CROSS, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HELP LEAD SOME OF THE INITIATIVES ON, UH, DEVELOPING SPECIFIC RECRUITMENT PLANS. UM, HAVE A, A DEEP BACKGROUND IN ANALYTICS. SO I USE THOSE SKILL SETS TO DO A LITTLE DIGGING ON COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS, SALARIES, EDUCATION, TO TRY TO DEVELOP MORE, TO DEVELOP A RECRUITMENT PLAN FOR, FOR THE RED CROSS, UH, AND TO, UH, AIM SOME OF THE INITIATIVES BASED OFF OF THOSE, UH, THOSE FOLKS. UM, SO A HUGE SHIFT FOR THE RED CROSS WHEN I WAS WITH, UH, HERE LOCALLY. UH, AND THEN, UH, I KIND OF MOVED FORWARD WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WAS ON AT THE, UH, DATA AND HISTORY, UH, BILLBOARD, UM, THAT SPECIFICALLY WAS AIMED AT, UH, FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES TO, UH, BRING IN THE FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, SUSTAIN THE, UM, HISTORICAL ASPECTS, BAD CAROLINA PARK HAS. UH, SO I WOULD SAY THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE NONPROFIT OR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, ACTIVITIES I'VE BEEN THROUGH, UH, EACH ONE HAS SPECIFIC. WE, UH, HAD IT IT'S LITTLE YEAH. HAD THEIR HANDS IN FUNDRAISING SPECIFICALLY. UM, SO THAT'S, I, I GUESS HAS BEEN A, UH, ONE OF THE KEY ASPECT OF THE KEYSTONE THAT EACH ONE, HOW WOULD EACH OTHER, UM, BUT WHETHER IT BE MEAN WITH THE DATA AND BILLBOARD AGAIN, UH, BEING, UH, I WAS LIKE, I BOUGHT THE POSE. I WAS THE ONLY COLORED PERSON ON THE BOARD, UH, AGAIN, PROVIDING AN, A MILITARY BACKGROUND OF VETERAN, UH, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HIT ALL THOSE CHECK MARKS, UM, BUT, UM, PROVIDE A DIFFERENT VOICE AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON, ON, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND HOW WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SOME GREAT, UH, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO. UH, SO THAT WAS A DATE IN HISTORY. AND THEN ALSO HAD SOME TIME WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, UH, AGAIN, COMMUNITY OUTREACH. UH, THIS WAS, UM, DURING THE PREVIOUS, UH, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, AGAIN THAT PROVIDED A LITTLE MORE OF MY ANALYTIC CAPABILITIES TO HELP, UH, HELP THEIR INITIATIVES AND, AND TRY TO GAIN TO ATTRACTION. SO IN GENERAL, UH, I JUST HAD THIS HUGE PASSION ON GETTING THEM BACK BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I'M SORRY, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN BEING AN ACTIVE CITIZEN. AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM MY GRANDFATHER AS WELL, BUT BEING HERE FOR TWO YEARS IN HUBER HEIGHTS, UH, BEING A, A, A, A GAY BLACK [01:05:01] MEN DATING A WHITE POLICE OFFICER AND THE, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, UH, TURMOILS WERE OCCURRING, HAVING HAS DEFINITELY, UH, SHED SOME LIGHT ON, ON WHY, YOU KNOW, BEING A PART OF COMMUNITY IS REALLY AND IMPORTANT AND HAVING A, AND GETTING, BRINGING THOSE VOICES TOGETHER TO, TO GET TO A COMMON UNDERSTANDING, UH, IS, IS WHY I'M REACHING OUT SPECIFICALLY. BUT, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO ANSWER THE, WHAT, WHAT HAVE I DONE FOR, FOR, I GUESS ON A MORNING ON, ON, I GUESS, RACIAL INITIATIVES THERE HASN'T, THERE HASN'T REALLY BEEN BEEN MUCH THAT I'VE DONE SPECIFICALLY, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, FORM, UH, INITIATIVES BASED OFF OF THAT. UH, JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T, IT HASN'T BEEN IN, UH, IN THE TOP 40 LISTING FOR ME, UM, JUST YET, AND NOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE, BUT, YOU KNOW, BEING, BEING IN THE MILITARY, UM, HAD TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR ARMED FORCES. SO THAT WAS, UH, MY PRIORITY AND WHERE ALL MY INTERVIEW WENT INTO FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND, UH, HELPING BUILDING, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES ON THEIR BEHALF, BUT NOW THAT'S LEADING THEM TO, HOW CAN I, YOU KNOW, UH, HELP HUBER HEIGHTS, UM, YOU KNOW, BE, BECOME A BETTER COMMUNITY? UH, NOT THAT IT'S NOT THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT, UH, NOT THAT IT'S A BAD COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR GROWTH. UM, SO I WOULD SAY LIKE ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, MIXED UP TOGETHER AND ALL THE EXTERIOR STUFF AND INTO WHETHER IT IS B BEING A LEADER OR FOLLOWER, UH, I'VE, I, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THOSE SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN AND TALK, UH, IN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS, UNDER PRESSURE AND TO, TO HAVE, UH, A VERY, UH, OPEN DIALOGUE AND TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HOW WE CAN COME TO A SOLUTION. UH, UH, THAT'S THE REASON, I GUESS, I'M, I'M REACHING OUT TO, TO, TO THIS COMMISSION AND SEEING, SEEING HOW WELL, IF I'M A FIT AND HOW I CAN HELP, CAN HELP. OKAY. WELL, THAT ROLLS ME INTO MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH IS FOR YOU TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION, AND SPECIFICALLY WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING. SO I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON NOT, WELL, THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW COMMITTEE OR A NEW COMMISSION. UH, I DID, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS WORTH MORE RESEARCH ON HOW OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR OWN, UM, DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL COMMISSION WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN OHIO. UH, I'M FROM TEXAS. SO I LOOKED AT A LITTLE IN TEXAS, BUT, UH, ACROSS THE U S AND SEEING HOW OTHERS ARE HANDLING A SIMILAR INITIATIVE AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS. AND THE, THE WAY THAT I THINK THAT THIS CAN GO FORWARD IS, OR WHY I'M INTERESTED IN FIVE OF THIS, THAT, UH, NOT ONLY BEING A MINORITY, BUT HAVING, UH, MY, MY, MY, MY NETWORK, UH, BRANCH, UH, WILL BE DIVERSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY FROM THE LGBT COMMUNITY TO THE MINORITY COMMUNITY, TO, TO, UH, TO THE FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY, TO, TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S ALWAYS A, A NEED TO, UH, TO, TO DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, TO VOICE AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD BRIDGES FOR COMMON UNDERSTANDING. AND, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WELL, WHAT I'VE SEEN, UH, THROUGH COMMONALITIES, UH, ON HOW OTHER, UM, LOCATION STATES HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD WITH SIMILAR TYPE OF PERMISSIONS. OKAY. WHAT IS YOUR TIME COMMITMENT TO GIVE TO THE COMMISSION? BECAUSE AS YOU SAY THAT THIS IS A NEW COMMISSION, WHICH IT WILL BE PRETTY TIME INTENSE. UM, SO WHAT IS YOUR TIME COMMITMENT? SO MY, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A FULL TIME JOB. UM, HOWEVER, UH, I'VE HAD THE, I I'VE LEARNED THROUGH THROUGH THE YEARS ON HOW TO BALANCE, YOU KNOW, UM, MY TIME AT WORK WITH, UH, THE FUNDRAISING OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THAT I'VE MOVED FORWARD. SO, UM, THE TIME COMMITMENT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SO PREVIOUSLY, UH, AT ONCE I WAS A PART OF, UH, I WOULD SAY AT THE MOST, UM, THREE TO THREE, THREE NONPROFITS, UH, AND THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AT ONCE. SO I HAD TO, YOU KNOW, DRUG MY [01:10:01] FULL TIME JOB, A LITTLE SCHOOLING, AND THEN HAD TO GET AT LEAST THREE MEETINGS A MONTH FOR EACH COMMISSION, UH, NOT INCLUDING ALL OF THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT GOES INTO, YOU KNOW, UH, GETTING FROM STEP ONE TO STEP TWO. SO MY, MY TIME COMMITMENT IS BASICALLY NOT, WAS BASICALLY THIS IT'S THIS AND, AND WORK, WHEREAS BEFORE IT WAS WORK, A LITTLE SCHOOLING AND THREE DIFFERENT, UH, NONPROFITS JUGGLING DIFFERENT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE. SO, UM, I THINK THAT I, MY TIME COMMITMENT IS PRETTY OPEN WHEN THAT RELATIVELY. OKAY. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THIS COMMISSION? WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, THE NEXT TWO YEARS NEXT THREE YEARS. JUST THINK ABOUT THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO FOCUS ON IN THIS COMMISSION. WHAT WOULD THOSE TOP THREE BE? UM, I SAY THE TOP THREE, UH, PRIORITIES ON FOR, FOR BEING AN ON THIS COMMISSION WITHIN COMMUNITY. UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, HMM, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. GIVE ME A, JUST A FEW MOMENTS TO PONDER ON THAT. SO I WOULD, YES, I WOULD COME FROM, I WOULD ANSWER THAT KIND OF AN, AN A TWO STEP, UH, ONE IS TO, TO DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXACTLY NEEDS, UM, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP A PLAN FROM THERE. UH, BUT JUST BASED, BASED OFF OF MY COMMUNITY INTERACTION WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, I THINK, WELL, AND, AND THEN CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, RECENT, RECENT ACTIVITIES, I THINK OVERALL THE, THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES, UH, THAT, UH, THAT I WOULD PUT INTO PLAY WOULD, WOULD BE DEVELOPING A, A, A CULTURAL, UM, AWARENESS, UM, UH, PROGRAM, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTS KIND OF LIKE BLACK HISTORY MORTAR SPEND CHARACTER THE MONTH ASIAN PACIFIC MONTH. UM, BUT HIGHLIGHTS, UH, SPECIFIC, UM, UH, COMMUNITIES WITH, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT PROVIDES, UH, EDUCATION ON, ON, YOU KNOW, UH, IF THERE'S ANYONE SPECIFICALLY THAT HELPED, YOU KNOW, DEAL CHEAPER HEIGHTS ON THIS SPECIFICALLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE EDUCATION ON, ON HOW, OR, OR HOW THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE IMPACTED CHEAPER HEIGHTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AMERICA IS AS, AS A WHOLE. SO I GUESS A, A CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM WOULD BE A PRO FOR ME A SECOND. UM, WOULDN'T BE OTHER COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. I'M KIND OF GLAD RIGHT NOW THAT I'M ON VIDEO, BECAUSE YOU WOULD USUALLY SEE ME, UH, FROM, IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, SWEATING, I GET OFF WORK AT LIKE SIX 15, SO I WAS TRYING TO HUSTLE AND THEN I COULDN'T GET MY COMPUTER TO WORK. SO I MIGHT BE SWEATING A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT THE SECOND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES I WOULD SAY WOULD BE THE, HMM, WELL, I KNOW THAT OVER HERE AT THE YMCAS, THEY DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY NIGHTS, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, YOU KNOW, A GREAT, A GREAT, YOU KNOW, EVENT THAT GOES ON. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE, YOU KNOW, EVENTS LIKE THAT HAPPENING. UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, AT THE BEGINNING TO, TO KIND OF LIKE PULL OR REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY FIRST TO SEE WHAT WHAT IS NEEDED IS, IS WHERE I'M KIND OF, UH, KIND OF AT A LOSS FOR, UH, I, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO EVEN PLANNING ITSELF. SO HONESTLY, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SAY FOR NOW THAT A CULTURAL, UM, EDUCATIONAL, [01:15:01] CULTURAL ACROSS EVERY ASPECT FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN TO, TO, TO, UH, UM, WHAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND OTHER SIMILAR CITIES WOULD BE A, A GOOD WAY FORWARD. AND THEN I HONESTLY THINK IN ORDER FOR ME TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, AN ADEQUATE, UH, YOU KNOW, ADEQUATE, UH, PROPOSAL WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY TO, TO, TO GET A STALE ON, ON WHAT, WHAT IS NEEDED MATERIAL HARD QUESTION. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. 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 WELL THAT'S, UM, I THINK BOTH BEING IN THE TITLE OF THE BEING IN THE MILITARY AND HAVING, UH, UH, FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS FIRST RESPONDERS, IT'S PROVIDED ME A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO DEAL WITH THOSE SITUATIONS AND BE COMFORTABLE ON HANDLING THAT. AND IT WASN'T THAT WAY BEFORE, BUT, UM, IN THE MILITARY, I WAS STATIONED IN TURKEY, UH, BACK IN 2016. AND, UH, I HAD A, UH, UH, HISPANIC FRIEND WITH ME AND ANOTHER WHITE FRIEND, AND THEN ALSO ANOTHER WHITE FRIEND. AND, UH, UM, OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A LOT OF, UH, PERSONNEL THAT ARE INSIDE OF THE MILITARY THAT JUST GOT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEY MAY BE FROM A SIDE OF THE COUNTRY WHERE, UM, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH A LOT OF MINORITY. SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, PERSPECTIVES THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS LITTLE, UH, CLOSED. UH, SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT, MAYBE I WAS 21. UM, HE STARTED IN, YOU KNOW, TWO RECENT RACIAL SLURS OR RACIAL SLURS. AND, UH, AND HE, I DON'T KNOW, HE DIDN'T REALLY REALIZE THAT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY HE WAS OFFENSIVE, BUT IT WASN'T THAT YOU LIKE HOW OFFENSIVE IT WAS. AND SO A COUPLE OF FRIENDS WERE BEING IN THE MILITARY, A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO EITHER GET YOU KICKED OUT FOR ADDITIONAL LEGIT CHARGE OR PUT INTO A SOUP FACILITIES. AND SO IT COULD BE REALLY BAD. SO AT THAT POINT, UH, KNOWING, KNOWING THIS GUY BEFORE HE STARTED TO, UH, BEFORE HE STARTED TO GO OFF, UM, IT, IT, I, I KNOW, ESPECIALLY GROWING UP IN TEXAS, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, JUST AREN'T EDUCATED IN THOSE ASPECTS. SO, UM, HAD TO CALL MY FRIENDS DOWN AND I JUST HAD TO PULL THEM ASIDE AND JUST KIND OF TALK TO HIM AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I GUESS HELP UNDERSTAND WHY HE THOUGHT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE. AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT DOING THAT, AND THEN ON, ON, ON, ON THE EDUCATION STANDPOINT AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET THROUGH HIM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, YOU KNOW, WHY HE THOUGHT THAT WAY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COMING TO A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND NOW WE'RE BEST FRIENDS. UH, SO IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A DIFFICULT PROCESS TO GO THROUGH. UM, HE WAS JUST NOT EDUCATED ON THAT STANDPOINT. AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO JUST USE MY OWN EXPERIENCES AND JUST BEING WHO I AM TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HELP US THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HELP HIM THROUGH THE PROCESS BECAUSE HE WAS, HE WAS JUST SUCH A NEW GUY. AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS INTERESTING. IT'S NOT THE ONLY TIME, YOU KNOW, I I'VE, I'VE BEEN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF CONFLICTS. IT RANGES FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, RACIAL ALL THE WAY TO, UH, UM, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, A LOT OF DIFFERENT, HARD CONVERSATION BY GOING THROUGH AND, UH, HAVE GONE, GOT THROUGH TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THE BENEFIT FOR BOTH PARTIES. SO, I MEAN, I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. YEAH. GREAT. WE HAVE ABOUT THREE MORE QUESTIONS AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT NINE MINUTES. SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS, IF YOU WERE LIVING EXAMPLE OF 80 BIAS. UM, I'LL GO WITH, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY LIKE AN [01:20:01] EXAMPLE OF IMPLICIT BIAS THAT, UH, A LOT OF, UH, ON, ON, I GUESS ON, ON EVERY STANDPOINT WOULD BE, IS SOMEONE IS OF COLOR, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE BLACK, HISPANIC, UM, ET CETERA. UH, AND LET'S SAY YOU'RE GOING OUT SHOPPING. UH, OFTENTIMES THERE'S AN IMPLICIT BIAS ON WHETHER THE PRODUCT YOU'RE BUYING IS, UH, WITHIN YOUR PRICE RANGE. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN IMPLICIT BIAS, BUT THAT GOES BACK AND FORTH TO, UM, YOU CAN BE FROM THE SOUTH AND YOU CAN, UH, HAVE A VERY, UH, SOUTHERN DRAWL AND MAYBE IMPLICIT BIAS WITH THAT SPECIFIC, UH, UM, TONE IS THAT YOU'RE UNEDUCATED. UH, SO YEAH, THOSE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF BIAS AND IMPLICIT BIAS. RIGHT. PERFECT. HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE? HOW WOULD I ADVOCATE TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT SEE THE VALUE IN DIVERSITY? CORRECT. AND DIVERSITY INITIATIVES? YES. OKAY. UM, THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE THING I DO KNOW FROM, FROM DIVERSITY ADMISSIONS IS THAT, IS THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, YOU CANNOT PUSH, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC DIVERSITY ISSUES, UH, ON TO, ON TO PEOPLE. UH, SO AD ADVOCATING ON SOMEONE'S BEHALF THAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE DIVERSITY INITIATIVE, UM, IS ALWAYS, UH, AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY. UM, UH, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE THAT OPEN COMMUNICATION COMES FROM IS, IS, IS AN AGITATION AS WELL. IS, IS TO THE QUESTION, IF IT'S HARD TO ADVOCATE FOR SOMEONE THAT ISN'T FOR A SPECIFIC DIVERSITY INITIATIVES, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A DIRECT CONFLICT. UM, AND TO, I GUESS, DEAL WITH THAT. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. UM, STEFAN, I THINK MAYBE, UM, IT'S A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING ON THAT QUESTION. YOU'RE NOT ADVOCATING FOR THE PERSON IT'S, HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR THE DIVERSITY INITIATIVE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOES NOT SEE THE VALUE IN THAT? THAT MAKES SENSE. I WAS TRYING TO REPEAT THE QUESTION AND I, I RE NO, THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. I THINK TRYING TO LIKE THE PERSON, NO, YOU DON'T WANT TO DEFEND IT. YOU'RE UM, UH, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THIS BEING, BEING STRAIGHT FORWARD, UH, ADVOCATING FOR A PERT, WELL, ADVOCATING ON THE BEHALF OF THE DIVERSITY OF INITIATIVE TO SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT AGREE WITH IT, UM, IT TAKES TIME. THAT'S ONE THING THAT I DO KNOW YOU CAN'T EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESULTS, UM, AND YOU CAN'T EXPECT RESULTS AT ALL SOMETIMES. UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE, UH, THE FACTS THAT, THAT I'VE I HAD TO COME TO UNDERSTANDING TO BEFORE, BUT HOW WOULD I DO IT? IT'D BE A SLOW PROCESS. UM, SOMETHING THAT I WOULDN'T KNOW, SOME BART'S SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T AGREE OR DOESN'T AGREE WITH AN INITIATIVE ON, UH, IT WOULD BE A VERY SLOW PROCESS. AND, UH, AND IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AT THAT AS WELL. SO, OKAY. LAST QUESTION. IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS BEING HEARD IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES. THAT'S ONE OF, UH, ONE MAJOR CHALLENGES FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IS BEING HEARD. UM, THE PERSPECTIVE FROM, FROM MINORITIES IS, IS SOMETIMES NOT GREATLY UNDERSTOOD. AND THAT'S WHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT CULTURAL, UH, MEDICATIONAL PROCESS COMES INTO PLAY. AND YOU GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THAT, UM, AND DID A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THOSE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T AGREE PIECE OF INITIATIVES, BUT, UM, I THINK BEING HEARD IS BEING HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, UM, IS AS A MEMBER OF THE, WHEN I WOULD [01:25:01] SAY WOMEN ONE ISSUE FROM, FROM THAT STANDPOINT, RIGHT. THAT WAS OUR LAST QUESTION. ARE THERE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS OR THEN THEM QUESTIONS TO OUR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS? NO, NO, NO, NO. I APPRECIATE THE TIME I'M, I'M, I'M APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, NOT HAVING VIDEO CAPABILITIES. UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY FAULT. I WAS TRYING TO RUSH, I HAD MY, MY BOSS MAKING A LAST MINUTE, LAST MINUTE REQUEST AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THAT GOES, UM, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TO, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, THE TYPE OF INITIATIVES THAT, THAT THIS COMMISSION HOPEFULLY ACCOMPLISHES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THANKS FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US TONIGHT SO THAT WE COULD GET TO KNOW. YEAH. I, LIKEWISE, I APPRECIATE YOU SENDING ME AT THAT TIME. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD EVENING AS WELL. THAT'S THE PHONE RAMIREZ IS NOW EXITING. OKAY. ONE TO GO SEE NEWBIE. SHE HAD SENT ME A CONFIRMATION, SO I KNOW SHE'S AWARE YOU NAMED JEAN. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ON MUTE, JEAN. HEY, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU? FINE. HOW ABOUT YOURSELF? VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO TURN THINGS ALREADY. ALONDA HI, JANE. I AM YOLANDA STEVENS AND I AM THE CHAIRPERSON. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. GOOD. I'M YOLANDA STEVENS. I'M THE CHAIR FOR THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION. AND, UH, WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO YOUR INTERVIEW TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION. I HAVE, UH, THREE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS WITH US TONIGHT, ERIC STEVENS, MIA HONAKER, AND RHONDA SUMLIN, AS WELL AS TONY AND KATIE NICELY FROM THE CITY OFFICES. SO WE HAVE 30 MINUTES WITH YOU TONIGHT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. AND WE WILL ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. AND THEN AT THE END, WE'LL SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR US. OKAY. SO OUR FIRST QUESTION IS HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF HUBER HEIGHTS? AND ARE YOU A REGISTERED VOTER? I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF PAPER HEIGHTS FOR 30 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN HERE AS AN ADOLESCENT WHERE I MATRICULATED IN THE HUBER HEIGHTS CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM. I HAD BEEN A REGISTERED VOTER 20 YEARS, AND DURING THAT TIME I HAVE VOTED ABSENTEE TWICE. OKAY. IF YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION, ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERGO A BACKGROUND CHECK? I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO SO. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO PLEASE SUCCINCTLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PERTINENT SKILLS AND ABILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS. IN MY EXPERIENCE PERTAINING TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATED INITIAL DELAY STARTS, I AM THE DAUGHTER AND THE TWO UNITED STATES AIR FORCE VETERANS. AND FROM THE TIME I WAS BORN TO THE AGE OF 11, I HAVE TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE ASBOS REALLY AGE IS DIAPER PERTAINS TO AGE AND RACE. AND WHEN MY FATHER DID RETIRE FROM THE AIR FORCE 30 YEARS AGO, AND MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY MOVED HERE TO HOOPER HEIGHTS [01:30:05] IN KUPER WHERE I WAS ONE, THE MAIN AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE SCHOLAR IN MY CLASS. AND THEN AFTER GRADUATING FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL, I WENT TO CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I WAS ONE OUT OF 10 MINORITY STUDENTS WHO WAS A SCHOLAR AS WELL. AFTER THE TIME I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I'M WITH BLACK COLLEGE HAMPTON UNIVERSITY IN VIRGINIA, WHERE I WAS A MONTH, PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS, AND SOME STUDENTS FROM AFRICA, UH, AND SOME FROM RUSSIA, HE TALKS ABOUT AFTER I GRADUATED FROM HAMPTON, I CAME BACK TO WORK IN CORPORATE AMERICA FOR EIGHT YEARS AT AND THEN AT HERITAGE CORPORATION FOR THREE YEARS. AND DURING THAT TIME, THOSE FIRST CALLED YOU. AND AGAIN, I WAS ONLY ONE OUT OF A FEW MINORITY, FEMALE, INDIAN FINANCE. I WORKED AT, UM, AT PARKS AND AIR FORCE BASE WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW AND BASICALLY ALL MY LIFE. YOU MIGHT HAVE PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS, I THINK, EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT CULTURES AND RACES IN REGARDS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN DIVERSE ORGANS THAT ARE KNOWN ON A NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL WHERE I EAT OR SERVE WITH, OR SERVE FOR DIVERSE GROUPS IN TERMS OF A RACE AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS. IT IS THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I BELONG TO, AND I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, UM, ABOUT THEM. I WILL NAME SOME OF THEM THE BASIS IS TO SERVE A COMMUNITY SERVICE IN TERMS OF EDUCATION, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STABILITY. IT SOUNDS ORGANIZATIONS. I BELONG TO INCLUDE DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED, WHICH WAS FOUNDED ON PUBLIC SERVICE. ALSO DURING MY TIME AT NCR AND CARRY DATA. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE TERRA DATA AND NCR DIVERSITY ALLIANCE GROUP, WHERE WE WILL HAVE WORKING SESSIONS A MONTH, OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT WE FACE IN THE WORKPLACE AND EVEN HAVE CULTURAL FAIRS TO DISCUSS OUR BACKGROUNDS AND PRESENTLY. UM, THE PAST I HAVE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF MANAGERS WITH THE FISHER HOUSE ORGANIZATION AT WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE. AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT ORGANIZATION IS TO HELP MILITARY FAMILIES BASED ON DIVERSE RIGHTS AND BACKGROUNDS TO THE PAIN, HOUSING, OR TEMPORARY PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THEY COME TO THE BASE FOR ANY TYPE OF A MEDICAL OPERATIONS THAT THEY NEED TO GET. ALSO, I'M A MEMBER OF BLACKSTON GOVERNMENT TO THAT ORGANIZATION. I WORKED TO ENSURE THAT AFRICAN WORK FOR LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CIVIC INVOLVEMENT, AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES. AWESOME. NAACP. NOW, IN REGARD TO MY SKILLS AND ABILITIES PERTAINING TO DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS, DEFINITELY YOU HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT. I'M VERY OPEN TO LISTEN TO VARIOUS IDEAS, PERSPECTIVES, UM, BEING IMPARTIAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN MINDED TO LEARN YOURSELF, ADAPT TO DIVERSE CULTURES. IN FACT, SHE BREAK IT UP, JANE, YOU'RE BREAKING UP PRETTY BAD. UM, YOU KEEP GOING IN AND OUT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CONNECTION ISSUE. YES, YES. HEY. YEAH, I THINK, YEAH. ARE YOU GOING TO BLUETOOTH? HOLD ON. [01:35:22] OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. YOU THERE? OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME CLEARLY NOW? YEAH. YES, WE CAN. WE CAN HEAR YOU. WE CAN'T SEE YOU, BUT WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY. CAN I APOLOGIES EVERYBODY? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I'LL START OVER. AS FAR AS THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES PORTION, I BELIEVE THAT FOR ME, MY BASIC SKILLS AND ABILITIES, AS FAR AS DEALING WITH DIVERSITY AND RACE RELATIONS, YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN MINDED. YOU HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT AS FAR AS BEING HONEST IN TERMS OF WHAT ISSUES, UM, CONFRONTATIONS, UM, DOUBTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH OTHER CULTURES AND RACES IN TERMS OF COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO MAKE PROGRESS. I AM A STRONG COMMUNICATOR WHERE BASED ON MY PROFESSIONALISM AND THE DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS I BELONG TO, WHERE THE DEMOGRAPHICS ARE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF AGE, RACE, AND GENDER. I KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE TO THOSE TYPES OF AUDIENCES. AND ALSO I AM A SERVANT LEADER, AS YOU ARE PRACTICING IN MY APPLICATION, I AM VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY IS A PASSION OF MINE BASED ON WHAT I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH IN TERMS OF MY EXPERIENCES TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY. THEY CONTINUE TO DO THAT SO THAT I CAN TALK A LEGACY, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD. IT'D BE AN EXAMPLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING, BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING, THE PURPOSE OF THE CITIZEN AND, UM, DIVERSITY ACTION CONDITION. I THINK OF ONE QUOTE THAT WAS SAID BY THE LATE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM, WHERE SHE SAID, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, RIGHT. FOLLOW THE CHAIR. SO BASICALLY TO ME, BASED ON THE TIMES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH, IN TERMS OF COVID-19 AND THE CONTINUOUS RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY, WE ALL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER. WE ALL HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR DIFFERENCES IN ORDER TO MAKE PROGRESS AND BECOME BETTER AS A COUNTRY, A NATION IN HUBER HEIGHTS, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY CAUCASIAN, BUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION IS GRADUALLY INCREASING CAN IN THE YEAR 20, 40, 50 CLAIM THAT RIGHT MINORITIES ARE GOING TO BE MAJORITY. SO THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER, COME TO THE TABLE, BRING OUR CHAIRS, THAT DIALOGUE, AS FAR AS HOW TO ASSIMILATE TOGETHER, HAVE SOLUTIONS IN PLACE AND JUST THE FULL WORD AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS EQUAL IN SOCIETY AND WHAT THEY WANT TO ADD TO, UM, I WANT A STRONG BRIDGE, A STRONG BRIDGE CHANGE NOW, MORE THAN EVER. AND I FEEL THAT THROUGH THIS PERMISSION TO ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START BACK WITH THAT CITY, UM, WHAT THIS IS A NEW COMMISSION. SO IT IS PRETTY TIME INTENSE. WE ENVISION THAT. WHAT IS YOUR TIME COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE? WELL, I BELIEVE WHEN YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR SOMETHING, YOU PRIORITIZE IT. SO WHATEVER TIME IS ALLOTTED FOR THIS COMMISSION IN PHASE TO WHAT I STATED EARLIER, THIS IS A STRONG CONCERN OF MIND [01:40:01] IN TERMS OF WORKING TOWARDS DIVERSITY, WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD COMMUNITIES, ALL THOSE FACTORS. SO EVER TIME IS GIVEN, ESPECIALLY WITH SOMETHING NEW, LIKE THIS IS GOING TO TAKE SOME GROUNDWORK. SO I WILL BE 100% COMMITTED AS DAVID. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE COMMUNITY BY THIS COMMISSION? WELL, BASED ON AGAIN, THE TWO MAIN PANDEMICS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, COVID-19 RACIAL INEQUALITY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMISSION SHOULD FOCUS ON EDUCATION, POLITICS, PHYSICAL, MENTAL ECONOMICS. SO IN TERMS OF EDUCATION RIGHT NOW, AS WE ALL KNOW WITH THE UPCOMING ELECTION, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE SKEPTICAL, IS FINE TO VOTE. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A WORK TOOL, UM, TRAINING SESSION, AS FAR AS HOW TO PROPERLY FILL OUT ABSENTEE BALLOTS. ALSO GOING OVER INFORMATION IN TERMS OF YOUR POLLING LOCATION IN THE CITY OF COUPA HEIGHTS, IN CASE THERE ARE RESIDENTS, I WANT TO GO VOTE. IF THERE ARE CITIZENS WHO ARE SKEPTICAL OF DRIVING TO THEIR LOCATION, WE'LL NEED A RIDE, BUT PERMISSION CAN PARTNER TOGETHER BASED ON DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT NEED ACCESS TO THE POLLING LOCATIONS TO GO THERE IN REGARDS TO PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. AGAIN, BASED ON THIS PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW THAT UNDERGONE SO MUCH STRESS WHERE THEY CAN'T SLEEP, THEIR EATING HABITS ARE POOR, AND THEREFORE THAT'S AFFECTING THEIR HEALTH AND MINORITIES. AS WE KNOW, WE SUFFER THE MOST WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE SEPARATE THINGS. SO THIS IS THE TIME MORE THAN EVER, THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. AND AS FAR AS ECONOMICS, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE MINORITY BUSINESSES IN HUBER HEIGHTS. I AM AWARE TOO, THAT I FREQUENTLY SOLICIT, BUT IF KEEPER HEIGHTS IS BECOMING MORE DIVERSE IN TERMS OF RACE, WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT AND REFLECTIVE OF THAT AS FAR AS ALLOWING MINORITY BUSINESSES TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY. OKAY, THANK YOU. 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. ONE EXAMPLE WAS FAIRLY RECENTLY THE WEEKEND AFTER THE FIRST PROTEST, WHEN GEORGE LLOYD WAS MURDERED, THE COMMANDER AT WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, I SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO ALL OF THE PERSONNEL, CIVILIAN AND MILITARY CHURN ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. AND IN HIS EMAIL, HE LEFT IT OPEN TO ANY EMPLOYEE TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS. SO I HAD SENT AN EMAIL TO ADDRESS MY CONCERNS BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND THE TWO MAIN THINGS THAT I HAVE BROUGHT UP OR SYSTEMATIC RACISM AND NOT OF ROUND TABLE DIALOGUE IN TERMS OF HOW TO HANDLE DIVERSITY ISSUES AT THE BOATS. AND IN MY EMAIL TO THE COMMANDER, I HAD MENTIONED TO PAM THAT BEING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE, WHO CAME INTO SEVERAL SERVICE AS A WITH MY MASTERS, WITH MY, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PATIENTS, IT'S STILL HARD FOR ME TO GET BEYOND THAT GRADE. YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE 10 YEARS, BUT I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE, UM, PRIMARILY, UH, OCCASIONS OR GRASP QUICKER THAN MYSELF AND OTHER MINORITIES. AND I FELT THAT IT WAS WRONG AND IT NEEDS TO BE SOME, UM, DEEP DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF THE HIRING PROCESS. NOT ONLY AT LIKE POTTER SAID FOR THE AIR FORCE IN GENERAL. AND THE OTHER THING I MENTIONED TO HIM WAS THE FACT APPLY PLANTING AGAIN, THOSE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS, EVEN THOUGH THOSE SESSIONS WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HAVE AND UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT IF YOU TRULY WANT TO REFLECT WHAT THE AIR FORCE IS, [01:45:01] WHICH IS DIVERSE IN TERMS OF RACE, GENDER, AGE, AND RANK, YOU NEED TO REFLECT THAT THESE ARE YOUR PARENTS' HOUSE. SO AFTER I SENT THE EMAIL, I DID GET A RESPONSE AND HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE WILL WORK WITH SOME SENIOR LEADERS AT THE COMMAND TO ENFORCE THAT. NOW I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING IN THAT ORGANIZATION, BUT I KNOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. SO AT LEAST WITH ME SPEAKING OUT, I HELPED TO ENCOURAGE THAT ANOTHER EXAMPLE I WANT TO SAY LAST NOVEMBER IN THE COURT ORGANIZATION THAT I WORKED AT NOW, MY DIVISION CHIEF, I HAVE RECEIVED SOME CLIMATE SURVEYS. PRIVATE SURVEYS ARE BASICALLY SURVEYS THAT ALL EMPLOYEES ON THE BASE FILL OUT TO ADDRESS ANY TYPE OF JOB ISSUES, ANY TYPE OF, UM, DISCREPANCIES THEY'RE FACING IN TERMS OF DOING THEIR JOB, ANY TYPE OF PREJUDICES RACISM IS THAT NATURE. WELL, COME TO FIND OUT, THERE WERE EMPLOYEES IN MY ORGANIZATION THAT THOUGHT IT, THAT PERFECTLY SUICIDE, THAT HEARD N-WORD THAT HEARD HOMOPHOBIC SLURS BEING SAID. SO HE HAD A MEETING WITH ALL OF US TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. SO AFTER HE ADDRESSED IT, HE ALLOWED EACH OF US TO MAKE A COMMENT ON HOW WE FELT. AND BASICALLY I SAID, SHE, EVERYBODY IN MY AREA, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHO MAY MAKE THOSE COMMENTS, BUT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE WITH SOMEONE LIKE ME, WHO IS MINORITY, I'D RATHER YOU ADDRESS IT TO ME, THEN MAKE A SLUR, JUST AN OUNCE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT. WE MAKE THOSE COMMENTS. BUT WHEN I APPROACH YOU ILLEGALS, YOU SMILE, YOU GRIN CORDIAL FOR PRETENDER THINGS. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME. SO BASICALLY, NO, I FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP IF SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AND ALWAYS FEEL THAT BASED ON WHAT JOHN LEWIS ALWAYS SAID, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RIGHT, YOU HAVE MORAL OBLIGATION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THIS TIME, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR YOUR CHILDREN. OKAY. UM, AND GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A BIAS. UM, FIRST, I'LL START OFF THE DEFINITION AS TO WHAT I BELIEVE A BIASES BIAS IS SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN HAVE EITHER A MISPERCEPTION OF SOMETHING BASED ON A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION OR IGNORANCE. AND IN MY LIFETIME, THERE ARE THREE MAIN BIASES THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN. AFTER I GRADUATED FROM HAMPTON AND STARTED WORKING AT NCR. MY FIRST SUPERVISOR WAS A CAUCASIAN FEMALE WHO WAS THREE YEARS OLDER THAN ME. SO IN HER MID TWENTIES, SHE SAW ME DRESSED IN A SUIT AND SHE MADE A COMMENT BY SAYING, OH, WOW, DO YOU FIND PEOPLE ALWAYS DRESS LIKE THIS? AND THAT REALLY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. AND BASICALLY I TOLD HER, WELL, YES, WE DO. BUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL, IT IS EXPECTED TO DRESS LIKE THIS. SO WHEN SHE SAID THAT TO ME, SHE NEVER BEEN AROUND A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE. NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, HE DOESN'T EXPECT A LOT OF BLACKS AND MINORITIES TO BE IN PROFESSIONS SUCH IN FINALLY. SO I DON'T TELL HIM MY IGNORANCE. I DON'T RETALIATE, YOU KNOW, HOW TO SPEAK TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT AND KEEP IT MOVING. UM, I ALSO EXPERIENCED BIAS WITHIN MY OWN RACE. WHEN I WENT TO HAMPTON, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK SCHOOL, A LOT OF MY CLASSMATES THERE HAD BEEN AROUND FOR LIKELY PRISSY, YOU KNOW, UM, WELL SPOKEN. THEY EVEN SAID, WHY CAN'T YOU TALK LIKE, WELL, I TALK ABOUT THE HUMAN BEING WHO HAS POISED AND DID IT TOO. YOU KNOW, EVEN I WAS COMPARED [01:50:01] TO WHITLEY GILBERT, A DIFFERENT WORLD, WHICH I'M NOT SURE YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THAT SHOW, BUT, BUT TO ME, YEAH, TO ME, I CAN LAUGH ABOUT IT. BUT BACK THEN, I WAS LIKE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN MINDED, YOU KNOW, TO BE EXPOSED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU IN ORANGE AND THE CHANGES AND DIFFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE. OKAY. THAT, THAT ROLLS RIGHT INTO MY NEXT QUESTION. HOW WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES, WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T SEE THE VALUE TO YOU? HOW I WOULD ADVOCATE THAT IS TO HAVE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IN ONE OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS HAVE EXERCISES WHERE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES SAY IF THEY'RE ASIAN OR CAUCASIAN, ASK THEM HOW THEY WILL HANDLE A SITUATION BEING AFRICAN AMERICAN, WHAT WOULD THEY DO IF THEY WERE IN THEIR SHOES? IF YOU GIVE THEM THOSE SCENARIOS AND ASK THEM, HOW WOULD THEY HANDLE IT AS A SOLUTION? THAT'S WHERE YOU COME WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES ON MAKING THE DIFFERENCE. AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS. I KNOW THAT IS NOT EASY, BUT AGAIN, IN ORDER TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE, GOING FORWARD INTO OLIVIER'S DISCONTINUOUS, RACE, RACIAL INJUSTICE, THE PREJUDICES IT'S GOING TO MAKE, YOU HAVE TO DO AND HAVE TO DO. OKAY. OUR LAST QUESTION IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS? WELL, AS A MEMBER OF BLOND AND THE MAIN GROUPS, I CAN SPEAK BEING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE, I'M STILL FACING CHALLENGES THAT I DID WHEN I STARTED MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER. YOU KNOW, I AM SEEN AS BEING TOO EDUCATED. I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY. I'M NOT EXPECTED TO BEING FEMALE. I SAY THIS MATTER RACISM ON MY JOB. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, STILL BEING AT THE GRADE THAT I AM AND SEEING MY WHITE COUNTERPARTS, NOT TO SAY THAT THEY DON'T DESERVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IF I HAD MORE THAN THEY HAVE, WHY CAN I NOT BE GIVEN THAT CHANCE? WE FACED STRUGGLES, YOU KNOW, AS A RACE, BUT THE SIDES AS AMERICANS, OTHER WOMEN, ONES TOO, UM, EDUCATION RIGHT NOW GOING ON WITH COVID-19. THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS RIGHT NOW THAT MAY HAVE TO STAY HOME, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES LIKE LAPTOPS AND INTERNET TO DO THEIR WORK. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE THE MAJORITY OF MINORITY, WE NEED STABLE RESOURCES TO BE EFFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL. OKAY. THANK YOU, JEAN. UM, DO ANY OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE ASKED THAT YOU LIKE FOR ME TO POSE TO JANE? NO QUESTIONS. OKAY. JEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? I DID. I DID. SO AFTER YOU GO THROUGH THE REMAINER INTERVIEW INTERVIEW PROCESS, EXCUSE ME, MY MATH IS STRIKING WHEN BOTH THE BOARD MAKE HIS FINAL SELECTION AND NOTIFY THE APPLICANTS. SO WE, ONCE WE COMPLETE THE PROCESS, UM, WE WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL OR PASS THOSE NAMES ONE TO CITY COUNCIL, AUGUST THE 12TH, AND THEN THAT WILL BE VOTED UPON AT THE FOLLOWING, UM, MEETING, WHICH WOULD BE TONY THAT'S THE 20, THE 24TH, 24TH BUYER RESCHEDULE AT THIS POINT? YES. OKAY. THE 24TH OF AUGUST. YES. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION. UM, I THINK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF ME AND IF SELECTED, I DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF [01:55:01] YOU. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU TOO. BYE BYE. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES OUR LAST. OKAY. AND WITH THAT, WE WOULDN'T MOVE INTO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, DID YOU WANT TO TAKE A RECESS? LIKE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, YES. WE WILL TAKE A 15 MINUTES. DOES THAT WORK? WHAT'D YOU SAY? I'M 45. I'M NOT OKAY WITH WHATEVER I ADDED UP THE NUMBERS. I THOUGHT YOU'RE WRONG. SO, I MEAN, BUT YEAH, MY NUMBERS ARE ADDED UP. OKAY. SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU GUYS, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. THAT'S QUIET AND TAKE A 15 MINUTE BREAK THAT WE, THAT WE DISCUSSED. OKAY. WE RECONVENE AT SEVEN 45. YEAH. SO YOLANDA AS THE CHAIR, YOU'LL JUST RECESS THE MEETING AT SEVEN 28, UH, SCHEDULED TO RECONVENE AT SEVEN 45. UM, I WILL PUT UP A SIGN ON THE VIDEO STREAM THAT SHOWS THE MEETING IS IN RECESS AND WE'LL RECONVENE HERE AT SEVEN 45 THEN. OKAY. OKAY. WE'RE WE'RE READY TO CONVENE THE MEETING BACK THEN. YES. YOU'RE NOT COMING THROUGH. WE'LL HEAR YOU. VERY, YOU'RE VERY FAINT SOMETHING. THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH YOUR AUDIO A LITTLE BETTER. YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO HEAR ME NOW. NOW WE CAN. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE'RE RECONVENING THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZEN ACTIONS COMMISSION MEETING AT SEVEN 46. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, TO DISCUSS OUR FILLING OUR CANDIDATE, OUR COMMISSION VACANCY VACANCY. YEAH. THE ACTUAL WORDING OF THE MOTION WILL NEED TO BE, UH, A MOTION TO CON UM, TO CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO VACANCY ON THE CITY COMMISSION. OKAY. MOTION TO CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS. TWO VACANCIES ON THE CITY COMMISSION. OKAY. REGARDING THE VACANCIES AS TONY STATED. SO WE WOULD EAT A COMMISSION MEMBER TO MAKE THAT MOTION IN THE MOTION. I'M SORRY. I SECOND, THE MOTION WHO IS MAKING THE MOTION, THE MOTION. I'M SORRY. OKAY. SO THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY ME A HONAKER SOCKETED BY ERIC STEVENS. AND THEN IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? OKAY. SEEING NONE, THEN WE WILL CALL IT THE ROLE ERIC STEVENS PRESENT. IT WOULD BE A YES OR NO. PARDON ME? YES. YES. OKAY. YOLANDA STEPHENS, RHONDA SUMLIN AND MIA HANUKKAH. YES. OKAY. SO THE COMMISSION WILL BE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT'S 7:48 PM. AND I WILL NEED A MOMENT TO CHANGE THIS TO THE LIVESTREAM IT GO. OKAY. WE'RE READY TO GO. OKAY. WE ARE RECONVENING. AFTER OUR [02:00:01] EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE COME OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 9:19 PM. NO ACTION WAS TAKING DURING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY SINCE ACCIDENT COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL, THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS FOR APPOINTMENT TARA PURVIS, ERIC RICHARDSON, FREDERICK AKINS, AS THE FON RAMIREZ AND JEAN NEWBIE. THOSE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL. UM, WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO INTERVIEW FOR THE COMMISSION. AND WE HAVE LOTS OF GREAT SKILLS AND TALENTS IN OUR CITY. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SELECTED OR RECOMMENDED FOR THE COMMISSION TO STILL REMAIN INVOLVED BECAUSE WE WILL NEED VOLUNTEERS. WE WILL NEED PEOPLE WHO WILL NEED OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE COMMISSION. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS TONIGHT? THERE WAS NONE. THERE'S NONE. SO, UM, BASED ON NO ADDITIONAL BUSINESS, WE CAN ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 9:21 PM. CAN I HAVE EVERYBODY I'M APPRECIATED IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. * 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.