South Portland Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 22, 2021 7:00 – 9:00 pm In Attendance: Ravi Koil, Colleen Jones-Turner, Pedro Vazquez, Margaret Brownlee, Jill Barkley Roy, Jade Rose SanGiovanni, Amy Berry, Stephanie Weaver, Alma Ogweta, Brendan Williams. Absent: Erick Giles, Milan Nevajda, Jodi Mezzanotte.

Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. Pedro Vazquez facilitated the meeting.

Published Agenda: [Reordered when meeting began from the published version below.] 7:00 – 7:20 Call to Order Reading of FOAA Statement Check-In Comments Acceptance of Minutes 7:20 – 8:00 • Maine Youth Justice Support Discussion. William Mann and Sari Green. • Racial Equity Institute [REI] Discussion Jake Fahey • MAEC [Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (?)] Report Discussion [Postponed] 8:00 – 8:10 (Opportunity for Public Comment) 8:10 – 8:50 Atlantic Black Box Project – Seth Goldstein 8:50 – 9:00 Final Reflections [Postponed] 9:00 Adjournment

Minutes and Meeting Summary

• 7:05 – 7:20 Call to Order, Reading of FOAA Statement Check-In, Acceptance of Minutes Stephanie called the meeting to order and read the meeting requirements. Pedro began the meeting by calling for the members in attendance to check in. Acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting was not brought up. New commission member Brendan Williams was introduced to the commission and gave a brief description of his experience and qualifications. He has been in this area for about 5 years and is originally from the San Francisco Area. Brendan described himself as hearing impaired, and is also a stand-up comedian. Each member of the commission welcomed him. After calling the meeting to order, Pedro proposed that agenda be modified to allow guest Seth Goldstein to provide his presentation on the Atlantic Black Box Project before the other agenda items. MOTION: Ravi made a motion to allow changes to the agenda. • Atlantic Black Box Project. Seth Goldstein, who teaches history at Maine College of Art, offered a presentation of the Atlantic Black Box Project, of which he is the educational coordinator. The project is described on their site [The Atlantic Black Box Project – researching & reckoning with New England's role in the global economy of enslavement] as “a public history project that empowers communities throughout New England to take up the critical work of researching and reckoning with our region’s complicity in the slave trade and our extensive involvement in the global economy of enslavement.” This presentation was enthusiastically received, and was the major component of this week’s meeting. Seth commented that he would love to come back and talk more about Portland’s history with enslaved people. Colleen, Jill, and others agreed it would be worthwhile. . Maine Youth Justice Support. In a follow-up to last meeting’s discussion of Maine Youth Justice support, Jade Rose said that she is working with state legislator Brendan McQuade, who has written a bill to close down Long Creek Development Center, which she described as a youth prison. She suggested that perhaps the Human Rights Commission could support the campaign to close Long Creek and explore ways to do so. . Racial Equity Institute [REI] Discussion Jake Fahey, an interfaith chaplain and community organizer who has worked with the Racial Equity institute for the past couple of years, talked with the commission about the goals of the REI, and specifically about their workshops. He said his group has connected with different groups who are interested in bringing this training to different parts of Maine and our most recent efforts have been trying to get system leaders and change makers throughout the state to attend, so that we can recognize that this these problems of racism are crossing all of our systems all of our institutions He invited commission members to a virtual workshop to see if it would be a good fit for the commission. Margaret commented that she had experience with REI a few years ago and described the experience as life changing. Ravi brought up the idea of the HRC sponsoring 5 spots in an upcoming workshop either for Members of the Commission or four members of the public from South Portland Pedro said it would be a good thing to get involved in that I'm so happy about that, and I think that it would be great for us to take part in some of those workshops and then maybe designing something specific to our Community, so we can bring it to our Community. Jake said the full price for an individual is $375 and that scholarships are available. Brendan put forth a motion that would allow people who were not present at the meeting to have a chance to hear about this before a vote and potentially be among those allowed to attend the workshop. [not sure if this correct], which was seconded by Pedro. A roll call vote was unanimous. . Additional Meeting. Due to time constraints and extended discussions at this evening’s meeting, Colleen made a motion that we have an additional meeting next for us to finish the work that we need to do. Pedro seconded the motion. A roll call vote was unanimous. . The meeting was adjourned at 9:31. [I searched the transcript and perhaps to the length of the meeting [2 hr 26 minutes] and the late hour, a formal adjournment did not happen]? Motion to adjourn by? Second?] – My copy of the transcript cut off at 2:26 on the recording.

Transcript of the Meeting as recorded by Zoom [Please Note: This transcript is based on the Zoom recording and as such, contains Zoom’s “best guess” at what each participant has said. As a result, there are numerous mis-spellings, incorrect names, and similar errors and omissions. To access the actual recorded audio, please refer to the shared drive for the Human Rights Commission.]

WEBVTT 4-22-20211 00:05:30.270 --> Stephanie Weaver: hey.2 00:05:31.980 -->

Check In [back] Pedro A. Vazquez: Hello there how's it going.3 00:05:33.840 --> Stephanie Weaver: Okay yo.4 00:05:36.000 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: really good excited about going away tomorrow we're taking some time out cool.5 00:05:42.390 --> Stephanie Weaver: sorry about what we're going away on a road trip tomorrow so oh nice yeah I can barely hear you.6 00:05:49.560 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Oh, really, let me try is that better.7 00:05:52.020 --> Stephanie Weaver: Much okay excellent.8 00:05:58.710 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: hi amy hi brandon.9 00:06:03.120 --> Amy Berry: Hello Pedro.10 00:06:05.520 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: And I see ravi.11 00:06:07.380 --> Amy Berry: hi brandon.12 00:06:09.060 --> Brendan Williams: Hello Howard on.13 00:06:12.210 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent Thank you good to see you.14 00:06:14.220 --> Brendan Williams: know theater.15 00:06:17.580 --> Ravi Koil: Random greetings and welcome Brenda.16 00:06:20.460 --> Brendan Williams: Thank you well.17 00:06:22.590 --> Ravi Koil: Welcome to the CBC group.18 00:06:26.370 --> Amy Berry: yeah that's us.19 00:06:29.730 --> Ravi Koil: I think that applies to all the three.20 00:06:32.490 --> Ravi Koil: i'm hoping that.21 00:06:34.710 --> Ravi Koil: they're pretty cheap amy very becomes the chief permanently fire police department that's one which.22 00:06:40.980 --> Amy Berry: Oh well.23 00:06:42.720 --> Amy Berry: For that vote of confidence.24 00:06:44.880 --> Ravi Koil: Oh, my gosh if somebody's interested, you would be fabulous Stephanie viva is always have guardian keeps us in line protects us shepherds us.25 00:06:57.060 --> Ravi Koil: And then there is no hippie the big boss Pedro.26 00:07:05.520 --> Stephanie Weaver: And ravi is our cheerleader cherry cherry leader.27 00:07:10.770 --> Ravi Koil: Thank you.28 00:07:14.760 --> Stephanie Weaver: It comes Margaret.29 00:07:16.290 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: it's absolutely terrific that's for sure.30 00:07:20.010 --> Ravi Koil: Yes, Margaret.31 00:07:24.600 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Margaret how you doing.32 00:07:26.280 --> Ravi Koil: you're muted.33 00:07:28.260 --> Ravi Koil: you're muted.34 00:07:30.390 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: You can hear us.35 00:07:31.770 --> Ravi Koil: she's muted.36 00:07:33.060 --> yeah.37 00:07:41.730 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: How about now can you hear us now and jade rose welcome.38 00:07:49.980 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Can you hear us now Margaret.39 00:07:52.320 --> Stephanie Weaver: She left and maybe i'll come back.40 00:07:54.630 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Okay, I see.41 00:08:05.880 --> Here we go.42 00:08:07.590 --> Ravi Koil: To Brendan Brendan did you grow up here.43 00:08:10.890 --> Ravi Koil: From south brooklyn.44 00:08:13.770 --> Brendan Williams: Yes, and no I originally grew up in California and then I moved to Ohio.45 00:08:20.370 --> Oh.46 00:08:21.720 --> Brendan Williams: yeah yeah that and so i've been in the area for about five years, five years now 2015 yeah you don't.47 00:08:30.960 --> Ravi Koil: know how that has some very nice restaurants in Baja.48 00:08:34.410 --> Brendan Williams: They do I I love going I worked at some of them back in high school and I love I love better than the time my mom go up there, so I go back and forth a lot occasionally.49 00:08:46.830 --> Ravi Koil: And oh yeah and they have that car fairy that goes to Canada, you know to Newfoundland our brand speak we've we've done that you know, on behalf of.50 00:08:57.240 --> Brendan Williams: The ferry.51 00:08:58.140 --> Ravi Koil: Yes.52 00:08:58.680 --> Brendan Williams: you're talking about the copper.53 00:09:01.980 --> Brendan Williams: They do I don't know if they have it, I have now Now I know they did have it yeah but there's like a bunch of part of the whole up.54 00:09:10.290 --> Brendan Williams: Because out.55 00:09:11.490 --> Brendan Williams: about the fair about any clue of going to the bar high high yeah um but uh yeah I know the beautiful area I love living up there.56 00:09:21.480 --> Brendan Williams: And so i'm glad to live near there to go, I can go back and forth, because I i'm originally from San Francisco move command and then for college, I went back to go and then I decided to just double i'm moving to that area.57 00:09:37.080 --> Ravi Koil: You know that's that's one of the prettiest cities in our country San Francisco you know amazing.58 00:09:41.370 --> Brendan Williams: yeah yeah that's where i'm originally that, where I was born, so I love it well, I know it's a beautiful 30 bucks you.59 00:09:49.350 --> know.60 00:09:50.670 --> Brendan Williams: Once I finished school I couldn't afford to live out there, so I decided to move back command sorry yeah.61 00:09:57.780 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent so Margaret are you still having a little bit of trouble hearing us.62 00:10:03.420 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: looks like you're raising your hand.63 00:10:04.920 --> Margaret Brownlee: I can hear now.64 00:10:06.000 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Okay perfect.65 00:10:07.860 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: In the attendee roster I see Seth Goldstein who we should go ahead and admit as a panelist you'll be presenting to us with respect to Atlantic black box project, I also see Sari Green and Craig [?] who are here if we can.66 00:10:26.190 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Go ahead and open the meeting call the meeting to order, I would propose maybe we do have a pretty full agenda and maybe having the Atlantic black box project presentation.67 00:10:37.770 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: take place before the rest of the agenda, I know that we have the ability to move some things around and that may be better, since we advertised for Seth to be doing the presentation at seven if everyone is in accordance with that.68 00:10:52.170 --> Ravi Koil: Pedro just a comment for you and Stephanie you know yesterday he operational equity institute Stephanie he'll he'll come he'll join us at eight o'clock he's got a clean slate So if you see Jeff fe he.69 00:11:08.220 --> Ravi Koil: You know, you can admit it, you know he's going to be talking to us about the racial equity Institute.70 00:11:14.760 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: That sounds great so.71 00:11:16.710 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: we're gonna go ahead and count the order hi Joe good to see you.72 00:11:20.070 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: And Seth so happy to see you.73 00:11:23.160 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: And it looks like colleen is also in the.74 00:11:25.380 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Attendance roster now.75 00:11:32.280 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Great so we can call the meeting to order Stephanie if you would do the honors of reading our phone.76 00:11:40.110 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: yep Thank you.77 00:11:41.130 --> Stephanie Weaver: Good evening say i'm April 22 meeting of the south portland.78 00:11:45.390 --> Human Rights Commission.79 00:11:47.670 --> Stephanie Weaver: will come to order, this is a public proceeding.80 00:11:50.460 --> Stephanie Weaver: And unless Commission specifically both.81 00:11:54.390 --> Stephanie Weaver: Sorry.82 00:11:54.960 --> Do everywhere.83 00:11:57.000 --> Jill Barkley Roy: yeah everyone needs to mute who's not you, I think.84 00:12:03.390 --> Stephanie Weaver: Okay, trying in the April 22.85 00:12:05.400 --> Brendan Williams: Meeting of the south portland human rights.86 00:12:06.720 --> Stephanie Weaver: Commission will come to order, this is a public proceeding and unless the Commission specifically votes to go into.87 00:12:12.330 --> Brendan Williams: executive session.88 00:12:15.660 --> Stephanie Weaver: You have the right to hear everything that is being said and to look at all of the handouts and exhibits that are offered this meeting is being conducted remotely in accordance with emergency legislation adopted on march 17 2020 public law.89 00:12:30.360 --> Stephanie Weaver: Chapter 617 part G regarding the freedom of access or for which temporary allows remote participation at local board and committee meetings.90 00:12:39.480 --> Stephanie Weaver: Unless under this emergency legislation up to up until 30 days after the termination of the state of emergency.91 00:12:46.110 --> Stephanie Weaver: entity, subject to PFOA including municipalities are allowed to conduct public proceedings to telephonic video electronic or other similar means of communication, as long as certain conditions are met, including one providing notice of the meaning of the means EG.92 00:13:03.360 --> Stephanie Weaver: Telephone video electronic etc, by which the meeting will be held to ensuring that members of the body can speak and be heard by other members of the body.93 00:13:12.720 --> Stephanie Weaver: and members of the public can hear all participants in the meeting and three top taking all votes fire roll call.94 00:13:19.830 --> Stephanie Weaver: This Commission meeting meets the requirements of ld 2167 in that information about the use of the zoom computer application for the clinician meeting was included in the notice of the meeting.95 00:13:30.180 --> Stephanie Weaver: To the meeting will be conducted so that the members of the body can speak and be heard by other members of the body.96 00:13:35.970 --> Stephanie Weaver: and members of the public and here all participants in the meeting and three all votes will be by roll call.97 00:13:42.600 --> Stephanie Weaver: The Commission works from are prepared agenda and will be considering tonight's agenda in the order of the topics listed in the agenda, except as previously noted.98 00:13:51.060 --> Stephanie Weaver: Please, know that the Commission members will disclose any potential conflicts of interest, of which they are aware, the processes for allowing public comment.99 00:13:59.040 --> Stephanie Weaver: And the person wishing to comment will be asked at the appropriate time to raise their hand using the zoom raise hand feature way to be recognized by the facilitator state your name and address and then proceed public comment is limited.100 00:14:11.460 --> Stephanie Weaver: To three minutes per speaker comment via the zoom chat feature will not be accepted.101 00:14:22.110 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Stephanie.102 00:14:23.820 --> appreciate.103 00:14:26.130 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: I do hear a little bit of ECHO i'm not sure someone should mute.104 00:14:34.410 --> Jill Barkley Roy: Brendan might need them you.105 00:14:39.180 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Are you able to mute your microphone.106 00:14:44.700 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: There we go that working yeah that seems to have solved it excellent.107 00:14:49.590 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: First of all, I want to make sure that we welcome our newest Member Brendan Williams, who was appointed by the city council.108 00:14:56.040 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: A couple of days ago I know brandon personally he and I serve on a couple of other commissions and i'm so thrilled that he's here.109 00:15:04.530 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Because he brings a lot to the dialogue and the conversation hi i'm a nice to see you, and so we are welcoming Brendan tonight and looking forward to a a long.110 00:15:15.960 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: time ahead of us when we were together for the benefit of our Community, as we can go ahead and check in quickly we'll do that.111 00:15:23.760 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: And then consider moving some things on the agenda around, so we can have Seth do his presentation i'm doing well.112 00:15:31.260 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: We have really enjoyed this short period of vacation you know kids are off school we're looking ahead to do and some road trips and things like that, and so i'm really glad to be here and glad to be with all of you, and with that I will pass it to Ravi.113 00:15:52.770 --> Ravi Koil: Can you hear me so greetings greetings to all my brothers and sisters very proud to be here.114 00:15:59.370 --> Ravi Koil: very happy to be here, work is where you get with what I do for a living and we are very blessed to be here, you know just reflecting on $20 $20.115 00:16:13.260 --> Ravi Koil: That people a person who actually you know whose life or actually he's dead intersected with my life and which really motive motivated me.116 00:16:24.690 --> Ravi Koil: To get into anti racism work, because what do you what do we know we're just Asian Americans working hard.117 00:16:32.790 --> Ravi Koil: enjoying life, doing everything and then was really not into anti racism work until George floyd's not his life his death right in brazen daylight.118 00:16:45.270 --> Ravi Koil: Change I think my life forever, you know and and and my wife would agree with that you know, which is still very traumatic for her to say so.119 00:16:52.950 --> Ravi Koil: One down many more to go justice will never be served because it's about accountability right justice, you know we lost asked is because he was killed.120 00:17:01.140 --> Ravi Koil: same as doing right so now, all we can do is hope for accountability and waiting for the sentencing, but one down many more to go.121 00:17:09.930 --> Ravi Koil: Having said all that, we have any i'm still very proud of our south portland police department and the leaders we have there who strive every day, day in and day out.122 00:17:20.190 --> Ravi Koil: To keep us safe and to protect and serve us, you know so having said all that, I just want to.123 00:17:26.490 --> Ravi Koil: say thank you and it's such a great honor to be here and set the just my little story for you, you know these book history of slavery in New England and which, which is really a wonderful book, you know, thank Thank you so much, so i'm going to tag jayla who's smiling there.124 00:17:43.230 --> Jill Barkley Roy: Because every meeting you give such a great book review Ravi and I so appreciate it it's awesome.125 00:17:49.980 --> Jill Barkley Roy: So Hello i'm Jill Barclay Roy i'm really thankful for this space in this time tonight Ravi you said it perfectly it's it's been.126 00:18:00.180 --> Jill Barkley Roy: a really interesting week and I was very shocked by the verdict on Tuesday, and you know really thought that that would go the same way those things have always gone for.127 00:18:14.220 --> Jill Barkley Roy: For my lifetime and so i'm thankful for this very, very small step in the right direction and I recognize that it's it's not enough and it's very bitter sweet so.128 00:18:27.030 --> Jill Barkley Roy: Just grateful for this space and this time tonight and the work that we can do together and really thankful for leadership at at the.129 00:18:37.050 --> Jill Barkley Roy: national level and the local level and all the vaccines that are happening in our state and in our city so just feeling some gratitude for that as well, and for all of you so i'll pass it to our new friend because i'm really excited that you're joining us Brendan.130 00:18:54.090 --> Jill Barkley Roy: And we just check in if no one told you that that's kind of our culture we do short.131 00:18:57.810 --> Jill Barkley Roy: Little check in at the beginning of the meeting, but someone probably already told you that.132 00:19:02.910 --> Brendan Williams: hello, my name is my can everyone hear me.133 00:19:08.520 --> Brendan Williams: Oh hi i'm my name is brandon on the new guy to the group very happy to be here very excited about it.134 00:19:16.590 --> Brendan Williams: Just to throw out there, for those of you that don't know me, I am hearing impaired So if I if I asked for repeat or something or I miss, something I may ask for a repeat and that I didn't hear so i'm just giving Nada hugged up.135 00:19:32.580 --> Brendan Williams: A little bit I work at pumpkin table down by the mall and i'm a stand up comedian not often performed around the state of maine.136 00:19:40.290 --> Brendan Williams: So I am very looking forward to being on the committee and and for the benefit of doubt poorly and i'm super excited can't wait i'm i'll bring it over to who I don't know who else.137 00:19:53.880 --> Brendan Williams: Though Thank you do we pass it on to somebody or.138 00:20:00.300 --> Brendan Williams: Whoever on the somebody can get your name can I don't know, everybody in the group, so thank you and I look forward to meeting everybody and getting to know you better.139 00:20:11.880 --> Colleen Jones-Turner: i'll go brandon and.140 00:20:13.980 --> Colleen Jones-Turner: i'm very excited to have you on the board welcome so excited that you're here, I also want to do a shout out to amy you had quite an exciting week congratulations I was really thrilled to see that.141 00:20:31.080 --> Colleen Jones-Turner: Have quick check in I am i'm doing this class at ubm it's been life affirming and life changing and i'm in a good place so with that I will toss it to jade rose.142 00:20:51.960 --> JadeRose (she/her/hers): hi everyone glad to be here welcome Brendan it's so exciting to have new members on and i'm excited to see everyone like it's been so long.143 00:21:03.270 --> JadeRose (she/her/hers): That i'm on break and been doing well, it feels good to have.144 00:21:07.560 --> JadeRose (she/her/hers): time off, I guess, I don't know it's still can't really do much, so it doesn't really make a difference, but now it's nice um yeah I haven't really been doing much just relaxing spending time with my family yeah I didn't appreciate the weather today, though.145 00:21:27.510 --> JadeRose (she/her/hers): put me in a bad mood i'm not gonna lie, but I think it was very warm Saturday so and I have good hopes for the weekend, but i'll pass it to Margaret.146 00:21:43.350 --> JadeRose (she/her/hers): hi everyone Margaret proudly.147 00:21:45.900 --> Margaret Brownlee: I go by, she her pronouns um i'm just starting to.148 00:21:52.260 --> Margaret Brownlee: wind down in terms of my day job.149 00:21:56.220 --> Margaret Brownlee: As we approach graduation season um.150 00:22:01.260 --> Margaret Brownlee: But something that's been on my mind and just thinking about what Ravi said in terms of the verdict of.151 00:22:09.960 --> Margaret Brownlee: I said Kevin on earlier but wrong see right shogun.152 00:22:16.110 --> Margaret Brownlee: And George floyd.153 00:22:18.600 --> Margaret Brownlee: made me really think about where I was a year ago, and how excited and energetic people were to fight for Racial justice and equality and how it's starting to dwindle.154 00:22:31.410 --> Margaret Brownlee: Both personally in my personal life because of this.155 00:22:35.520 --> Margaret Brownlee: But professionally in my day job on many fronts and so i'm thinking about that and reflecting about that and thinking and hoping that people continue to stay engaged and fight and put this at the forefront, because we still have a lot of work to do.156 00:22:54.600 --> um.157 00:22:57.690 --> Margaret Brownlee: The fact that there was a shooting in Columbus Ohio the same day that the verdict came out was just upsetting.158 00:23:07.170 --> Margaret Brownlee: And so, rather than sitting in sorrow and pain, I really want to think about ways that we can continue to fight.159 00:23:17.100 --> Margaret Brownlee: So who's left i'm amy Stephanie right who's next i'll just say amy amy first.160 00:23:27.150 --> Thank you.161 00:23:29.610 --> Amy Berry: Hello everybody.162 00:23:32.370 --> Amy Berry: Just a couple of brief comments on the verdict, I always make a point of reading Leonard pitts when he writes in the newspaper and what he wrote yesterday reminded me of something that he wrote a couple of weeks ago to.163 00:23:48.420 --> Amy Berry: where he was wondering about what the verdict was going to be, and that if it did come down as guilty.164 00:23:56.220 --> Amy Berry: it's not really a victory, because there was broad daylight videotape multiple witnesses and and if that's what it takes to get a guilty verdict oh my God, you know where are we now that it should not be that difficult now, and I am.165 00:24:17.790 --> Amy Berry: heartened by the fact that justice, I think, was served with this verdict, but there is still a long way to go, and I will pass it to.166 00:24:30.060 --> Amy Berry: All my you have not gone yet she disappeared off my screen.167 00:24:35.190 --> Alma.Ogweta: right here.168 00:24:36.090 --> Amy Berry: Okay, there you are okay.169 00:24:38.340 --> Alma.Ogweta: So I didn't promise that good that i'm not cry today.170 00:24:42.240 --> Alma.Ogweta: um you know but.171 00:24:46.500 --> Alma.Ogweta: You know.172 00:24:50.430 --> Alma.Ogweta: I like to think of this as a healing moment.173 00:24:54.960 --> Alma.Ogweta: For the nation.174 00:24:57.450 --> Alma.Ogweta: However, will still have a lot of work to do.175 00:25:02.490 --> Alma.Ogweta: And you know.176 00:25:04.830 --> Alma.Ogweta: To see people like me today, I appreciate you and the work you do amy.177 00:25:13.230 --> Alma.Ogweta: As Madam Vice President one said bad cop, bad for good COPs.178 00:25:20.490 --> Alma.Ogweta: and179 00:25:22.620 --> Alma.Ogweta: um.180 00:25:25.050 --> Alma.Ogweta: Yes, somebody lost their live over $20 $20.181 00:25:34.530 --> Alma.Ogweta: But you know.182 00:25:37.380 --> Alma.Ogweta: Yes, justice was served, however, like is this going to be a teaching moment.183 00:25:45.540 --> Alma.Ogweta: Or you know, this is where we start to work as a nation and heal as a nation.184 00:25:52.080 --> Alma.Ogweta: So i'm not gonna cry.185 00:25:55.500 --> Alma.Ogweta: But um.186 00:25:58.290 --> Alma.Ogweta: You know, otherwise I went back to work, this week.187 00:26:02.880 --> Alma.Ogweta: i've been off with six weeks seven weeks, so this is my first week back.188 00:26:09.510 --> Alma.Ogweta: As harsh.189 00:26:12.000 --> Alma.Ogweta: But i'm here surviving and I appreciate all of you for taking the time to do this, this is an important work, we have a lot to do, but we also have to leave examples.190 00:26:26.040 --> Alma.Ogweta: Thank you all.191 00:26:34.020 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Do you want, am I passing it to someone.192 00:26:36.780 --> Alma.Ogweta: Who hasn't gone Stephanie.193 00:26:39.420 --> Alma.Ogweta: Stephanie my favorite person.194 00:26:41.580 --> Stephanie Weaver: I will just a quick.195 00:26:44.400 --> Stephanie Weaver: check in.196 00:26:45.240 --> Stephanie Weaver: A.197 00:26:45.900 --> Stephanie Weaver: very busy exhaustingly you know, obviously, the events of the week are.198 00:26:52.410 --> Stephanie Weaver: You know both heartening and heartbreaking and let's let's get back to what we can do.199 00:27:02.010 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Stephanie that.200 00:27:03.900 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Really drives at home and such an important point Jeff i'd like to invite you to check in.201 00:27:13.410 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: If you if you desire to.202 00:27:17.310 --> jeffm: Sure, I just want to add one follow on.203 00:27:21.630 --> jeffm: If it weren't for the personal bravery and responsibility of darnella frazier the country would be in a different place and this young woman.204 00:27:33.780 --> jeffm: Who is.205 00:27:35.670 --> jeffm: Just destroyed that she didn't do more really stood up and did the right thing and the country needs to be proud of her and young people like her.206 00:27:48.480 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Jeff so at this point, we have a quite a bit on the agenda but i'd like to propose that we move some things around, so we can have Seth do his presentation before we get to.207 00:28:02.040 -->

MOTION [back to agenda] Pedro A. Vazquez: Our other business, we do have some folks here who are attending in order to participate in this conversation with Seth so if i'm looking for a motion to.move some items around on the agenda, so we can have Seth present his his findings.209 00:28:21.420 --> Ravi Koil: So I do move.210 00:28:22.530 --> Ravi Koil: Pedro that you both things around as unique as you deem fit so that we can be as productive as possible.211 00:28:29.250 --> Jill Barkley Roy: And our second fat.212 00:28:31.650 --> Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent so thank you for that we can go ahead and have Seth began his presentation welcome sets so glad you're here every time i'm in a room with you, I learned something new, so i'm so glad you're here.213 00:28:44.520 -->

Seth Goldstein on the Atlantic Black Box Project [back to agenda] Seth Goldstein: Thanks so much Pedro i'm.214 00:28:47.100 --> Seth Goldstein: i'm truly honored to be here tonight i'm so very proud to live in a city that has a human rights commission and i'm just honored to be asked to address you all tonight.215 00:29:02.220 --> Seth Goldstein: You know, history, that is my jam i've always loved history and.216 00:29:09.150 --> Seth Goldstein: You know, sometimes when I share my history with people I feel like I get this you know who cares you know what's the big deal it's in the past.217 00:29:18.150 --> Seth Goldstein: But I think that you know when the events of last year, when George floyd you know is murdered in front of the whole world, in broad daylight.218 00:29:28.980 --> Seth Goldstein: You know the reason why that happens that doesn't happen in a vacuum, you know that happens because of 400 years of systematic oppression.219 00:29:38.850 --> Seth Goldstein: and racism, and so I firmly believe that we cannot make progress until we understand the past and where we're coming from and that's why i'm so committed to sharing.220 00:29:52.200 --> Seth Goldstein: This history with people, and so, once again, I just want to thank you all so much for having me here today, so i'm going to share my screen well so just for those of you, you know isn't my second time in front of the Commission, you know i'm Seth Goldstein.221 00:30:07.620 --> Seth Goldstein: I am a historian I teach history at the maine college of art, I have the pleasure of working with Margaret.222 00:30:16.200 --> Seth Goldstein: I am the educational coordinator for an organization called the Atlantic black box which i'll tell you about in just a moment and I also sit on the board of the.223 00:30:27.510 --> Seth Goldstein: South portland historical society and, before I start, you know, I was asked, with some of my colleagues from the Atlantic black box to sit in on curriculum meetings in portland.224 00:30:40.620 --> Seth Goldstein: Where the portland school district is working on revising their what they're calling their afrikaner curriculum.225 00:30:47.340 --> Seth Goldstein: and also their indigenous American curriculum and I just you know you know once again honored to be privy to that discussion, and it got me thinking about what we're doing here in South portland.226 00:30:59.460 --> Seth Goldstein: With our school system here, and if there is some sort of systematic effort to update our curriculum in regard to the history of bypass.227 00:31:10.140 --> Seth Goldstein: individuals, and so I reached out to megan welter, who is the head of curriculum here in South portland and just asked her what we're doing, and also to offer my help.228 00:31:21.450 --> Seth Goldstein: And, to see if maybe the historical society could offer some support and the Atlantic black box and I got a great email back from her detailing where we're at, and so my hope is that we can all together.229 00:31:37.890 --> Seth Goldstein: You know that, with the historical society and my organization and the Human Rights Commission and the school board.230 00:31:46.230 --> Seth Goldstein: come together and have a discussion about what we can do to update and improve the curriculum here in South portland so that's something for us to think about and maybe a discussion for another day.231 00:32:03.150 --> Seth Goldstein: i'm going to share my screen now Oh, I need the hostess abled attendee screen sharing so Somebody needs to give me permission to share my screen looks like.232 00:32:14.370 --> Seth Goldstein: Oh, I am now the Co host wonderful.233 00:32:21.870 --> Seth Goldstein: And i'm happy to.234 00:32:24.840 --> Seth Goldstein: answer questions at any time, so please don't hesitate to interrupt you can also save your questions for the end of the presentation i'd like to start today by with Atlantic acknowledgement.235 00:32:37.080 --> Seth Goldstein: We find ourselves today on the lands of the wall bernacchi first peoples, I would personally like to offer my respect to the wall bernacchi tribes that didn't have it means today, as well as their elders past and present.236 00:32:51.900 --> Seth Goldstein: So the organization that I volunteer for is the Atlantic black box, as I said, i'm the educational coordinator there a black box is this box, that is, on.237 00:33:02.550 --> Seth Goldstein: airplanes so that if a plane should tragically crash there's a record of the you know various things that were going on altitudes and.238 00:33:15.360 --> Seth Goldstein: speed and all that information, and so this is what we look to if there's been you know horrific accidents.239 00:33:21.180 --> Seth Goldstein: With an airplane to tell us why and so that's why the organization is called the Atlantic black box and, if so, this is some information that I pulled right from our website.240 00:33:31.200 --> Seth Goldstein: If doing once merchant vessels have been equipped with black boxes to record the nature of their trade.241 00:33:38.130 --> Seth Goldstein: We would be in a far better position today to determine the causes of the crash, we are the crash that we are experiencing as a nation, as well as the origins of persistent racial injustice in this region.242 00:33:53.700 --> Seth Goldstein: i've got Pedro in the corner here I gotta move page or over here so that I can see my presentation there we go all right.243 00:34:01.650 --> Seth Goldstein: On covering history together the Atlantic black box has launched a public History project that relies on a quote enlightened crowdsourcing model.244 00:34:11.880 --> Seth Goldstein: It aims to empower interested Community members, whether high school students are retired senior citizens or anyone in between to conduct research into the maritime history of New England and to share their findings with others, thanks to an online database, also known as the black box.245 00:34:33.900 --> Seth Goldstein: And so here is the website Atlantic black box calm and I would love for you to take some time tomorrow to check out our website it's a it's a great website that my my friend and colleague meadow dibble has put together.246 00:34:50.580 --> Seth Goldstein: Dr dibble is the Executive Director of the Atlantic black box and childhood friend of mine and it's just an incredible website of resources.247 00:35:00.210 --> Seth Goldstein: There is a blog that people from all over New England scholars teachers are always contributing to church groups.248 00:35:09.390 --> Seth Goldstein: Just a really broad umbrella of organizations and individuals and there's there's resources for teaching about teaching African slavery.249 00:35:21.150 --> Seth Goldstein: Resources for conducting research in your community, so please when you have some time check out the website, I think that you'll find that it's a great resource.250 00:35:30.690 --> Seth Goldstein: metal wanted me to let you all know that there's so much that remains unknown when it comes to this research we're just scratching the surface of new england's complicity in Atlantic world slavery.251 00:35:44.280 --> Seth Goldstein: ABB encourages Community Members like yourself to form a local court coalition to investigate their regional history.252 00:35:53.280 --> Seth Goldstein: partner with a bb to broaden our understanding of this history and to learn how to do this research and how to interpret your findings, so we are thrilled to partner with Community members whenever we can.253 00:36:08.100 --> Seth Goldstein: So the presentation I have for you today is about portland maine and the Atlantic world slave economy.254 00:36:15.570 --> Seth Goldstein: So key terms, these are the terms that I like to use I like the term enslaved Africans, as opposed to the term slaves.255 00:36:23.520 --> Seth Goldstein: This reminds us that slavery was not a natural condition that these people were in this was something that was pushed on to them by Europeans, hence enslaved as opposed to slaves.256 00:36:38.520 --> Seth Goldstein: Self emancipated and slave person instead of a runaway slave this term reminds us of the resilience and agency and bravery of the self emancipated individuals.257 00:36:51.600 --> Seth Goldstein: Too often we think of runaway slaves as being passive on Part of this is because of the terms that come from the underground railroad and we think of them as passengers.258 00:37:03.870 --> Seth Goldstein: But once again, we really have to keep in mind what a courageous act, it was to self emancipate and I think we all know.259 00:37:14.160 --> Seth Goldstein: What would happen to these individuals, if they were caught right they would be returned to slavery and probably punished severely.260 00:37:22.800 --> Seth Goldstein: And then, finally, a term that I like to use the Atlantic world slave economy, as opposed to Atlantic world economy or triangle trade.261 00:37:31.920 --> Seth Goldstein: This term reminds us that it's really the Labor of enslaved Africans that are making the economy of the Atlantic world happen at this time, and so, hence that term.262 00:37:47.730 --> Seth Goldstein: i'm going to give you some key dates regarding African slavery, some of you may know, some of these dates already first enslave Africans are brought to British North America and 1619.263 00:37:59.070 --> Seth Goldstein: Massachusetts and maine and African slavery and 1783, so this is following the American revolution but up until that time.264 00:38:10.020 --> Seth Goldstein: African slavery is legal in Massachusetts and some of you may know me and as part of Massachusetts until 1820 so some people think Oh, there was never slavery in New England.265 00:38:21.600 --> Seth Goldstein: that's a misconception slavery was perfectly legal here until 1783 the United States bands, the importation of enslaved Africans in 1807.266 00:38:32.190 --> Seth Goldstein: But that doesn't mean that the importation of enslaved African ceases it just becomes an illicit slave trade, as opposed to a legal one and.267 00:38:41.160 --> Seth Goldstein: I don't have too much information for you about that tonight, but I have a colleague who I work with at the Atlantic black box, Kate McMahon who works for the smithsonian Center.268 00:38:51.990 --> Seth Goldstein: For for slavery and she does research on main built vessels crude by main sailors and Captain by mainers that were involved in the slave trade that becomes a legal on 1807 and becomes what's known as a piratical X punishable by hanging.269 00:39:11.730 --> Seth Goldstein: However, there's only one individual who's ever hung for this X and happy to be a gentleman from portland maine whose name was Captain gordy and he's hung I believe in 1863 so during the civil war.270 00:39:25.590 --> Seth Goldstein: The only individual individual who's ever prosecuted, to the letter of the law for this once again piratical act of engaging in the illicit slave trade, so there are plenty of other people who are caught.271 00:39:39.360 --> Seth Goldstein: In this elicit slave trade, but they get off they have rich friends, they bribe the jailer the only person who's ever prosecuted in Hong is.272 00:39:49.290 --> Seth Goldstein: The annual Gordon from from portland me and hung in New York City in 1863 a fugitive slave clause in the Constitution, Article four, section two clause three from 1787.273 00:40:04.080 --> Seth Goldstein: No person held to service or Labor would be released from bondage in the event, they escaped to a free states, so this is in the Constitution, and what that says is if you're an enslaved African you make it to the north, it doesn't mean that you're free.274 00:40:20.760 --> Seth Goldstein: You can still be taken back to the south and and return to slavery are you a fugitive slave X and 1793 and once again and.275 00:40:31.410 --> Seth Goldstein: That tighten up these restrictions and make it even harder before self emancipated Africans to escape, and in some cases, free Africans are captured.276 00:40:44.220 --> Seth Goldstein: and sent to slavery in the American South It only takes the testimony of one white individual to say that this person from the African diaspora, is my enslaved African and that person is considered a slave and return to the American south, even if you have been free your whole life.277 00:41:04.440 --> Seth Goldstein: And then, finally, the emancipation proclamation in 1863 which ends the institution of slavery in the United States.278 00:41:12.960 --> Seth Goldstein: So I want to talk for a moment about African and indigenous American slavery, now we have to remember that the whole point of colonies, is to make money.279 00:41:24.570 --> Seth Goldstein: And to make money you need Labor.280 00:41:28.710 --> Seth Goldstein: So first peoples are first enslaved by Columbus in his second voyage, to the Americas and I believe that's in 1496 so England when later look to the earlier examples of the Spanish and Portuguese and how they procure their and slave Labor.281 00:41:48.180 --> Seth Goldstein: For their colonies first exploiting the indigenous Americans and later importing enslaved Africans.282 00:41:56.130 --> Seth Goldstein: In New England, the English are able to manipulate an existing component of first people warfare were.283 00:42:04.530 --> Seth Goldstein: In first peoples warfare, the ultimate goal is to take captives as opposed to killing your enemy these captors would then be brought back to the home village where they would sometimes be killed, sometimes in slaves, but sometimes they would be adopted into the family.284 00:42:22.050 --> Seth Goldstein: So the English realize that they can manipulate this existing system of Captain taking to procure indigenous Americans as slave Labor here in New England.285 00:42:36.000 --> Seth Goldstein: And so.286 00:42:38.010 --> Seth Goldstein: What they realize is that if they exchange these indigenous Americans for enslaved Africans.287 00:42:46.500 --> Seth Goldstein: That the enslaved Africans are less likely to run away, and the reason is is because they don't know the territory they don't know the region they don't have any friends.288 00:42:57.720 --> Seth Goldstein: in nearby villages, who can assist them and, furthermore, whereas indigenous Americans have some legal rights in New England enslaved Africans have no legal rights.289 00:43:09.990 --> Seth Goldstein: So the first documentation of this type of exchange is from the p quad war which was fought in Connecticut 1636 to 1638 capital P quads were sent to the English colony of Providence island in exchange for enslaved Africans.290 00:43:31.710 --> Seth Goldstein: So here we see George cleaves statue of George cleaves considered the European founder portland he arrives in the peninsula in 1633.291 00:43:44.760 --> Seth Goldstein: This statue was commissioned by the sprague family, which is a big very powerful family here in the greater portland area they own a lot of land.292 00:43:53.730 --> Seth Goldstein: They own a large Marina they own some of the oil tanks in South portland and the sprague family are descended from George please.293 00:44:03.210 --> Seth Goldstein: They had this statue commissioned and offered it to the city in 2002 according to state representative Rachel talbot Ross be joined me for a tour and share this information with me.294 00:44:16.170 --> Seth Goldstein: The N double ACP a portland vigorously fought the placement of the statue on city land based on evidence that cleaves may have been a slave owner.295 00:44:28.320 --> Seth Goldstein: According to William be Jordans book a history of Cape Elizabeth which was published in 1965 cleaves arrives on the peninsula in 1633 with his business partner and hands colored servants all over weeks.296 00:44:44.190 --> Seth Goldstein: And I kept on seeing this term servant over and over again and historic.297 00:44:48.360 --> Seth Goldstein: Primary documents and it felt to me like there must be something going on with this term servants, and so I had an opportunity when I attended a conference last year on new england's complicity.298 00:45:01.470 --> Seth Goldstein: In the Atlantic world slave economy to ask a gentleman by the name of Dr Hassan Kwame jeffries, who is the associate professor at the Ohio State University and he's also the host of a wonderful podcast called teaching hard history.299 00:45:17.070 --> Seth Goldstein: I asked Dr jeffries if the word servant was used as a code word for slave in primary source documents and he replied that individuals absolutely use the word servant, in place of the word slave because.300 00:45:38.940 --> Seth Goldstein: Not only did they know it was wrong to enslave people they felt self conscious enough about enslaving people that they changed the term for the historical record.301 00:45:51.510 --> Seth Goldstein: And since i've spoken with Dr jeffries about this topic i've seen more evidence that that leads us to believe that this word servant is really a code word for slave.302 00:46:03.870 --> Seth Goldstein: Now the sprague family says no way our forebears did not have African enslaved Africans and i've read George cleaves his journal it's incredibly boring.303 00:46:17.910 --> Seth Goldstein: Old English really hard to read and nowhere in there and, as you say, my enslaved African or my African slave and will probably never find a smoking gun that will say.304 00:46:27.810 --> Seth Goldstein: He had he had enslaved African or he didn't but certainly a possibility is out there, we can't say for sure that he did have enslaved Africans I don't think we can say for sure that he didn't.305 00:46:40.860 --> Seth Goldstein: However, there is no ambiguity regarding Colonel easy kill cushing who is one of the first merchants operating in the West Indies trade here in the greater portland area and he was based out of simonton cove which is today, better known as willard beach.306 00:47:01.020 --> Seth Goldstein: And of course you'll see this West Indies trade is really plugged into the Atlantic world slave economy and i'll show you some of that in just a minute so he's involved in this West Indies trade.307 00:47:11.550 --> Seth Goldstein: And he becomes a rich merchant and he's based out of willard beach, as I said at that time, known as simonton cove at that time before 1760.308 00:47:21.480 --> Seth Goldstein: simonton cove is a more popular anchorage than portland harbor at willard beach, you would have seen ships from all around the world anchored.309 00:47:32.430 --> Seth Goldstein: In in the harbor they're receiving goods to bring down to the West Indies and other locations and so, as I said, cushing gets to be a rich merchant he's known as well to do.310 00:47:45.930 --> Seth Goldstein: And he builds the first two story house on the peninsula that still bears his name today, but that we better know today is Bud light park.311 00:47:55.620 --> Seth Goldstein: William B Jordan writes in his history of Cape Elizabeth main and I quotes, as was the case with many colonial men have means crushing owned negro slaves.312 00:48:08.700 --> Seth Goldstein: When cushing died in 1765 he left to slaves Kato and phyllis to his son Thomas and a four year old negro girl dinah to his wife Mary.313 00:48:22.200 --> Seth Goldstein: And so here in the greater portland area they don't have plantation slavery, like they do in the American South because the conditions here don't allow for that type of agriculture.314 00:48:34.320 --> Seth Goldstein: But they did have plantation slavery in Rhode island and Connecticut where the growing conditions are a little bit different.315 00:48:40.260 --> Seth Goldstein: Never plantations, the size of what they had in the American South but plantation slavery nonetheless.316 00:48:45.600 --> Seth Goldstein: Now we should be careful not to make the mistake that thinking that this was a more benevolent type of slavery, most of these enslaved Africans work as domestics or blacksmiths or cooper's were people who build barrels.317 00:49:01.410 --> Seth Goldstein: But they could still be separated from their family at any time, they could still be bought and sold at the whim of their owners and they could be sold to the American South where they would wind up.318 00:49:15.540 --> Seth Goldstein: Working on plantations, so you know we think about slavery, we think about sometimes comparative slavery slavery in Cuba versus the American south.319 00:49:27.330 --> Seth Goldstein: versus in New England, but we shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that any of these slavery's were better or more benevolent than other types of slavery.320 00:49:39.720 --> Seth Goldstein: So this is what I call the Atlantic slave economy, you can see, this is a map of exports and returns New England 1650, so this is pretty early in the colonial period.321 00:49:51.690 --> Seth Goldstein: So at this time, New England is trading with Barbados, primarily, as you can see.322 00:49:57.510 --> Seth Goldstein: A little bit later there'll be trading with Haiti to get the sugar grown in Haiti following the Haitian revolution, which I believe is insane 1787.323 00:50:07.740 --> Seth Goldstein: Cuba becomes new england's number one trade partner So what do we see here, we see arrows from Barbados coming up to New England and that says molasses, sugar and rum.324 00:50:20.160 --> Seth Goldstein: So molasses, sugar and rum coming from the West Indies to New England and what's going down to the West Indies from new england's we see red oak staves lumber and fish.325 00:50:32.250 --> Seth Goldstein: Now a Steve is just a broken down barrel in a barrel, is actually a size, a cask, but what is called them barrels for now.326 00:50:41.130 --> Seth Goldstein: Now barrels where the ubiquitous shipping container of everything historically so wet goods dry goods wrong salt cod sugar molasses everything packed in barrel, so they would send these broken down.327 00:50:57.510 --> Seth Goldstein: barrels to the West Indies, where they would be assembled and then packed with sugar or molasses, and then those goods would be shipped up here to New England.328 00:51:08.820 --> Seth Goldstein: So sugar production in the West Indies sugar plantations are considered the first industrial production centers since it has aspects, both on agriculture and factory work.329 00:51:22.800 --> Seth Goldstein: The work is so incredibly difficult and dangerous than on average enslaved Africans only survived for seven years, once they reach Cuba.330 00:51:36.810 --> Seth Goldstein: And that's if they survived the middle passage to get to Cuba, in the first place right, and I think that somewhere between eight and 11 million.331 00:51:44.670 --> Seth Goldstein: enslaved Africans digest in the middle passage right and so seven years if they could make it to Cuba well why is this important, as I said, Cuba will become our main trade partner in the 1800s.332 00:51:57.900 --> Seth Goldstein: So working the mills and boiling house unpleasant and dangerous the work was exhausting and led to horrific accident accidents.333 00:52:08.010 --> Seth Goldstein: A slave with a machete stood beside the slave who fed the cane into the mill ready to cut off the arm of the mill theater in case it became trapped.334 00:52:20.460 --> Seth Goldstein: So Thomas lynch road and 1672 that plantations are subject to an abundance of ill accidents, especially sugar workers because they have so many machines contemporary writers record some of the hazards.335 00:52:36.210 --> Seth Goldstein: mill theater be captured by the finger his whole body is drawn in and squeeze the pieces.336 00:52:44.370 --> Seth Goldstein: kind of move hey Joe here again.337 00:52:47.040 --> Seth Goldstein: There we go.338 00:52:49.710 --> Seth Goldstein: Everybody boiler can any part into the scalding sugar it's six like glue or bird line, and it is hard to say either limb or life so just gives you an idea of just how horrific this work was.339 00:53:06.450 --> Seth Goldstein: Here we see a painting of a sugarcane harvesting and transportation in Cuba in 1873.340 00:53:14.340 --> Seth Goldstein: slavery in Cuba is legal until 1886 in fact so Cuban molasses was used to make rum, which was a major commodity here in maine the large amount of raw sugar being exported to portland leads to the city's first sugar House being opened in 1845.341 00:53:36.120 --> Seth Goldstein: And this is the largest building on the portland waterfront in the 1800s this is jb browns sugar refinery.342 00:53:46.170 --> Seth Goldstein: portland imported three times as much molasses as Boston.343 00:53:50.580 --> Seth Goldstein: And the portland sugar works was processing 200 hogs heads a hogs had being a 63 gallon cask 200 hogs heads of molasses, a day.344 00:54:01.500 --> Seth Goldstein: By 1855 the business employed between 150 and 200 workers and 10 years later and employed almost 1000 individuals.345 00:54:11.640 --> Seth Goldstein: about this time 1860 20% of all the molasses in the US was being processed right here in portland more than any other city in the United States, and this is a let's see seven story tall building, as I said, the largest building on the portland waterfront.346 00:54:33.660 --> Seth Goldstein: And so jb brown becomes very rich from the sugar, as do a lot of other merchants he completes in 1858 his palatial mansion known as bromhall on the western prominent.347 00:54:48.690 --> Seth Goldstein: And then he buys a lot of the land on the western prominent and sells it to his other rich merchant friends who build their palatial mansions on the western problem.348 00:55:00.300 --> Seth Goldstein: And so browns house is no longer there it burned down about 1900 but some of the other matches on the western prom were built from the proceeds.349 00:55:12.090 --> Seth Goldstein: From the sugar trade, either directly or indirectly, and so, when we see.350 00:55:17.610 --> Seth Goldstein: Some of these beautiful Victorian houses throughout portland whether it's the eastern prom or Western prom or right downtown.351 00:55:24.900 --> Seth Goldstein: We have to keep in mind that the money that paid for some of these buildings was made off of the backs of enslaved Africans bundy brown also becomes a major patron of the arts and my understanding that his art collection actually becomes the start of the portland museum of art.352 00:55:47.910 --> Seth Goldstein: So here we see these are sugar NIPs on the upper left there a sugar bowl that's in the possession of the main historical society, and then a cone of this white sugar and so sugar is like a luxury commodity.353 00:56:01.080 --> Seth Goldstein: And at first only very rich people can afford it, and so to show off your wealth, you would have a sugar bowl and your dining room table.354 00:56:09.120 --> Seth Goldstein: And then you would you know your guests would come over and you would offer them some sugar to put in their teeth, the sugar would come.355 00:56:17.130 --> Seth Goldstein: In these cones and once again this is very refined white sugar there's lots of different levels of sugar.356 00:56:23.070 --> Seth Goldstein: From course brown sugar up to this refined white sugar, so this refined white sugar that comes in the form of a Cone.357 00:56:30.210 --> Seth Goldstein: really only rich people can afford this at first, but eventually there's so much sugar production, then everybody can afford sugar.358 00:56:37.260 --> Seth Goldstein: And so you would take your sugar net here on the left and you would use it to paint a little piece of sugar off of the sugar Cone and then to put that in your tea.359 00:56:48.150 --> Seth Goldstein: Here we see a map of portland by the late 1700s there are seven rum distilleries on the portland waterfront seven rum distilleries.360 00:56:59.160 --> Seth Goldstein: Which is you know I think of them as being a product of the Caribbean, but because there's so much molasses coming up here and it's.361 00:57:06.630 --> Seth Goldstein: Cheap to produce the room here in portland you wind up with these rum distilleries here in portland seven of them, as I said.362 00:57:14.550 --> Seth Goldstein: Some of this Rom is then used as a trade good on the west coast of Africa to purchase more enslaved Africans, thereby really completing the circuit of the Atlantic world slave economy.363 00:57:28.770 --> Seth Goldstein: For much of the 19th century, for then was a major entre PO of international commerce now entrepreneur was just a fancy word that historians use.364 00:57:37.860 --> Seth Goldstein: Its defined as an entry points so portland's a major entry point of international commerce.365 00:57:43.620 --> Seth Goldstein: At a time when Cuba was the United States is third largest trading partner portland was one of the major ports in this exchange and mean ships were among the most common vessels trafficking in the West Indies.366 00:57:58.650 --> Seth Goldstein: Ships loaded with lumber bricks and ice that's right ice harvest from the Kenny back river ship to the West Indies.367 00:58:06.570 --> Seth Goldstein: I set sail for the Caribbean islands and returned with sugar molasses rum and goods to stock local grocery stores.368 00:58:17.160 --> Seth Goldstein: The wealth generated in this trade affected portland's physical environment from landfill extended worse to the large homes that remain central to portland's identity.369 00:58:29.220 --> Seth Goldstein: The portland bricks that Doc the streets of Trinidad Cuba are symbolic of this intricate relationship between portland and Latin America.370 00:58:38.910 --> Seth Goldstein: And this is, I wish I wrote this I didn't this is from a wonderful essay called Comunidad this golden escondida.371 00:58:45.030 --> Seth Goldstein: Latin American influence and 19th and 20th century portland by David Carey jr and he published this a essay and a great book called creating portland I would recommend to all.372 00:58:57.420 --> Seth Goldstein: And here we see a photo taken by my friend Linda ash Ford, who was in Trinidad Cuba just a couple of years ago in the before times.373 00:59:07.650 --> Seth Goldstein: This is the streets of Trinidad Cuba, still today lined with the ballast stones of the main ships that traded there the streets today and Trinidad Cuba are still paved with main stones.374 00:59:22.920 --> Seth Goldstein: Also, this photo I want to give credit to Linda ashford, and this is a picture of downtown Trinidad Cuba and she found through the main memory network.375 00:59:34.860 --> Seth Goldstein: This letter that was written from Cuba to miss Elizabeth mumford and portland's from a friend and Trinidad Cuba and she was visiting that an 1847.376 00:59:45.720 --> Seth Goldstein: To Elizabeth quotes I should like to spend some time in the country we're not for the shrieks of the sleeves, which are here constantly.377 00:59:54.900 --> 01:00:10.680 Seth Goldstein: Someone or another being nearly all the time at the whipping post and so she's in the city, but the plantations are all surrounding the city and so what she's saying is i'd like to get out of the city, but I just can't bear the cries of the enslaved Africans being beaten.378 01:00:13.140 --> 01:00:21.900 Seth Goldstein: So here we see a cod fish cod perhaps one of the most important fish species in human history flaky white meat lent itself to being preserved by salting.379 01:00:22.620 --> 01:00:25.560 Seth Goldstein: Which is critically important before refrigeration.380 01:00:26.070 --> 01:00:32.370 Seth Goldstein: And so before refrigeration, we have to remember that all of your food would have to be preserved somehow whether it was smoked.381 01:00:32.640 --> 01:00:42.600 Seth Goldstein: or pickled or salted and the food that takes preservation, the best happens to be the cod fish which they catch in large numbers, right here in the Gulf of maine.382 01:00:43.590 --> 01:00:49.170 Seth Goldstein: Large quantities of cod shipped to the West Indies were fed the slaves who worked on the sugar plantations.383 01:00:49.860 --> 01:01:06.600 Seth Goldstein: Cotton grow to impressive size, a fish six feet in length and weighing over 211 pounds caught off the coast of Massachusetts at 95 historically fish weighing between 50 and 60 pounds not uncommon this fish so important to the post revolutionary New England economy.384 01:01:07.650 --> 01:01:19.800 Seth Goldstein: And I wouldn't cod hanging from the ceiling of the old state house in Boston and that wouldn't cod still hanging from the ceiling of the State house in Boston today, in fact, it was the linchpin of the New England economy.385 01:01:21.900 --> 01:01:29.790 Seth Goldstein: And so here, we see a wonderful photograph you can see the caption up here in the top right, this is the portland the fishing fleet of portland.386 01:01:31.380 --> 01:01:39.210 Seth Goldstein: So I think that this is right behind harbor fish, and so, still today the fishing boats come in right to this Doc they unload their catch.387 01:01:39.540 --> 01:01:46.830 Seth Goldstein: right into the fish market where the fishes process and it looks very similar to what it looks like here now portland.388 01:01:47.370 --> 01:02:03.810 Seth Goldstein: I had a fishing fleet, but it wasn't a terribly large fishing fleet when when portland was was the cod export Center and so cod that were caught in other parts of the main coast were brought here to portland to be exported to places in the West Indies.389 01:02:06.120 --> 01:02:07.920 Seth Goldstein: And this is what they call a flake yard.390 01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:17.490 Seth Goldstein: A flake yard, is a place where individual families of cod are salted and then laid out in the sun to cure, and they have to sit in the sun for a couple of days to become salt cod.391 01:02:17.850 --> 01:02:23.250 Seth Goldstein: Some of you may be familiar with salt cod once it's cured it's pretty solid it's it's hard as a board.392 01:02:24.180 --> 01:02:38.220 Seth Goldstein: Yet if you rehydrate it you put it in water for a couple of days it regains this texture of this light flaky white flash and so each one of these individual white objects that you see on these tables is the fillet of cod.393 01:02:39.240 --> 01:02:54.780 Seth Goldstein: And I think that this picture is wonderful, because it gives you an idea for the scale of the industry, I mean look at this week art it's just flake out as far as the eye can see, and this is right there on the portland waterfront salt cod being prepared for export.394 01:02:57.840 --> 01:03:01.380 Seth Goldstein: Another major contribution to trade between portland in the West Indies was lumber.395 01:03:02.250 --> 01:03:09.300 Seth Goldstein: Due to the fact that much of Cubans forest had been cut down to make room for sugar plantations main supplied the lumber for building.396 01:03:09.870 --> 01:03:23.730 Seth Goldstein: For example, the port of matanza this was built almost entirely of New England lumber main also supplies, many of the boxes and casks caster barrels that the sugar and molasses we're shifting.397 01:03:26.550 --> 01:03:40.680 Seth Goldstein: So um yeah I read a lot of maritime history books, some of them are quite dated there's a maritime history book by this gentleman William row which he wrote about 1950 he has an entire chapter on the West India Trade.398 01:03:41.880 --> 01:03:50.550 Seth Goldstein: At not one place in that chapter, does he wants mentioned enslaved African Labor not once he talks about the entire trade.399 01:03:51.030 --> 01:04:06.360 Seth Goldstein: what's going down to Cuba and what's coming up from Cuba never mentioned the lever of enslaved Africans, this is a great example of the way that we fetishize our maritime history here in New England and really kind of put it up on a pedestal.400 01:04:07.650 --> 01:04:14.400 Seth Goldstein: And I think that's evident, you know if you look at the state flag of the state of maine you know there's a sailor and a farmer on the State flag.401 01:04:15.480 --> 01:04:23.940 Seth Goldstein: So he does have this great quote though many small sawmills were busy song and fitting the box boards to proper links.402 01:04:24.240 --> 01:04:33.540 Seth Goldstein: Already, to be set up and nailed on the sugar plantation say they would send the boxes in the barrels broken down in their basic components to save space.403 01:04:33.870 --> 01:04:36.570 Seth Goldstein: And they would be shipped to the West Indies, where they would be assembled.404 01:04:37.170 --> 01:04:54.180 Seth Goldstein: The cooper's trade in the manufacturer of hog ahead and tears shoots was one of the best paid in towns near the coast, and so, if you look at the bottom here you have various size of cast, you can see a tier 150 liters a hogs had 300 liters.405 01:04:55.770 --> 01:05:09.630 Seth Goldstein: In 1867 there are 263 such shops in the state that's how popular of an industry Cooper ages 263 shops in the state of maine making just casks.406 01:05:10.200 --> 01:05:18.330 Seth Goldstein: has been explained the shock was a package of red oak staves and heading numbered and ready to be set up as a hog had a tears or a cast when needed.407 01:05:18.600 --> 01:05:38.130 Seth Goldstein: This was done by cooper's on the plantations or by state of maine cooper's who went out to the islands, for that purpose, now I think this is fascinating so you have cooper's going from maine to the West Indies to assemble these casts in the West Indies themselves.408 01:05:41.460 --> 01:05:48.180 Seth Goldstein: The farms and lumber camps of northern New England, including Vermont and new Hampshire produced food and lumber for the sugar plantations.409 01:05:49.140 --> 01:05:58.650 Seth Goldstein: In turn, lumber Jackson farmers consumed large quantities of molasses in Rome, like huge quantities of Rome like so much wrong going into the Interior.410 01:05:59.460 --> 01:06:06.900 Seth Goldstein: These goods are shipped back and forth between the hinterland and portland using a system of canals that are built in the 1800s.411 01:06:07.680 --> 01:06:15.780 Seth Goldstein: The most famous of these canals systems is the Cumberland Oxford canal completed in 1830 and there's a building in portland.412 01:06:16.290 --> 01:06:22.530 Seth Goldstein: That is the Cumberland former Cumberland Oxford bank that says Cumberland Oxford bank on the buildings is across from the.413 01:06:22.950 --> 01:06:30.870 Seth Goldstein: nickelodeon movie theater, and the reason why is because this bank was capitalized to fund the development of these canals.414 01:06:31.140 --> 01:06:47.880 Seth Goldstein: But as I said, these canals facilitate the movement of all of this sugar molasses and run into the interior as far away as new Hampshire and Vermont and, conversely, you have farmers in new Hampshire and Vermont and maine who are shipping all of their goods.415 01:06:48.630 --> 01:07:05.460 Seth Goldstein: To the portland waterfront so they would come driving their their herds of cows and pigs in front of them with their wagons packed with all the produce they had grown the previous year, to the portland waterfront in return for finished goods and all their sugar molasses in the room.416 01:07:08.940 --> 01:07:17.190 Seth Goldstein: Trade with the West Indies once again from Rosemary time history of mean, then, also there were house frames already to put up.417 01:07:17.670 --> 01:07:38.070 Seth Goldstein: oxen and horses for the plow the sugar and the treadmill farm produce such as parsnips potatoes onions and green beef mutton pork pickled fish soap candles and dried cod fish and drums from five to 800 pounds each.418 01:07:39.420 --> 01:07:49.500 Seth Goldstein: lumber from the banks of maine rivers which cost they're $8 1000 sold in Havana for $60 beats and parsnips brought $16.419 01:07:50.910 --> 01:07:53.010 Seth Goldstein: a barrel in the French islands.420 01:07:54.240 --> 01:08:15.510 Seth Goldstein: So, once again, it gives you an idea of how many different products were shipping from maine to these sugar plantations, not just foodstuffs, not just lumber not just the barrels but even beasts of burden like oxygen and horses being shipped from me to, in this case Havana.421 01:08:18.150 --> 01:08:32.880 Seth Goldstein: And so that's my presentation, for today, perhaps at some point in time i'd love to come back and tell you about portland maine and the underground railroad and abolition, and this is, you know a great story, because this is a story of black.422 01:08:34.350 --> 01:08:43.950 Seth Goldstein: And African diaspora resilience and resistance, and so there are some real.423 01:08:44.550 --> 01:08:52.650 Seth Goldstein: heroes here in portland maine from the African diaspora, who are involved in the underground railroad and involved in abolition, and I feel like it's a really.424 01:08:53.100 --> 01:09:07.740 Seth Goldstein: Empowering story that's important to tell too often, you know the stories of black and brown people have these negative connotations to them, but there are also the stories that are really empowering maybe i'll get a chance to share with those with you in the near future.425 01:09:12.990 --> 01:09:21.900 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you so really informative and important, and I see some of our folks applauding and certainly well deserved.426 01:09:22.920 --> 01:09:33.330 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, as I shared with you, before your findings and this information that you've shared is deeply important, and you know it's even opened up some.427 01:09:33.870 --> 01:09:42.690 Pedro A. Vazquez: Some ties to my own history, as you know, I traced my heritage to the Taino, you know people of the Caribbean, who were the people of first contact when Columbus.428 01:09:43.740 --> 01:09:46.140 Pedro A. Vazquez: was lost in the Atlantic let's be clear about that.429 01:09:47.970 --> 01:10:01.740 Pedro A. Vazquez: And I often weren't wondered about you know some of the foods that we end the dishes that we prepare and and noticed that cod is very prominent in our diet and the Caribbean and I never knew why.430 01:10:02.910 --> 01:10:11.130 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, we know it as back allow, particularly the salted cod and so that connection, that you have helped me.431 01:10:12.480 --> 01:10:15.180 Pedro A. Vazquez: Understand is powerful, so I thank you for that.432 01:10:16.320 --> 01:10:28.740 Pedro A. Vazquez: And so i'm very grateful for you, and so I think we can open it up for questions or comments from from the membership and following that give our folks in the public, an opportunity to to comment as well.433 01:10:31.020 --> 01:10:53.160 Ravi Koil: So set this is ravi and you know the no one had a monopoly on this right, the Portuguese started things the Dutch day the British the date and they all raped and pillaged and killed, you know and as you read this book history of slavery in a New England black lives.434 01:10:54.300 --> 01:10:56.370 Ravi Koil: native lands and white words.435 01:10:57.450 --> 01:11:10.020 Ravi Koil: What strikes me is not not having been born here and studying really the history of the US that much because I, you know i'm originally from Sri Lanka in.436 01:11:10.590 --> 01:11:27.780 Ravi Koil: Asia, but the the cruelty and the gruesome nature, you know I mean forget about ISIS you know the how we treated our fellow human beings and you humanize them and then you know in Barbados, there was that story about how they is to take.437 01:11:28.830 --> 01:11:34.590 Ravi Koil: The Native Americans from here and trade them for the enslaved blacks because they have that perception that.438 01:11:35.850 --> 01:11:47.910 Ravi Koil: The enslaved Africans you you didn't have to give them that much for the work that you can just be more harsh on them, you know this is new, England, you know, so it says horrifying.439 01:11:48.540 --> 01:12:06.120 Ravi Koil: But you know, like you, don't know where you're going and unless you know where you're coming from right so that's why this is so important for us not to not to feel necessarily bad about it or do with the letter, but we need to know history yesterday's he's sad is written.440 01:12:07.140 --> 01:12:08.430 Ravi Koil: So thank you Thank you so much.441 01:12:08.850 --> 01:12:11.580 Seth Goldstein: Thank you Ravi and I agree with you 100%.442 01:12:15.540 --> 01:12:15.900 Jill Barkley Roy: yeah.443 01:12:15.930 --> 01:12:23.940 Jill Barkley Roy: Just my echo some thanks Seth this was really, really great presentation i'd love to have you back for your others and.444 01:12:24.390 --> 01:12:36.810 Jill Barkley Roy: Definitely learned a lot in this presentation and you know I lived in maine for like 17 years now, and there was a lot to learn in that, so thank you so much for being with us tonight, for your for your work.445 01:12:37.800 --> 01:12:39.180 Seth Goldstein: with you, Joe yeah and you know.446 01:12:39.360 --> 01:12:45.870 Seth Goldstein: I find time and time again that people who grew up in maine are not aware of this history at all, and I do think it's so important.447 01:12:46.620 --> 01:12:59.490 Seth Goldstein: That we understand that you know people have this misconception that Oh, you know New England and the north, you know we were abolitionists we sent troops to fight the south during the civil war.448 01:13:00.510 --> 01:13:08.430 Seth Goldstein: That you know, we should only feel good about ourselves, but the truth of the matter is is that New England was deeply complicit in this new England.449 01:13:09.600 --> 01:13:17.340 Seth Goldstein: i'm sorry in this Atlantic world slave economy and that slavery was a reality here in New England up until the late 1700s.450 01:13:20.820 --> 01:13:22.020 Pedro A. Vazquez: colleen I see your hand.451 01:13:24.480 --> 01:13:28.980 Colleen Jones-Turner: Oh yes, thank you, that is a wonderful presentation so.452 01:13:29.010 --> 01:13:38.190 Colleen Jones-Turner: Thank you um my question is, is there any record of slaves coming over on the Mayflower.453 01:13:39.240 --> 01:13:41.580 Seth Goldstein: Not that i'm aware of okay.454 01:13:43.650 --> 01:13:49.350 Seth Goldstein: yeah the first documented sleeves and British North America are important into Virginia and.455 01:13:51.150 --> 01:13:54.510 Seth Goldstein: So that actually precedes the Mayflower by one year.456 01:13:57.150 --> 01:13:59.670 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you colleen and Brendan I see your hand up.457 01:14:04.470 --> 01:14:05.250 Brendan Williams: Can you hear me.458 01:14:06.450 --> 01:14:06.870 Brendan Williams: yeah.459 01:14:08.190 --> 01:14:23.520 Brendan Williams: Great presentation Thank you so much for speaking with us, can I um I actually been to Cuba, many times so kind of infection they learn her through the relationship between man and Cuba up on my own question when you're talking about the.460 01:14:24.630 --> 01:14:31.170 Brendan Williams: factory in the building that building currently the beam backward down by the water.461 01:14:31.350 --> 01:14:47.670 Seth Goldstein: know so that the portland sugar refinery burns during the great fire of 1866 is it was right down on the portland waterfront and the great fire of 1866 started pretty close to their the great fire of 1866 kind of.462 01:14:49.110 --> 01:14:59.310 Seth Goldstein: sweeps north and west across the city and in the process and burns the sugary refinery which sugar burns magnificently and apparently that building burned for days.463 01:14:59.670 --> 01:15:01.650 Brendan Williams: Following the great hall in 66.464 01:15:02.010 --> 01:15:08.400 Seth Goldstein: But the b&m been factories fascinating of itself, because campaigns that are made with molasses.465 01:15:08.730 --> 01:15:24.300 Seth Goldstein: molasses, is obviously coming from the West Indies so something to think about also the blm factory got it started canning fish and so actually they started canning lobsters about the time of the civil war and so.466 01:15:24.720 --> 01:15:27.630 Seth Goldstein: Before they were involved with games, they were catching.467 01:15:27.690 --> 01:15:28.530 Seth Goldstein: Fish and.468 01:15:30.300 --> 01:15:36.450 Seth Goldstein: lobsters sardines herring things of that nature and i'm sure some of that found its way into the Atlantic world sleep economy.469 01:15:37.500 --> 01:15:38.460 Brendan Williams: Thank you so much.470 01:15:38.850 --> 01:15:39.690 Seth Goldstein: My pleasure, thank you.471 01:15:39.750 --> 01:15:40.200 yeah.472 01:15:41.340 --> 01:15:43.620 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Brendan and Jeff I see your hand up.473 01:15:44.340 --> 01:15:48.750 jeffm: That was a wonderful presentation said that I thought you did a great job with that.474 01:15:49.830 --> 01:16:10.290 jeffm: I understand that in the early 1700s the city of Bristol Rhode island was really the main shipping point and the main point of the trade in the slave trade i'm sorry the enslaved Africans trade, did you come across any interactions between Bristol in portland and your research.475 01:16:11.310 --> 01:16:12.630 Seth Goldstein: not directly between.476 01:16:12.870 --> 01:16:24.300 Seth Goldstein: Bristol and portland and it's kind of a little bit different time periods, because what's happening in Rhode island is happening pretty early on, so during the colonial period and the immediate aftermath of the American revolution.477 01:16:25.350 --> 01:16:45.060 Seth Goldstein: But what you're referencing is absolutely correct Jeff Rhode island was the Center of the slave trade, here in the British colonies and a lot of that was going out of Bristol and a lot of families in that part of Rhode island Newport Bristol.478 01:16:46.230 --> 01:16:52.740 Seth Goldstein: You know, still you know the descendants of these families that were involved in the slave trade are still.479 01:16:53.220 --> 01:17:05.370 Seth Goldstein: in that part of Rhode island today there's a great documentary out there called traces of the trade about the wolf family, I believe that the wolf family were from Bristol and if not, they were from.480 01:17:06.060 --> 01:17:17.130 Seth Goldstein: city close to there in Rhode island and there you know, still today the very wealthy family, one of the members of the family, decided to undergo this examination and she.481 01:17:18.030 --> 01:17:35.910 Seth Goldstein: went to Africa to where her where her people bought enslaved Africans and then she and some of her family members, go to Cuba, where those enslaved Africans work and once again the name of that documentary is traces of the trade and it traces the the wolf family.482 01:17:38.610 --> 01:17:50.610 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, so you know it's it's really interesting that you provide us with so much more information, I know that the south portland public library has many of the books that you're talking about in fact i've.483 01:17:51.330 --> 01:18:00.960 Pedro A. Vazquez: i've checked out the history of Cape Elizabeth on a number of occasions, it was published in 1965, so it is you know.484 01:18:01.860 --> 01:18:13.530 Pedro A. Vazquez: You can look at the book and tell it it's been at the library, for a long time, but i've checked it on a couple of occasions and really learned a lot about this area that I didn't know before, so thank you for sharing all that information with us.485 01:18:14.370 --> 01:18:16.800 Pedro A. Vazquez: My any other any other comments or questions.486 01:18:17.160 --> 01:18:21.810 Stephanie Weaver: A drill there is one member of the public, who seems to have a question for the presenter.487

Public Comment [back to agenda]

01:18:22.500 --> 01:18:33.600 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent I do see that both Bill Mann and Sari Green have their hands up so if you want to promote them to go ahead and unmute that would be great this will be the time for.488 01:18:33.960 --> 01:18:34.530 Public Comment.489 01:18:37.290 --> 01:18:45.780 William Mann: Good evening folks this is Bill Mann i've Seth I watch to present out, first of all i'm the economic development, Director for the city of South portland.490 01:18:46.230 --> 01:18:54.780 William Mann: And I have read some of the history of South portland, but I do not think in about one hour I have ever assimilated as much as I have.491 01:18:55.200 --> 01:19:09.630 William Mann: As cogently and clearly, as you have just presented so let me add my appreciation to your fellow a meeting participants an offer my thanks for that I know the meeting is being.492 01:19:09.630 --> 01:19:18.180 William Mann: recorded I I truly think this is something could be would be of interest to a lot of folks it was very, very well done.493 01:19:19.320 --> 01:19:23.310 William Mann: That is all appreciation for your presentation.494 01:19:24.000 --> 01:19:24.930 Seth Goldstein: Well, thank you so much.495 01:19:26.340 --> 01:19:32.430 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, Bill so glad to have you here with with us tonight, and I see that Sari Green has her hand up.496 01:19:34.020 --> 01:19:43.710 Sari Green: Thank you very much, said, thank you, that was absolutely fascinating and I appreciate you being here tonight I just actually had a question on the Atlantic black box that there's a.497 01:19:44.190 --> 01:20:01.260 Sari Green: check out the website, in advance of you coming tonight, it talks about a potential forthcoming 12-episode podcasts that disease ship podcast i'm in in conjunction with the southern poverty law Center teaching hard history, I just curious what what the status was of that project.498 01:20:01.920 --> 01:20:14.940 Seth Goldstein: So that's one of our ongoing projects, and we have many of them, that is my my dear friend meadow both from Russia on Cape cod and meadow had this.499 01:20:15.480 --> 01:20:26.160 Seth Goldstein: realization a couple years ago I actually spurred the creation of the Atlantic black box and that was that you know where we come from the small town that reviews its maritime history.500 01:20:26.790 --> 01:20:37.590 Seth Goldstein: That puts its sea captain's on a pedestal in brewster the streets of brewster are lined with beautiful sea captain's homes widows walks on them.501 01:20:39.030 --> 01:20:42.480 Seth Goldstein: And so meadow realized that the Patriarch.502 01:20:43.740 --> 01:20:52.740 Seth Goldstein: of our town basically was involved in the illicit slave trade, and that he was on the west coast of Africa in 1820.503 01:20:53.220 --> 01:21:06.090 Seth Goldstein: In the course of being on the west coast of Africa people on board the ship got yellow fever and then he brings that yellow fever to Boston and starts a yellow fever outbreak in 1820.504 01:21:06.930 --> 01:21:18.270 Seth Goldstein: And so the disease ship that she's mentioning is this vessel, the three brothers that's Captain by a brewster captain and, and this was kind of.505 01:21:18.750 --> 01:21:31.230 Seth Goldstein: meadows awakening to this history, and so, as I said, this was the what spurred the development of the whole project and so that's an ongoing project, and we have you know meadow.506 01:21:32.340 --> 01:21:40.650 Seth Goldstein: has a lot of energy and so she has we have we have many different projects going on across New England and the podcast project is just one of them.507 01:21:42.870 --> 01:21:43.260 Sari Green: Thank you.508 01:21:46.020 --> 01:21:51.930 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, sorry it's nice to see you tonight i'm glad that you were able to join us ravi I see your hand up.509 01:21:52.560 --> 01:21:58.800 Ravi Koil: yeah, so this is a quick comment you know isn't it it's so ironic, you know, every country in the world.510 01:21:59.370 --> 01:22:16.140 Ravi Koil: You know the winners get to build the monuments right, so in this way, the United States, we are unique because we have all these confederate monuments, more than any other country, for example in Germany, you know there's no no monuments.511 01:22:17.160 --> 01:22:21.570 Ravi Koil: praising Hitler or any of the Nazis you don't find that in many countries in the world.512 01:22:21.960 --> 01:22:39.870 Ravi Koil: And here, even though with the civil war, you think that the confederacy one the civil war, because of the number thousands of my contract money monuments for these generals that you have sprinkled throughout our land, which is, which is very, very ironic, I think.513 01:22:41.100 --> 01:22:42.510 Seth Goldstein: yeah I think that's a great point Ravi.514 01:22:43.710 --> 01:22:46.200 Seth Goldstein: On the eastern calm and portland today.515 01:22:46.410 --> 01:22:49.170 Seth Goldstein: there's a monument that has George cleaves name on it.516 01:22:49.860 --> 01:23:05.700 Seth Goldstein: Still today, and although the city refuse that statue there is there is still a Granite monument on the eastern prom with the name of George clues and his partner, because once again they're considered to be the founders of portland.517 01:23:08.130 --> 01:23:13.890 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you ravi i'm really, really eye opening point jade rose I see your hand up.518 01:23:15.570 --> 01:23:31.500 JadeRose (she/her/hers): yeah just kind of um ravi kind of sparked this that i've also been thinking about a lot, I took ap us history this past year and we talked about like how literally the textbooks.519 01:23:32.730 --> 01:23:37.830 JadeRose (she/her/hers): That are like for like Texas and California have two different.520 01:23:39.210 --> 01:23:50.280 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Where they make the like the ap us history textbooks and they're quite literally like different textbooks, they are not the same curriculum and it's like really um.521 01:23:51.720 --> 01:24:01.530 JadeRose (she/her/hers): it's not even interesting it's just really frustrating, in my opinion that, like our country is quite literally brainwashed into believing that you know.522 01:24:02.700 --> 01:24:13.260 JadeRose (she/her/hers): We like that's the reason why the confederate statues are still up is because children are being taught that like these are people to be respected when they are not like.523 01:24:13.770 --> 01:24:21.810 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And I think that's something that we need to continue to talk about and i'm very thankful that you gave this presentation and kind of sparking this conversation, and I hope we can.524 01:24:22.350 --> 01:24:38.250 JadeRose (she/her/hers): talk more and i'm really excited to hear that you're talking with megan Walter about the curriculum at South portland um because I think there is definitely a lot to be changed for sure um even just taking like ap us history, it was not.525 01:24:39.480 --> 01:24:49.230 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Nothing new like I feel like i've been learning the same history curriculum since middle school like and I feel like there's so much room.526 01:24:49.770 --> 01:25:03.090 JadeRose (she/her/hers): To be learning about these kinds of things, the things that are actually important um yeah so it's just it's really frustrating like this conversation it just sparks a lot of frustration, to me, but it also is like i'm really excited.527 01:25:04.260 --> 01:25:06.480 JadeRose (she/her/hers): that there are people doing work like you are.528 01:25:08.190 --> 01:25:19.320 Seth Goldstein: yeah that's all I wanted to say thank you jade rose, you know I teach at the main college of art, where I have students who are older than you are and they made it through the entire public school.529 01:25:19.890 --> 01:25:28.890 Seth Goldstein: Experience and never heard of any of this history, and when I approached them with this history of my classes in Mecca they're they're blown away because they have been done.530 01:25:30.600 --> 01:25:44.100 Seth Goldstein: You know, a disservice, as you have been done a disservice as well, by not being taught this history and it's really unfortunate and it's something that I feel like really needs to be remedied and also that you know.531 01:25:44.520 --> 01:25:50.250 Seth Goldstein: That this history empowers you know people in our communities who have been.532 01:25:50.970 --> 01:26:04.290 Seth Goldstein: erased from the historical narrative you know I mean you know there's a black history month but black history is American history right like this country was built on the stolen land of indigenous people.533 01:26:04.740 --> 01:26:12.870 Seth Goldstein: With the Labor of enslaved Africans, and so this is American history and so why do we have a black history month is beyond me every month should be.534 01:26:13.410 --> 01:26:30.270 Seth Goldstein: Black history month, and so what happens as a result of these historic omissions, is that people you know who could have an opportunity to be empowered by this history are robbed of that opportunity, and so I agree with us very strongly.535 01:26:31.410 --> 01:26:39.930 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Seth and jade rose, you know I think of how grateful I am that you are involved with megan wealth and she is somebody that I work with.536 01:26:40.470 --> 01:26:43.890 Pedro A. Vazquez: From time to time and have a lot of respect for it, and I know that.537 01:26:44.400 --> 01:26:53.160 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, being that she is the director of curriculum that's where we start that's always make those changes so that we don't continue to shortchange.538 01:26:53.550 --> 01:27:02.130 Pedro A. Vazquez: Our students, because you know the truth of it is that they graduate from our schools and then they go out into the world, and when they arrive at you know these.539 01:27:02.430 --> 01:27:17.280 Pedro A. Vazquez: institutions of higher learning many of our students have to go through remediation courses to actually catch up, and it has to do with the fact that we don't teach many of these things in our curriculum they're just not built in and Margaret I see your hand up.540 01:27:20.430 --> 01:27:24.480 Pedro A. Vazquez: hi, thank you for Pedro and Sam Thank you again for doing your presentation.541 01:27:24.870 --> 01:27:29.310 Margaret Brownlee: love it always love it always learn something my daughter saying hello and.542 01:27:31.380 --> 01:27:51.510 Margaret Brownlee: she's nervous it's okay honey um so because i've heard this presentation, a few times and it got me thinking, and I also took a picture in mill creek park so Seth your influence on the board of the historical society, I hope, can have some poll with this.543 01:27:52.710 --> 01:27:59.460 Margaret Brownlee: As you know, I usually have like crazy ideas and so in human rights commission i'd love to see something.544 01:28:01.020 --> 01:28:21.060 Margaret Brownlee: done so here's my little quick little pitch before my daughter has a tantrum so while walking around mill creek park on march 27 I took a picture of a monument and it says founders Michael Milton and Elizabeth cleave 1637 first home 1650 100 acres deed.545 01:28:22.950 --> 01:28:28.620 Margaret Brownlee: And so I took a picture of that because I thought it was relevant to our conversation right now.546 01:28:30.420 --> 01:28:43.950 Margaret Brownlee: Because they found itself portland, as we all know, is incorrect, and this is also a conversation that's been brought up at the City Council meeting with minute buildings being um.547 01:28:45.000 --> 01:28:58.350 Margaret Brownlee: How do I say it used as like historical landmarks and kind of who the founders are of the city, so my kind of question and hope would be to have a landmark similar to portland on the freedom trail.548 01:28:59.280 --> 01:29:09.780 Margaret Brownlee: that's in South portland somewhere, I know that you spoke in your presentation about willard beach and there's the settler cemetery over near sncc.549 01:29:10.980 --> 01:29:17.790 Margaret Brownlee: And so I would love to see something kind of like that developed in South portland with a little teeny tiny bit more recognition.550 01:29:18.150 --> 01:29:22.980 Margaret Brownlee: Of the native first peoples in a whopping AKI confederacy I think that would be really amazing.551 01:29:23.550 --> 01:29:37.170 Margaret Brownlee: um I probably like like J ro said I grew up in portland and went through the whole school system, not knowing this history until Seth Goldstein brought it to my attention last year and 2020 so um.552 01:29:37.800 --> 01:29:49.020 Margaret Brownlee: I think it's really important, I think it fits in the mission of the Human Rights Commission, and I would love love love to see something like that, here in the city, so thank you.553 01:29:50.430 --> 01:29:51.300 Margaret Brownlee: I don't know if it's a clash.554 01:29:53.670 --> 01:29:55.410 Seth Goldstein: with you wholeheartedly Margaret and.555 01:29:56.130 --> 01:30:03.270 Seth Goldstein: I think that South portland deserves that and I think that portland deserves more public artwork and public monuments.556 01:30:04.020 --> 01:30:11.850 Seth Goldstein: To these you know these heroes of the African diaspora, that I was alluding to there was a gentleman by the name of ruben Ruby who.557 01:30:12.240 --> 01:30:22.080 Seth Goldstein: donated the land and provided the money for the abyssinian meeting house in portland, which is the United States is third oldest African American beating house in the country.558 01:30:22.350 --> 01:30:32.400 Seth Goldstein: And he also was part of the underground railroad and and an abolitionist there, there should be a statue of reuben reuben portland's and and without a doubt.559 01:30:33.870 --> 01:30:37.050 Seth Goldstein: And I feel like South portland deserves something similar.560 01:30:38.820 --> 01:30:50.520 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Seth and Margaret that's such an important to bring up a point to bring up and I just wanted to share that, as you know, I sit on the willard beach masterplan committee and that's something that I have been.561 01:30:51.240 --> 01:30:57.990 Pedro A. Vazquez: Really advocating for Seth that's why I was reaching out to you for the information about is it your cushing.562 01:30:59.250 --> 01:31:08.850 Pedro A. Vazquez: Because I think it's important that we, you know look back, as many of us have said tonight look back to understand where we came from.563 01:31:09.240 --> 01:31:22.830 Pedro A. Vazquez: To really chart the course ahead and and I have been advocating for that, and I think that the Human Rights Commission has a very important role to play in this, whether it's a monument or marker or something at willard beach.564 01:31:24.060 --> 01:31:24.390 So.565 01:31:28.290 --> 01:31:30.240 Pedro A. Vazquez: Any other comments or questions.566 01:31:32.340 --> 01:31:33.390 Pedro A. Vazquez: kid grows your hands up.567 01:31:34.110 --> 01:31:47.490 JadeRose (she/her/hers): yeah, I just wanted to like ask how we can like support the work that you do Seth and how we can like make this information more accessible that's possible like I just feel like um.568 01:31:48.540 --> 01:31:54.540 JadeRose (she/her/hers): yeah like who no one knows this stuff like it's actually ridiculous when you think about like.569 01:31:56.220 --> 01:32:11.730 JadeRose (she/her/hers): How much is brushed under the rug and how like Alec what Margaret said, like being a full adult and only landings information in 2020 like I mean i'm very thankful that i'm young and having access to this now, but i'm just I guess i'm just wondering like.570 01:32:12.810 --> 01:32:25.890 JadeRose (she/her/hers): um what we can do to like collaborate or support the work that you do to make this kind of information or like where I can send people to find this information any kind of stuff like that.571 01:32:26.610 --> 01:32:26.880 Seth Goldstein: So.572 01:32:26.940 --> 01:32:28.770 JadeRose (she/her/hers): jade rose great question and.573 01:32:28.800 --> 01:32:36.390 Seth Goldstein: As I said at the beginning of the presentation Atlantic black box is always looking for Community partners, and so we can train you.574 01:32:36.660 --> 01:32:46.740 Seth Goldstein: To do this historical research yourself here in South portland and your fellow students can do it with you and we can train you how to read this history.575 01:32:47.220 --> 01:32:54.030 Seth Goldstein: To be able to extrapolate the relevant information from it, and the other thing I would say, James roses come take a walking tour with me.576 01:32:54.330 --> 01:33:03.810 Seth Goldstein: You know and and learn how to do, I mean you could do these walking for anybody can do these walking tours you know I can teach you this history your shut yourself.577 01:33:04.050 --> 01:33:18.750 Seth Goldstein: And then you can share this history with your fellow young people and so i've done tours in portland but I recently did a tour last fall in South portland as well, where I started at the settler cemetery and I covered a lot of the similar.578 01:33:19.260 --> 01:33:24.270 Seth Goldstein: History that I covered in my portland for but through the lens of South portland in Cape Elizabeth.579 01:33:24.570 --> 01:33:32.670 Seth Goldstein: And so you know I invite all of you to come, take a walking tour with me let's hit the streets and and we'll look at some of this history and talk about it.580 01:33:33.150 --> 01:33:39.840 Seth Goldstein: Together, and you know we'll see the places where this history happened and and you know I didn't get a chance tonight.581 01:33:40.500 --> 01:33:47.700 Seth Goldstein: to share a lot of a while bernacchi history and i'm not an expert on la bernacchi history, but I do have some knowledge.582 01:33:48.000 --> 01:33:55.440 Seth Goldstein: On the topic and I think that is once again very relevant to the history, here in the south portland and, once again, you know, this is all.583 01:33:55.710 --> 01:34:05.970 Seth Goldstein: History that's you know this doesn't this isn't academic history this isn't college professors we don't need to talk fancy language, this is your history, you know and anybody can do this history.584 01:34:06.600 --> 01:34:20.130 Seth Goldstein: Given a little bit of training, so you know check out the Atlantic black box website, you know email me um let's do a tour together and and and see if we can get you, you know trained to do some of this historical research yourself.585 01:34:22.410 --> 01:34:23.460 Pedro A. Vazquez: wow that's really cool.586 01:34:24.630 --> 01:34:27.780 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, Sir, and jade rose colleen I see your hand up.587 01:34:29.070 --> 01:34:31.200 Colleen Jones-Turner: I just wanted to clarify.588 01:34:32.070 --> 01:34:39.720 Colleen Jones-Turner: I love walking tours so you're volunteering to maybe take the HR see on a walking tour together.589 01:34:40.620 --> 01:34:41.460 Seth Goldstein: would be my pleasure.590 01:34:42.180 --> 01:34:44.430 Colleen Jones-Turner: That would be awesome.591 01:34:45.690 --> 01:34:46.440 Colleen Jones-Turner: Thank you, Sir.592 01:34:46.830 --> 01:34:47.400 Absolutely.593 01:34:48.600 --> 01:34:49.770 Pedro A. Vazquez: yeah that's super cool.594 01:34:50.820 --> 01:34:52.500 Pedro A. Vazquez: Any other comments or questions.595 01:34:54.720 --> 01:34:56.190 Pedro A. Vazquez: Ravi I see your hand up.596 01:35:00.150 --> 01:35:01.110 Seth Goldstein: Oh Ravi you're muted.597 01:35:07.170 --> 01:35:09.960 Ravi Koil: And I have not been drinking any run but.598 01:35:11.340 --> 01:35:24.540 Ravi Koil: You know just lean and Judy Arnold are friends of ours, and they you know them well you know Judy serves on the South portland historical society so they were growing their growing tributes about the walking tour that you did.599 01:35:24.990 --> 01:35:31.770 Ravi Koil: In the fall they joined you on that tour, we are you look at this go through the cemeteries and you will see these.600 01:35:33.000 --> 01:35:36.150 Ravi Koil: headstones of gravestones and some of these.601 01:35:37.290 --> 01:35:48.630 Ravi Koil: Some of these men captains, they were lost at sea in the West Indies or near Cuba guess why you know, they were not, they were not they are fishing for.602 01:35:49.830 --> 01:35:54.180 Ravi Koil: For for begin fish, you know they were there because of this is because of the trade.603 01:35:55.740 --> 01:36:03.180 Seth Goldstein: Absolutely Ravi and you know I love to walk around the cemeteries, you know I grew up on Cape cod same thing Oh, a lot of historic cemeteries.604 01:36:03.360 --> 01:36:09.300 Seth Goldstein: A lot of sea captain's usually you can tell somebody who has lost at sea and the headset will have an anchor on the top of it.605 01:36:09.630 --> 01:36:18.030 Seth Goldstein: And then, what that signifies is that somebody was lost and see their bodies not actually there that's just a monument to them, but those headstones will say often where they were lost.606 01:36:18.300 --> 01:36:29.820 Seth Goldstein: And what we see is yes, people lost off of the coast of Cuba, Barbados and people loss off the west coast of Africa, and so what were they doing on the west coast of Africa, they weren't trading for ivory.607 01:36:33.900 --> 01:36:38.190 Pedro A. Vazquez: Great points Thank you ravi Margaret I saw your hand up.608 01:36:41.280 --> 01:36:41.760 Pedro A. Vazquez: You there.609 01:36:43.950 --> 01:36:44.610 Margaret Brownlee: me.610 01:36:44.820 --> 01:36:46.680 Pedro A. Vazquez: yep I saw your hand up yeah.611 01:36:46.950 --> 01:36:57.270 Margaret Brownlee: um but I was just gonna say after I learned about sets walking tour I took my daughter who's five, as you all know, to the abyssinian meeting House so.612 01:36:57.870 --> 01:37:05.040 Margaret Brownlee: it's something we can teach our young children and children's children and like elementary school kids because they're still expanses of knowledge and.613 01:37:05.970 --> 01:37:18.060 Margaret Brownlee: are interested in, not just in the world, and so I encourage like elementary schools and teachers to go on these walking tours to, because then they can teach it to their classrooms so that's all i'll stop talking.614 01:37:20.400 --> 01:37:26.820 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent Margaret Thank you so if we don't have any additional comments or questions for Seth.615 01:37:27.240 --> 01:37:28.530 We can go ahead and.616 01:37:30.180 --> 01:37:46.380 Pedro A. Vazquez: First of all express our deep gratitude to stuff for joining us tonight and sharing this really important knowledge with us i'm looking forward to having you back to talk about the underground railroad and mains role of not it's been a source of really.617 01:37:47.640 --> 01:38:00.030 Pedro A. Vazquez: edification for me to learn about some of the landmarks important landmarks that exist here that we don't really know about so i'm looking forward to that happening, so thank you Seth so much.618 01:38:01.230 --> 01:38:06.450 Pedro A. Vazquez: And with that we will move on to the other agenda items.619 01:38:13.470 --> 01:38:14.460 Pedro A. Vazquez: Okay, so.620 01:38:16.080 --> 01:38:30.150

Maine Youth Justice Discussion [back to agenda] Pedro A. Vazquez: Our first agenda item is a separate discussion about supporting the Maine Youth Justice initiative, as you know, our dear friend, Ali, joined us at our last meeting and provided us with a.621 01:38:31.590 --> 01:38:38.910 Pedro A. Vazquez: wealth of knowledge about Maine Youth Justice and what it is that they do and what they are seeking to do.622 01:38:39.270 --> 01:38:55.200 Pedro A. Vazquez: And how it is that they bring this message to the community at large, and so I remember that we talked about it at length and there are some folks who were very interested in in supporting that initiative, so I thought we could talk about that a little bit so i'll open up the floor.623 01:39:02.790 --> 01:39:18.630 JadeRose (she/her/hers): um I just want to say, quick and I don't do people need a refresher I don't know that everyone was a lot, the last meeting I can give also I know brandon is new, so I can give a kind of rundown okay.624 01:39:20.160 --> 01:39:26.370 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Okay cool um, so I am the youth organizer with maine youth justice, which is a campaign to shut down.625 01:39:27.720 --> 01:39:42.750 JadeRose (she/her/hers): To close down the youth prison long creek, which is in South portland over by the airport near lake red bank birch hill area so it's a campaign to close down long creek and reinvest the $18 million.626 01:39:43.800 --> 01:39:56.070 JadeRose (she/her/hers): back into Community and into like transformative and like were formative justice practices i'm currently there about like 30 kids in long creek.627 01:39:58.110 --> 01:40:03.900 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And we've been working really hard I know there's actually going to be a bill.628 01:40:06.030 --> 01:40:06.690 JadeRose (she/her/hers): That.629 01:40:08.250 --> 01:40:16.140 JadeRose (she/her/hers): People who work at my camp at the campaign i've been working with Brendan McQuade who's a legislator and they've written up a bill.630 01:40:17.640 --> 01:40:25.170 JadeRose (she/her/hers): called I think it's called an active close long creek which is like a five year like roughly three or four five year plan.631 01:40:25.860 --> 01:40:38.940 JadeRose (she/her/hers): to divest from long creek and reinvesting community but that's in the works i'm not definitely not only is definitely more of the expert on like the legislative.632 01:40:39.300 --> 01:40:48.780 JadeRose (she/her/hers): stuff because I that stuff doesn't make sense to me but um I can keep I know that we're going to be having a webinar talking about that bill.633 01:40:49.260 --> 01:41:00.480 JadeRose (she/her/hers): and talking about what people can do to support that bill um and I will keep you all updated about when that webinar is also how you can just get involved in general um.634 01:41:01.290 --> 01:41:12.540 JadeRose (she/her/hers): But basically, like our campaign it's all you like it's a youth camp like youth around campaign, we are all like 25 and younger young people.635 01:41:13.590 --> 01:41:21.390 JadeRose (she/her/hers): comprised of like formerly incarcerated youth or youth that have been like directly affected by the youth incarceration system.636 01:41:22.800 --> 01:41:34.260 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And our main goal is to like long creek youth prisons don't work, they are not helpful they don't rehabilitate youth they further traumatize you.637 01:41:35.490 --> 01:41:55.230 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And for the ostracized i'm from their communities, when we should be spending our tax money supporting our youth and, like the ways that they need, whether that be mental health services or a place to live or food or like just better access to the thing things that we need to survive.638 01:41:56.280 --> 01:42:01.020 JadeRose (she/her/hers): So yeah our main goal of the campaign is to shut down long cooking reinvest in Community because.639 01:42:01.650 --> 01:42:22.950 JadeRose (she/her/hers): we're not need to be spending like $600,000 a year to lock up a young person when we only spend $14,000 a year to send our kids to school per kid but um anyway, I think that's basically it if you guys have questions, I can answer i'm sorry i'm kind of it's late.640 01:42:24.060 --> 01:42:33.570 JadeRose (she/her/hers): A little over the place, but um yeah so I guess me and i'll leave we came and talked about the campaign and we pose that.641 01:42:34.560 --> 01:42:43.020 JadeRose (she/her/hers): I mean we don't have to do it right of way, but like maybe collaborating with the main main support than human rights commission and maine youth justice.642 01:42:43.740 --> 01:43:00.180 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Maybe our our Commission giving my public support for our campaign, or just like some of y'all showing up to, whether it be like rating testimonies or talking to your legislators about supporting the bill.643 01:43:02.250 --> 01:43:12.570 JadeRose (she/her/hers): yeah I can definitely give more information about the bill when it comes I just don't know a lot like right now but yeah that's about it, so if you guys have questions, let me know.644 01:43:13.980 --> 01:43:18.960 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, Jade rose it's a really important initiative, and one that you know, has a lot of support.645 01:43:18.960 --> 01:43:35.520 Pedro A. Vazquez: throughout the entire state, there are many legislators who want to see this happen, there are many community leaders who want to see this happen, and so I think that lending our support to this initiative makes a lot of sense, because nothing good happens at long creek.646 01:43:36.840 --> 01:43:43.500 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know you guys can look it's all a matter of public record if you're interested, but you know lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit.647 01:43:44.550 --> 01:43:55.740 Pedro A. Vazquez: Because of the abuse that happens in there, so I think it makes sense for us to collaborate and to uplift this message and to really do something for our most most vulnerable.648 01:43:57.000 --> 01:44:00.000 Pedro A. Vazquez: Youth and Brendan I saw that your hand goes up.649 01:44:04.380 --> 01:44:04.890 Pedro A. Vazquez: you're on mute.650 01:44:11.130 --> 01:44:11.520 Brendan Williams: Thank you.651 01:44:14.520 --> 01:44:25.410 Brendan Williams: I did have a question for the person that were just speaking about it a company originally from California I don't know if you've ever heard of galanti three have you ever heard about.652 01:44:29.760 --> 01:44:30.990 Brendan Williams: You are you and.653 01:44:32.010 --> 01:44:40.680 Brendan Williams: The group your work or the campaign you're working with our tech out dilantin great um I don't know if it's like an email Facebook with you guys but.654 01:44:41.490 --> 01:44:50.820 Brendan Williams: They they have a shoot to touch way, and people are hungry for a man and I beat me out of restaurant that is run by former.655 01:44:51.720 --> 01:45:09.780 Brendan Williams: criminal and all and you would even know that got picked on it, though I always when I see a Facebook post about that about wrong quick, I always kind of mind that that needs to be I don't have the way I think may need something like that so just something to be.656 01:45:10.830 --> 01:45:17.910 Brendan Williams: Totally so the fact that what is the committee doing the garden it's like.657 01:45:21.660 --> 01:45:22.860 Brendan Williams: Hello Hello.658 01:45:23.760 --> 01:45:25.170 Pedro A. Vazquez: yep i'm here, are you talking about.659 01:45:27.030 --> 01:45:28.230 Brendan Williams: i'm talking about everybody.660 01:45:29.250 --> 01:45:37.350 Brendan Williams: Good to get an update but i'm still new I didn't know if we will on part of the campaign, or would it get an update or would do like.661 01:45:37.560 --> 01:45:40.470 Brendan Williams: What happened to the committee taken regarding.662 01:45:40.710 --> 01:45:41.700 Brendan Williams: The closing of long.663 01:45:42.240 --> 01:45:48.540 Pedro A. Vazquez: So that's a great question, the fact is, I have not taken any action at all, and so what we're discussing today is.664 01:45:49.560 --> 01:45:57.990 Pedro A. Vazquez: coming together and lending support two Maine Youth Justice, which is very needed, as I said, there's a lot of support in in the state for this.665 01:45:58.620 --> 01:46:11.700 Pedro A. Vazquez: all the way from the state house to you know your neighbor down the street so it's just a matter of all of us coming together forming a coalition and really pushing for this to make it happen because it's not an easy street it.666 01:46:11.790 --> 01:46:12.450 Pedro A. Vazquez: Does have.667 01:46:12.690 --> 01:46:17.910 Pedro A. Vazquez: quite a bit of opposition, so the more of us that are working on it the better, in my opinion.668 01:46:19.140 --> 01:46:20.670 Brendan Williams: All right, thank you so much.669 01:46:22.890 --> 01:46:24.780 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Brendan and Joe I see your hand up.670 01:46:25.260 --> 01:46:29.100 Jill Barkley Roy: Yes, thank you, Pedro and thank you Jay barrows for that recap.671 01:46:29.490 --> 01:46:39.180 Jill Barkley Roy: i'm curious about what sort of we, as a Commission, what like partnership looks like and what we'd actually sort of be signing on to really concretely.672 01:46:39.960 --> 01:46:51.840 Jill Barkley Roy: One thought that I had sort of for some concrete action is you know, those of us that we're comfortable and one until lend our names to testimony in support of the bill.673 01:46:52.770 --> 01:47:06.630 Jill Barkley Roy: i'd be happy to help with that with writing and submitting that and I don't know if, like we could each any of us that wanted to put out our name and say that we are members of this Commission, I think that's okay i'm reading all the rules.674 01:47:08.490 --> 01:47:12.750 Jill Barkley Roy: And so, then people can kind of choose their own adventure there, but I thought that could be one.675 01:47:13.860 --> 01:47:17.940 Jill Barkley Roy: piece of concrete action that we could take as a Commission.676 01:47:18.060 --> 01:47:27.930 Jill Barkley Roy: For those of us that want to and i'm happy to be helpful, with that, as a former lobbyist so happy to happy to help.677 01:47:27.960 --> 01:47:31.680 Jill Barkley Roy: Draft and get our signatures on that testimony.678 01:47:31.740 --> 01:47:32.520 Jill Barkley Roy: and submit it.679 01:47:32.820 --> 01:47:35.070 Jill Barkley Roy: And even deliver it during the public hearing.680 01:47:35.160 --> 01:47:36.360 Jill Barkley Roy: i'm happy to do that.681 01:47:37.320 --> 01:47:44.580 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, Joe yeah that's a really a powerful way to do that i've delivered some testimony at the legislature recently.682 01:47:44.940 --> 01:47:53.280 Pedro A. Vazquez: And we are okay, we are in the clear to say yes, we are the south portland Human Rights Commission, what we are not able to do is get involved in political campaigns.683 01:47:53.610 --> 01:47:59.280 Pedro A. Vazquez: For you know specific individuals or endorse people or that sort of thing, but you know our charters.684 01:47:59.790 --> 01:48:13.290 Pedro A. Vazquez: Specifically, says that we are to engage with marginalized communities and uplift them and seek out and support legislation so so it's part of what our Charter calls for I call it a charter it's an ordinance.685 01:48:13.740 --> 01:48:20.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: But yeah i'm really happy that that that kind of action is something that you can support with.686 01:48:21.330 --> 01:48:22.680 Pedro A. Vazquez: And i'm I see your hand.687 01:48:24.360 --> 01:48:25.110 Alma.Ogweta: Yes.688 01:48:25.860 --> 01:48:44.280 Alma.Ogweta: So one of my question Jill already asked what can we do to support us, but this is like such an amazing news we need rehabilitation Center not jail for kids So if you need volunteers here i'll support you 100%.689 01:48:46.620 --> 01:48:49.050 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Thank you mama um.690 01:48:49.770 --> 01:48:52.590 JadeRose (she/her/hers): yeah I also just want to like I just think.691 01:48:52.680 --> 01:49:02.220 JadeRose (she/her/hers): i'm i'm I was gonna say yeah long creek being in South portland I just really like I want to emphasize, like, I think, coming from the.692 01:49:02.550 --> 01:49:17.640 JadeRose (she/her/hers): South portland Human Rights Commission give me support of like of many justice campaign, I think, would speak volumes, especially like thinking about how i'm like how South portland is set up, and how like.693 01:49:19.260 --> 01:49:26.670 JadeRose (she/her/hers): it's very much segregated in like the neighborhoods thinking about bread banking brick Hill and how like um.694 01:49:27.330 --> 01:49:39.480 JadeRose (she/her/hers): You know, like a lot of immigrant families and black and brown families live in red bank and how can there be a little youth prison right in their communities, having like little kids you know running around.695 01:49:40.350 --> 01:49:56.670 JadeRose (she/her/hers): When there's a youth President right next to them and thinking about how brickhill used to be um the boy main voice Center and they're destroyed it and built, you know, affordable housing and that we can easily do that again and.696 01:49:57.810 --> 01:50:01.560 JadeRose (she/her/hers): I have a lot of hopes for what we can do with that property.697 01:50:03.090 --> 01:50:21.810 JadeRose (she/her/hers): If and when long creek is shut down but yeah i'm really excited that y'all are also excited about this and I also just wanted to ask like so if some of us if some people on the Commission don't aren't in support of supporting me just is like, how do we go about.698 01:50:23.760 --> 01:50:29.520 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Like if you if your likes do testimonies and say that you're coming from a human rights commission that doesn't.699 01:50:30.780 --> 01:50:39.750 JadeRose (she/her/hers): You know it's coming from like an individual basis right there's not going to be like bad I don't know I don't want people to be upset.700 01:50:41.400 --> 01:50:42.870 JadeRose (she/her/hers): If they're thinking they're like.701 01:50:44.010 --> 01:50:46.710 Jill Barkley Roy: what's the word like yeah.702 01:50:47.130 --> 01:50:48.150 JadeRose (she/her/hers): You know what I mean okay yeah.703 01:50:48.270 --> 01:50:53.280 Jill Barkley Roy: I totally know AJ I think that we could write testimony and say that we're members of.704 01:50:53.670 --> 01:51:02.520 Jill Barkley Roy: And then just list anyone's name, who wants to collaborate, but not we wouldn't be speaking on behalf of the entire Commission absolutely not because I, you know.705 01:51:03.540 --> 01:51:17.850 Jill Barkley Roy: I hope, as many people want to sign on to it, but I think right, we have to just respect, and so we each need to supply our name and our address and and we could speak about why you know why we're serving on this Commission, and why those of us that choose to sign on are doing that.706 01:51:19.650 --> 01:51:23.160 Pedro A. Vazquez: Great point Joe Thank you Stephanie I see your hand up.707 01:51:23.580 --> 01:51:28.650 Stephanie Weaver: I think that you might have guidance coming in the form of the.708 01:51:28.980 --> 01:51:31.410 Stephanie Weaver: policies that are being put forth by the Council.709 01:51:32.670 --> 01:51:44.580 Stephanie Weaver: And the corporate counsel, the city clerk city manager and an upcoming session, you might want to take a formal vote if you want to have a position taken by the Commission.710 01:51:44.970 --> 01:51:53.970 Stephanie Weaver: And then you can learn more about when you can and can't use the commission's name, you know when you are advocating for a particular position.711 01:51:54.360 --> 01:52:12.930 Stephanie Weaver: So you might be better off to do a formal vote if you want to have people associating with the Human Rights Commission absent any knowledge about or clarity about whether or not people are speaking for the Commission or not that's my suggestion.712 01:52:14.310 --> 01:52:15.870 Stephanie Weaver: Thank you Stephanie yeah.713 01:52:15.900 --> 01:52:33.870 Pedro A. Vazquez: I appreciate that, because I know that some of those policies are one well they're ones that i've been looking at, and there is one that's very explicit about individual speaking on behalf of the entire Commission and so that's one that we really need to ensure that we remain.714 01:52:35.070 --> 01:52:39.930 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know and adherence to so um any other questions about that or.715 01:52:41.700 --> 01:52:44.370 Pedro A. Vazquez: Any other comments um I see your hand up.716 01:52:46.920 --> 01:52:47.550 Alma.Ogweta: Oh, it is.717 01:52:49.170 --> 01:52:52.050 Alma.Ogweta: I didn't even realize, but I can.718 01:52:53.040 --> 01:52:54.090 Pedro A. Vazquez: add something.719 01:52:54.150 --> 01:53:04.800 Alma.Ogweta: I guess you know, in addition to what data rose said that you know, having this place in South portland it bugs me alot and the worst of it it's my neighbor.720 01:53:07.080 --> 01:53:13.650 Alma.Ogweta: literally have to see this place through my window every day what it represents is inches you know.721 01:53:15.330 --> 01:53:27.870 Alma.Ogweta: i'm again Jane rose, I will support you in that bill, and then you let me know what I need to do, I am so like excited for this right yeah so i'll i'll lower my hand now.722 01:53:30.030 --> 01:53:31.440 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you i'm my colleague, and I see.723 01:53:31.440 --> 01:53:32.190 Pedro A. Vazquez: Your hand up.724 01:53:32.880 --> 01:53:34.800 Colleen Jones-Turner: Yes, i'm just curious can we.725 01:53:36.270 --> 01:53:45.480 Colleen Jones-Turner: make a statement or take a stand tonight or take about tonight and move forward with this, because i'm assuming you're all in agreement, mean.726 01:53:46.650 --> 01:53:47.640 Colleen Jones-Turner: It just makes.727 01:53:48.990 --> 01:53:49.470 Colleen Jones-Turner: Huge.728 01:53:51.000 --> 01:53:58.500 Colleen Jones-Turner: From a morality standpoint, it needs to go from a fiscal standpoint, it needs to go it needs to go.729 01:54:00.690 --> 01:54:01.290 Colleen Jones-Turner: And I.730 01:54:01.380 --> 01:54:03.990 Colleen Jones-Turner: Would not we're not twisting anybody's arm it's.731 01:54:04.080 --> 01:54:06.300 Colleen Jones-Turner: it's it's horrible.732 01:54:06.990 --> 01:54:12.390 Pedro A. Vazquez: I think, taking a vote tonight to take a position makes a lot of sense again.733 01:54:13.080 --> 01:54:28.380 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, with the understanding that there will be some policy coming for from the city council that will have to adhere to, but I do believe that Stephanie and colleen have indicated, it is important to or would be appropriate, rather, to take a vote tonight so.734 01:54:30.360 --> 01:54:34.050 Pedro A. Vazquez: I will be a roll call vote Stephanie I see your your hand up.735 01:54:34.500 --> 01:54:34.950 Stephanie Weaver: and736 01:54:35.010 --> 01:54:44.880 Stephanie Weaver: not really anticipating that you need a motion and a second, and so, if you have Pauline are you making emotion that.737 01:54:47.010 --> 01:54:57.570 Colleen Jones-Turner: Sure, I make emotion that we make an affirming statement to support the what is it the main use.738 01:54:59.430 --> 01:54:59.940 Pedro A. Vazquez: justice.739 01:54:59.970 --> 01:55:07.620 Colleen Jones-Turner: Justice justice, thank you, sorry brain fart for a second that we that we give our full support to them.740 01:55:10.350 --> 01:55:10.980 Pedro A. Vazquez: And the second.741 01:55:12.630 --> 01:55:17.190 Stephanie Weaver: I would suggest you amend that to be clear that you're supporting their efforts on.742 01:55:17.460 --> 01:55:19.710 Stephanie Weaver: The closure of the facility.743 01:55:21.000 --> 01:55:21.720 Colleen Jones-Turner: So that your.744 01:55:22.410 --> 01:55:23.520 Stephanie Weaver: Specific as to.745 01:55:26.310 --> 01:55:26.550 Ravi Koil: Oh.746 01:55:27.780 --> 01:55:31.950 Colleen Jones-Turner: i'm someone else's to do it, I plug in my computer, excuse me.747 01:55:32.700 --> 01:55:39.870 Margaret Brownlee: Also it, so I make a motion that we, as a South portland Human Rights Commission.748 01:55:42.540 --> 01:55:48.720 Margaret Brownlee: Are in favor of closing long creek and support any legislation that goes forward.749 01:55:49.950 --> 01:55:51.060 Margaret Brownlee: With that I don't know.750 01:55:53.460 --> 01:55:54.720 Colleen Jones-Turner: I second that.751 01:55:55.230 --> 01:55:56.400 Ravi Koil: Did you want to tie that in.752 01:55:56.400 --> 01:55:57.420 Brendan Williams: With your.753 01:55:57.480 --> 01:55:59.550 Ravi Koil: Justice, I thought that's the whole idea.754 01:55:59.610 --> 01:56:02.070 Colleen Jones-Turner: Oh man you just yeah.755 01:56:02.130 --> 01:56:02.520 In.756 01:56:03.540 --> 01:56:07.140 Ravi Koil: In support of man, you dusty that's important.757 01:56:10.080 --> 01:56:11.370 Colleen Jones-Turner: All right, let's start that over.758 01:56:14.100 --> 01:56:16.950 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent I think we have it, do we haven't Stephanie you have any any.759 01:56:17.580 --> 01:56:18.330 Stephanie Weaver: I would.760 01:56:19.980 --> 01:56:22.080 Stephanie Weaver: suggest that your motion is the.761 01:56:23.880 --> 01:56:24.090 Stephanie Weaver: You have.762 01:56:24.120 --> 01:56:24.750 Stephanie Weaver: emotion.763 01:56:25.050 --> 01:56:26.250 Brendan Williams: Amended amended to.764 01:56:26.250 --> 01:56:26.880 Brendan Williams: Close.765 01:56:26.910 --> 01:56:27.630 Stephanie Weaver: Long creek.766 01:56:27.780 --> 01:56:29.670 Stephanie Weaver: and support the work of the.767 01:56:29.700 --> 01:56:36.030 Stephanie Weaver: Maine Youth Justice project and surrounding that effort and a colleen is second.768 01:56:37.500 --> 01:56:38.850 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent so it's a roll call vote.769 01:56:41.460 --> 01:56:42.000 Stephanie Weaver: ravi.770 01:56:42.450 --> 01:56:42.900 Yes.771 01:56:44.040 --> 01:56:44.700 Stephanie Weaver: Helene.772 01:56:44.880 --> 01:56:46.830 Stephanie Weaver: Yes, Pedro.773 01:56:47.370 --> 01:56:47.880 Yes.774 01:56:48.960 --> 01:56:49.470 Stephanie Weaver: Alma.775 01:56:50.100 --> 01:56:50.670 Yes.776 01:56:51.960 --> 01:56:52.620 Stephanie Weaver: Margaret.777 01:56:53.010 --> 01:56:53.610 Yes.778 01:56:54.870 --> 01:56:55.530 Stephanie Weaver: Brendan.779 01:56:56.430 --> 01:56:56.820 well.780 01:56:59.430 --> 01:57:00.000 Stephanie Weaver: Jill.781 01:57:00.420 --> 01:57:04.110 Stephanie Weaver: Yes, jd jade rose yes.782 01:57:07.950 --> 01:57:10.440 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent it's unanimous Thank you everyone.783 01:57:11.880 --> 01:57:33.990 Pedro A. Vazquez: So, moving on to our next agenda item we have jake fei he who is joining us to discuss the racial equity Institute, he has been invited here to provide some information and some perspective with respect to that initiative, so if we could invite him in and and welcome jake fee.784 01:57:35.250 --> 01:57:36.000 Stephanie Weaver: Pedro just a.785 01:57:36.060 --> 01:57:46.380 Stephanie Weaver: Time check it is 10 of nine and public comment, if there was any has been deferred for quite a while I don't know that anyone else wants to speak tonight, but.786 01:57:47.700 --> 01:57:48.150 Stephanie Weaver: that's.787 01:57:48.570 --> 01:57:56.130 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you for pointing that out, I was under the impression that public comment following sets presentation met the.788 01:57:57.360 --> 01:58:09.930 Pedro A. Vazquez: The requirement but i'm happy to open it up to anyone who wishes to provide public comments, so if you're if you're here and you'd like to provide public comment, if you raise your hand we can bring you in and provide.789 01:58:09.930 --> 01:58:10.980 Stephanie Weaver: That opportunity I see.790 01:58:10.980 --> 01:58:12.360 Pedro A. Vazquez: Craig jake.791 01:58:13.410 --> 01:58:16.020 Pedro A. Vazquez: A couple of other people who joined us earlier.792 01:58:17.760 --> 01:58:18.300 Anyone.793 01:58:21.480 --> 01:58:29.040 Public Comment – Jake Fahey from Racial Equity Institute [back to agenda] Pedro A. Vazquez: doesn't look like it Okay, so we can move on and enjoy and invite jake and welcome jake.794 01:58:32.400 --> 01:58:34.170 Jake Fahey: Thanks thanks for having me.795 01:58:34.350 --> 01:58:35.130 Jake Fahey: hey Randy.796 01:58:36.270 --> 01:58:37.050 Jake Fahey: Thanks all.797 01:58:38.940 --> 01:58:47.460 Jake Fahey: i'm glad I got to listen in and catch the end of Seth's talk and hear a little bit about many of justice it's great i'm glad you're supporting them.798 01:58:49.710 --> 01:58:56.220 Jake Fahey: yeah my name is jake fei he i'm an interfaith Chaplin Community organizer organizer here in portland maine.799 01:58:58.440 --> 01:59:02.970 Jake Fahey: i've been supporting the racial equity Institute for the last couple years.800 01:59:05.130 --> 01:59:16.920 Jake Fahey: I was it going through their workshop is really changed how i've navigated the work around anti racism and my own personal journey.801 01:59:18.180 --> 01:59:21.060 Jake Fahey: And so after going through that.802 01:59:22.770 --> 01:59:36.990 Jake Fahey: program I started to kind of pay more attention go to more workshops and and become immersed in theory and the practice that rei is bringing to maine.803 01:59:38.790 --> 01:59:46.740 Jake Fahey: And so I joined a team, one of our TEAM members actually is meadow devil [?] who's working with Atlantic black box and.804 01:59:48.300 --> 01:59:51.810 Jake Fahey: James for do I think Margaret knows and some other people know.805 01:59:53.640 --> 02:00:02.880 Jake Fahey: we're a team of people in maine who have gone through the racial equity institute workshop many times and i've recognized that it's very important.806 02:00:03.240 --> 02:00:12.990 Jake Fahey: it's something we want to bring to a wider audience in maine so that we can develop a deeper more systemic cultural understanding of racism in our state.807 02:00:14.790 --> 02:00:17.100 Jake Fahey: So our team has come together to.808 02:00:18.780 --> 02:00:27.180 Jake Fahey: connect with different groups who are interested in bringing this training to different parts of maine and our most recent efforts have been trying to get.809 02:00:27.690 --> 02:00:39.870 Jake Fahey: system leaders and change makers throughout the state to attend, so that we can recognize that this these problems of racism are crossing all of our systems all of our institutions.810 02:00:40.440 --> 02:00:51.750 Jake Fahey: And is immersed in our culture and the more leaders and people have different standings who understand that can start to gather together and develop more and better solutions.811 02:00:53.490 --> 02:01:10.200 Jake Fahey: So it was great connecting with ravi I love what your team is doing here, and so I wanted to just bring rei as another resource, you know of creating a more equitable state for all of us and and building more.812 02:01:11.760 --> 02:01:22.800 Jake Fahey: depth of an understanding of what needs to change, and so I think the rei workshop can be a tool to kind of work with some of the other initiatives that you're that you're looking at.813 02:01:24.750 --> 02:01:32.400 Jake Fahey: And so my thought was just to pose the idea of.814 02:01:34.470 --> 02:01:40.710 Jake Fahey: mean any of you would be welcome to attend a workshop, we are hosting them virtually right now.815 02:01:42.900 --> 02:01:49.230 Jake Fahey: The next one that's occurring is on may 27 and 28th.816 02:01:50.580 --> 02:01:55.020 Jake Fahey: is going to be mostly for main people so that's Thursday and Friday.817 02:01:57.000 --> 02:02:02.520 Jake Fahey: So you would any of you would be welcome to attend that if you wanted to just like see if it feels like a good fit.818 02:02:04.140 --> 02:02:07.740 Jake Fahey: Because another thought would be if you're interested, we could.819 02:02:10.320 --> 02:02:14.340 Jake Fahey: We could work to bring a training to South portland particularly.820 02:02:15.780 --> 02:02:23.160 Jake Fahey: And that could be for folks who you believe it would be beneficial for them to be a part of that conversation.821 02:02:24.960 --> 02:02:30.570 Jake Fahey: And I can say that the analysis that they do is incredibly incredibly deep and.822 02:02:32.520 --> 02:02:39.750 Jake Fahey: And I think the level of work that i'm hoping will will be spread further and further throughout our state in the nation so.823 02:02:41.850 --> 02:02:45.120 Jake Fahey: I see some questions i'll stop there, for now, thanks.824 02:02:45.780 --> 02:02:48.210 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you jake Margaret I see your hand up.825 02:02:50.340 --> 02:02:51.960 Margaret Brownlee: hi jake nice to meet you.826 02:02:52.170 --> 02:02:52.530 Jake Fahey: too.827 02:02:53.280 --> 02:02:58.020 Margaret Brownlee: There were our paths are connecting so I participated in the rei Institute.828 02:03:00.300 --> 02:03:06.090 Margaret Brownlee: Two years ago I think I can't remember with a love and a couple of others.829 02:03:07.200 --> 02:03:09.660 Margaret Brownlee: And I want to emphasize that it was.830 02:03:10.890 --> 02:03:27.540 Margaret Brownlee: I would say life changing for me, because it was one of the reasons why I switched from career services into this line of work that I do right now and di and I remember so i'm saying i'm in full support of it and encourage other people to be in supportive it as well.831 02:03:29.760 --> 02:03:37.800 Margaret Brownlee: It was just like assess presentation about what I hadn't learned until 2020 there were things in the rei institute that I hadn't learned until say.832 02:03:39.600 --> 02:03:42.150 Margaret Brownlee: One of which being black Wall Street and Tulsa.833 02:03:43.290 --> 02:03:53.400 Margaret Brownlee: Black red lining I called the Black line redlining and many, many other things, and I would say it was a moment for me where it just felt like my heart was being like ripped open.834 02:03:55.050 --> 02:04:16.620 Margaret Brownlee: And I, and I like fully endorse it and encourage people from SMC to attend and so, if this is something that we can bring to South portland particularly South portland public schools with the my line of suggestion um I think it would be wonderful so that's what I say thank you.835 02:04:17.850 --> 02:04:18.750 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, Margaret.836 02:04:20.040 --> 02:04:21.510 Pedro A. Vazquez: And Ravi I see your hand up.837 02:04:22.110 --> 02:04:26.610 Ravi Koil: Yes, thank you, thank you, Pedro so I was introduced to jake.838 02:04:28.050 --> 02:04:39.690 Ravi Koil: Through our church hope gateway, which is very, very active in anti racism work and i'm on the racial equity policy group at home gateway so Kathy strand their.839 02:04:41.640 --> 02:04:50.820 Ravi Koil: interview said that I really needed to know about the rei which I had no clue what the rei was about so I was just wondering because.840 02:04:53.100 --> 02:05:01.020 Ravi Koil: There may be folks here that are members of this Commission, who are not familiar with the work of the rei how it was founded by two ladies.841 02:05:01.260 --> 02:05:11.160 Ravi Koil: In North Carolina how the format of your workshops are and that the fact that one of your trainers is actually from me right so so maybe just.842 02:05:11.700 --> 02:05:17.010 Ravi Koil: At that high level just sharing with the group because my thought is look if we're going to have these workshops.843 02:05:17.850 --> 02:05:26.220 Ravi Koil: In city or even important, why would we, as a Commission, not sponsor say five spots and say.844 02:05:26.610 --> 02:05:42.630 Ravi Koil: either for Members of the Commission or four members of the public from South portland who want to attend the workshop I think would be extremely beneficial, but you know I wanted to ask jake you can just give us so so that everyone gets up to speed about what rei is.845 02:05:43.560 --> 02:05:50.070 Jake Fahey: yeah thanks Ravi i'll share quickly, I know it's late so i'll just do like a quick kind of roll of it, where.846 02:05:50.460 --> 02:05:56.580 Jake Fahey: The actual it actually kind of came out of the lineage of the civil rights movement there was an organization called.847 02:05:57.000 --> 02:06:09.540 Jake Fahey: The people's Institute of survival and beyond, which was really based in you know the strong Labor and anti racism organizing during the civil rights and Braden and other members of the.848 02:06:11.940 --> 02:06:28.680 Jake Fahey: yeah some of the people coming out of mlk and an s and Nick lead into the people's Institute of survival and beyond, which then kind of lead into the development of the racial equity Institute, so it is really grounded in this lineage and history of tradition and.849 02:06:29.700 --> 02:06:31.380 Jake Fahey: yeah there was these two women.850 02:06:32.850 --> 02:06:45.630 Jake Fahey: Susan simplistic and Dina Hayes Green black woman in a white woman, both from the south and north Carolina areas and they decided to create this organization to continue this.851 02:06:47.430 --> 02:07:00.000 Jake Fahey: This movement and they love, who is from maine a white man he got to spend time in the south got to be steeped in people's institute steeped in the lineage of.852 02:07:00.990 --> 02:07:15.510 Jake Fahey: rei which is black lead and he's bringing it back home, you know and that's kind of the beauty of it is he gets to kind of take and use some of that wisdom to bring back to the north, which is sometimes lacking in that depth of.853 02:07:17.100 --> 02:07:39.330 Jake Fahey: Knowledge and analysis, and so the trainings are always done by bay and then Monica Walker another person from the South, they kind of do like this multi racial multi geographic teaching and it's over two days, and you know they've been virtual recently because of the pandemic.854 02:07:40.500 --> 02:07:51.390 Jake Fahey: There to eight hour days and it's just a depth of analysis first kind of like data driven a lot of data about systemic racism.855 02:07:51.780 --> 02:08:06.090 Jake Fahey: And then it kind of goes into the implicit bias and understanding more how it works, culturally and then diving into poverty and class and and really helping understand how race and class are inter matched and.856 02:08:07.830 --> 02:08:18.060 Jake Fahey: Then continuing into understanding more of the history of which i'm not going to share too much because part of the workshop is like going through this experience.857 02:08:19.410 --> 02:08:24.030 Jake Fahey: But showing the history in a in a depth of connection that's rare, I believe.858 02:08:25.710 --> 02:08:40.440 Jake Fahey: So what they do is over two days they just connect a lot of dots usually we know this, we know this, we know that we know this, but to put it all together and provide this like a meshed experience over two days is really powerful and really beautiful.859 02:08:42.570 --> 02:08:55.260 Jake Fahey: And so yeah I mean I would, if anyone would like if any of you would like to try it you're welcome like I said to attend the workshop on the on may 27 and 28th and I can send the information for that.860 02:08:56.730 --> 02:09:06.240 Jake Fahey: And it would be wonderful to set up a specific training for South portland whatever way you all feel maybe the most beneficial for the town.861 02:09:07.650 --> 02:09:23.580 Pedro A. Vazquez: that's wonderful Thank you jake and thank you ravi for bringing that up, I am very interested in rei hearing that its roots are you know, a come forth from snake, I am I had the deep honor of.862 02:09:24.660 --> 02:09:39.780 Pedro A. Vazquez: Counting Mr Julian bond as as a friend as a very young man, I had no idea of course I was just you know, a kid, but I think of my friend Julian bond often and and think about.863 02:09:41.040 --> 02:09:53.130 Pedro A. Vazquez: How, how are, I am today is deeply deeply connected to the time that I spent with him and so i'm so glad to hear that he is connected to snake, and I just can't wait to.864 02:09:53.880 --> 02:10:06.210 Pedro A. Vazquez: To get involved in that i'm so happy about that, and I think that it would be great for us to take part in some of those workshops and then maybe designing something specific to our Community, so we can bring it to our Community at.865 02:10:06.210 --> 02:10:07.020 Ravi Koil: Large as well.866 02:10:08.190 --> 02:10:12.180 Pedro A. Vazquez: So thank you so much, and Alma I see your hand up and then Margaret I also see your hand up.867 02:10:14.970 --> 02:10:23.580 Alma.Ogweta: Have any question but jake Thank you so much for that information I have another meeting at nine o'clock but unfortunately I have to turn.868 02:10:24.600 --> 02:10:28.890 Alma.Ogweta: It was great seeing you guys and I will see y'all in like two weeks I guess.869 02:10:29.370 --> 02:10:32.670 Alma.Ogweta: So, have a wonderful evening and a good weekend.870 02:10:33.120 --> 02:10:34.410 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you i'll take care.871 02:10:35.220 --> 02:10:37.200 Alma.Ogweta: Of you Okay, thank you bye.872 02:10:39.720 --> 02:10:40.860 Pedro A. Vazquez: Margaret I saw your hand up.873 02:10:43.260 --> 02:10:59.670 Margaret Brownlee: I was gonna not speak but i'm wondering if I can make a motion for something, and obviously we can vote on it, if people want, but I would make a motion that we, as a Human Rights Commission provide like.874 02:11:02.040 --> 02:11:16.080 Margaret Brownlee: Three is the magic number i'm three free spots three paid spots to do them a training so anyone from the Commission wants to attend, we could pay for it.875 02:11:16.680 --> 02:11:29.370 Margaret Brownlee: or someone from the Community, and I know people don't know a lot about rei but it's a really amazing training and I wonder, I don't know that night Can I make a motion I don't I don't know if I can yes.876 02:11:29.640 --> 02:11:31.200 Pedro A. Vazquez: Absolutely, I think you just did.877 02:11:32.430 --> 02:11:49.830 Pedro A. Vazquez: And you know I know that if if more people than just the three of us done three of us want to do it, we should we should say you know we can we can make as many seats available as as people want I would think but that's just my two cents so.878 02:11:53.610 --> 02:11:54.660 Pedro A. Vazquez: Ravi I see your hand up.879 02:11:57.300 --> 02:11:57.840 you're on mute.880 02:12:03.750 --> 02:12:23.880 Ravi Koil: So you got a quick second from me to what Margaret said, also including your comments about a three, but not necessarily limited to three, you know I mean you know, certainly not 100 or 200 spots, but say you know you wouldn't even five spots i'm just asking the question.881 02:12:24.960 --> 02:12:29.040 Pedro A. Vazquez: yeah that sounds great I think we can amend that motion to include up Stephanie go ahead.882 02:12:29.670 --> 02:12:45.840 Stephanie Weaver: I just have a question about I was looking online while you were speaking in it, it seems like they are organized by various groups for their own internal constituents and I don't know enough about the structure and that.883 02:12:47.190 --> 02:12:58.650 Stephanie Weaver: How I don't know the price it's like $12,000 for the two day training for a community to request that and $5,000 for 100 people to attend attend.884 02:12:59.760 --> 02:13:10.350 Stephanie Weaver: The you know, an afternoon type training, so I don't want to have the group commit to a lot of spots, without any sense of what they're spending and the budget and the various issues that.885 02:13:10.830 --> 02:13:21.750 Stephanie Weaver: You know other things that are plan so it sounds like we need to come down to the ground, a little bit and understand what that might entail of supporting that motion.886 02:13:22.050 --> 02:13:32.880 Ravi Koil: So I I understood the cost just being in touch with jake that it was about $350 70 and I shouldn't be should have mentioned that he said right jake Sabine that.887 02:13:33.870 --> 02:13:39.990 Jake Fahey: The full price per individual is 375 we do have scholarships available if necessary, as.888 02:13:40.380 --> 02:13:43.440 Ravi Koil: $375 for two days of training, yes.889 02:13:44.610 --> 02:13:46.740 Margaret Brownlee: So that's why I was trying to limit it to only a couple.890 02:13:46.860 --> 02:13:55.470 Pedro A. Vazquez: yeah that makes sense clarification, thank you for that clarification I mean you know frankly I would be if if other folks.891 02:13:56.070 --> 02:14:09.990 Pedro A. Vazquez: wanted seats, I would be more than happy to pay my own way to to open up, for you know my My dear friends and colleagues to participate if if that's the case calling I see your hand up.892 02:14:14.190 --> 02:14:26.430 Colleen Jones-Turner: yeah I was just curious how many people from the Commission are interested in taking it and maybe what we could do, rather than giving up see is maybe have a discount.893 02:14:30.120 --> 02:14:30.990 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you colleen.894 02:14:32.640 --> 02:14:47.460 Jake Fahey: yeah and and work i'm happy day and I are happy to work with costs and happy to get in people who can't afford and and even free of cost is fine, too, so what we're very willing to work around cost being a barrier.895 02:14:49.860 --> 02:14:52.350 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you jake and jake rose I see your hand up.896 02:14:54.150 --> 02:14:58.560 JadeRose (she/her/hers): i'm i'm definitely very interested in participating this training, but I know.897 02:14:58.560 --> 02:15:10.980 JadeRose (she/her/hers): May is an extremely hectic month for me so i'm just wondering like how often are these trainings and like how I can get more involved, or like have.898 02:15:11.730 --> 02:15:20.100 JadeRose (she/her/hers): Maybe just thinking about mainly justice and thinking about how we could potentially collaborate and get because I know like we are campaign we have money.899 02:15:21.270 --> 02:15:31.140 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And maybe i'm just thinking about people that I work with and then being interested in doing this, training, I think that would also be really exciting so i'm just wondering like how often are your trainings.900 02:15:33.480 --> 02:15:35.730 JadeRose (she/her/hers): And yeah I just asked my main question.901 02:15:38.100 --> 02:15:50.370 Jake Fahey: yeah rei kind of works with like where people want them to come they'll come so like hearing your question and interest like we can make a training, you know, for you know that Community or.902 02:15:51.810 --> 02:15:56.130 Jake Fahey: We haven't set up a one past may yet, but there'll be plenty into the summer.903 02:15:57.450 --> 02:16:00.150 Jake Fahey: So it's kind of designed around what the interest is.904 02:16:01.710 --> 02:16:10.590 Jake Fahey: so happy to continue to work with you around that jade rose and work more with manual justice around creating and creating a training as well.905 02:16:11.880 --> 02:16:24.090 JadeRose (she/her/hers): I have a quick second question sorry if I can ask um how many people do you usually have in like one training like is it pretty big or is it usually like kind of pretty personal like on on a more personal level.906 02:16:24.840 --> 02:16:25.560 Jake Fahey: Good question.907 02:16:26.790 --> 02:16:42.960 Jake Fahey: The ideal for the training is about 35 usually we've been because of the virtual we've been going a little bit higher, but the 35 numbers good because it actually gives people a chance to like all participate share along without feeling rushed.908 02:16:44.310 --> 02:16:45.210 So that's typical.909 02:16:48.600 --> 02:16:50.100 Pedro A. Vazquez: And brandon I see your hand up.910 02:16:53.340 --> 02:17:02.400 Brendan Williams: yeah, thank you for speaking with us tonight i've heard the name of the organization, but I don't know much about it, or just kind of through through the Google photos.911 02:17:02.850 --> 02:17:14.490 Brendan Williams: And I wouldn't mind the three people people, however, I would suggest, maybe wait till next made instance somebody get laid an author, I can spend a week doing my own research on it.912 02:17:15.630 --> 02:17:31.380 Brendan Williams: that's my thing um But my main question is what kind of people do take that to the future politicians random, but like who who signed up for and what the goal with the client and to do what they're playing.913 02:17:32.640 --> 02:17:34.440 Jake Fahey: yeah it's a good question, I mean.914 02:17:34.860 --> 02:17:36.300 Jake Fahey: it's kind of around.915 02:17:36.690 --> 02:17:48.270 Jake Fahey: The trainings are based around Community organizers getting together and saying, who are we connected to who do we want to bring this training to who feels ready to be in the room for this training.916 02:17:49.560 --> 02:17:59.010 Jake Fahey: So it's really kind of it changes, a lot like a lot of times it's like the trainings have been open to the public, where anyone can sign up and people just kind of.917 02:17:59.730 --> 02:18:06.450 Jake Fahey: sign up online we've recently been doing, like close trainings so that we've been like strategically looking for.918 02:18:06.750 --> 02:18:15.960 Jake Fahey: Specific leaders in the state who we are hoping will have developed a bigger analysis to create change so yeah Brendan I mean the.919 02:18:16.380 --> 02:18:32.910 Jake Fahey: The goal of the trainings is so that like more and more people are recognizing the depth of the problem and the need to act and to come together and build coalitions together to develop solutions together because there's it's such a big problem that when we feel siloed.920 02:18:33.930 --> 02:18:41.070 Jake Fahey: The paralysis kind of steps in, and so the goal is to keep connecting people and and helping.921 02:18:42.240 --> 02:18:56.250 Jake Fahey: continue to build groups like the Human Rights Commission here build small groups where people are continue to engage with these issues and thus create change legislative change cultural change Community change.922 02:18:57.870 --> 02:19:07.860 Jake Fahey: So we're at the question of like who who goes to the trainings it's like it's kind of up to us, I think, to help decide who we think that can be.923 02:19:10.590 --> 02:19:12.660 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you Stephanie I saw your hand up.924 02:19:12.960 --> 02:19:21.090 Stephanie Weaver: It just was a you know you have a motion on the table it sounds like it's it's merging and morphing but I don't want you to forget to finish that action.925 02:19:22.140 --> 02:19:24.450 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, I appreciate that we do.926 02:19:25.200 --> 02:19:38.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: We are looking for that motion, and then a roll call boat so looking for the motion to sponsor some seats for the rei training on may 27 and 28th.927 02:19:39.240 --> 02:19:40.980 For Commission members.928 02:19:42.180 --> 02:19:43.710 Stephanie Weaver: With the amended.929 02:19:45.090 --> 02:19:54.630 Stephanie Weaver: comments by Brendan that that you know people who aren't present tonight might not have the opportunity to attend, you know get the information so they can put their hats in.930 02:19:57.090 --> 02:19:59.670 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent anybody making that motion.931 02:20:04.860 --> 02:20:07.590 Brendan Williams: i'm the one the one that brought it off, should I make.932 02:20:10.170 --> 02:20:20.220 Brendan Williams: The thumbs up to me, I make him a note and I don't even know when the next meeting, I have no idea we're gonna meet before the seminar.933 02:20:22.350 --> 02:20:24.030 Pedro A. Vazquez: yeah so pending the meeting.934 02:20:25.590 --> 02:20:42.450 Brendan Williams: Okay, all right, my motion to our bow on the three to Commission number two are enough maiden to everyone and the people and the person that jet lagged cannot join in on voting for that, and it will be.935 02:20:44.370 --> 02:20:45.420 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent and a second.936 02:20:46.860 --> 02:20:48.810 A second yeah that sounds good.937 02:20:50.670 --> 02:20:51.270 Pedro A. Vazquez: roll call vote.938 02:20:51.750 --> 02:20:52.290 Ravi.939 02:20:55.440 --> 02:20:55.980 Pedro A. Vazquez: you're muted.940 02:20:59.760 --> 02:21:00.390 Stephanie Weaver: colleen.941 02:21:00.720 --> 02:21:01.320 Yes.942 02:21:03.510 --> 02:21:04.140 Stephanie Weaver: Pedro.943 02:21:04.680 --> 02:21:05.130 Yes.944 02:21:08.400 --> 02:21:08.970 Stephanie Weaver: Margaret.945 02:21:09.600 --> 02:21:10.290 Yes.946 02:21:11.670 --> 02:21:12.300 Jake Fahey: Brendan.947 02:21:13.170 --> 02:21:13.650 yeah.948 02:21:16.080 --> 02:21:16.710 Stephanie Weaver: A Jill.949 02:21:17.400 --> 02:21:17.880 Yes.950 02:21:19.050 --> 02:21:21.540 Stephanie Weaver: jade rose yes.951 02:21:22.800 --> 02:21:23.970 Stephanie Weaver: And that should be everybody.952 02:21:25.710 --> 02:21:35.460 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent Thank you jake really, really, really appreciate you coming here tonight and making this opportunity available to us super looking forward to.953 02:21:36.510 --> 02:21:51.900 Pedro A. Vazquez: Participating with the workshop, and so I do want to say that it is 915 there are a couple of items that we wanted to to discuss tonight Stephanie you have a hand up go ahead.954 02:21:52.350 --> 02:22:00.810 Stephanie Weaver: Just an administrative thing i'm jake that is there, somebody on the Commission, who has contact information with you, so that we can follow up Okay, thank you.955 02:22:01.080 --> 02:22:02.430 Jake Fahey: Yes, please reach out.956 02:22:03.960 --> 02:22:06.330 Ravi Koil: And just one other quick point and.957 02:22:07.890 --> 02:22:08.340 Ravi Koil: shops.958 02:22:10.710 --> 02:22:13.200 Ravi Koil: on a Thursday and Friday.959 02:22:16.080 --> 02:22:18.690 Ravi Koil: he's not feasible, maybe we'll explore with jake.960 02:22:19.890 --> 02:22:28.290 Ravi Koil: on a Saturday, for example, you know if that's even possible so so i'm just throwing that out there now because two full days for me.961 02:22:30.210 --> 02:22:33.630 Ravi Koil: that's not really feasible, you know there's a call it.962 02:22:35.010 --> 02:22:44.580 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you, it makes a lot of sense and i'm hoping that we can be flexible and make it, you know available to to all those that that want to participate.963 02:22:45.180 --> 02:22:54.120 Pedro A. Vazquez: As I was saying we do, I have to look at the time, we want to honor everybody's time we do have a couple of things that we wanted to address, I would recommend that perhaps we.964 02:22:54.720 --> 02:23:02.940 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, we can schedule a meeting for next week, a one hour meeting if I get the agenda in by tomorrow at one day or another.965 02:23:03.570 --> 02:23:12.000 Pedro A. Vazquez: So that we can discuss the two remaining issues, there is one that's time sensitive, and I think that we really need to discuss so.966 02:23:12.720 --> 02:23:22.050 Pedro A. Vazquez: i'm looking for folks that are amenable to scheduling a one hour meeting one day next week to discuss those two issues and Stephanie did you have a hand up.967 02:23:22.410 --> 02:23:32.700 Stephanie Weaver: i'm just the complications of the timing, where the forward training is next Thursday at 630 so i'm not sure what night and what time you're suggesting.968 02:23:35.160 --> 02:23:44.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: We could do Wednesday evening or you know or something that's FLEX that is convenient rather for for everyone.969 02:23:45.450 --> 02:23:56.190 Pedro A. Vazquez: What I can do is I can send out a doodle poll after this meeting tonight, if we agreed to have one, and then we can schedule it to everyone's convenience and availability.970 02:23:57.810 --> 02:24:07.200 Pedro A. Vazquez: But we would be looking for emotion to schedule a meeting next week to go over these two issues, including the ma EC report.971 02:24:07.830 --> 02:24:17.730 Pedro A. Vazquez: which many of you may not have had the opportunity to read it and its entirety, it is important, I think we do need to discuss it and then there's another time sensitive issue that we really need to address.972 02:24:18.210 --> 02:24:23.940 Pedro A. Vazquez: And so i'd be looking for emotion to schedule a meeting for next week to address those two issues.973 02:24:24.300 --> 02:24:39.420 Colleen Jones-Turner: I make a motion that we have an additional meeting next whatever night works next week an hour long meeting for us to finish the work that we need to do.974 02:24:40.620 --> 02:24:44.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you colleen and the second I second commotion.975 02:24:46.080 --> 02:24:47.100 Pedro A. Vazquez: cool roll call vote.976 02:24:48.240 --> 02:24:48.780 Pedro A. Vazquez: Ravi.977 02:24:53.010 --> 02:24:53.670 Stephanie Weaver: colleen.978 02:24:53.970 --> 02:24:55.620 Stephanie Weaver: Yes, Pedro.979 02:24:56.370 --> 02:24:56.880 Yes.980 02:24:58.680 --> 02:24:59.280 Stephanie Weaver: Margaret.981 02:25:02.910 --> 02:25:07.170 Margaret Brownlee: I didn't catch the date I couldn't hear, can you say that date again.982 02:25:07.470 --> 02:25:09.000 Stephanie Weaver: At the date is tbd.983 02:25:09.420 --> 02:25:10.860 Stephanie Weaver: Oh it's going to be a doodle [?] poll.984 02:25:12.180 --> 02:25:13.170 Margaret Brownlee: Okay, yes.985 02:25:14.220 --> 02:25:14.550 Margaret Brownlee: Yes.986 02:25:15.030 --> 02:25:15.600 Brendan.987 02:25:20.760 --> 02:25:21.270 Stephanie Weaver: Jill.988 02:25:23.130 --> 02:25:23.850 Stephanie Weaver: jade rose.989 02:25:24.840 --> 02:25:25.470 Yes.990 02:25:28.260 --> 02:25:28.500 Good.991 02:25:29.610 --> 02:25:33.570 Pedro A. Vazquez: Excellent that's unanimous Thank you so much, everybody I we had so much on the.992 02:25:33.570 --> 02:25:35.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: agenda tonight and.993 02:25:36.210 --> 02:25:37.050 Pedro A. Vazquez: I appreciate.994 02:25:38.370 --> 02:25:39.480 Pedro A. Vazquez: us until nine.995 02:25:39.510 --> 02:25:40.050 Brendan Williams: Almost.996 02:25:40.140 --> 02:25:40.950 Pedro A. Vazquez: Nine 920.997 02:25:41.130 --> 02:25:44.070 Pedro A. Vazquez: I will send out the poll tomorrow and then.998 02:25:45.300 --> 02:25:52.590 Pedro A. Vazquez: You know, with the results will put together an agenda and file it with city clerk and we'll go from there, thank you very much it's so great to see you all.999 02:25:54.060 --> 02:25:59.700 Pedro A. Vazquez: And you know sending out love to you we're going on a road trip tomorrow so we're really looking forward to that.1000 02:26:01.140 --> 02:26:02.280 Pedro A. Vazquez: and take care, everybody.1001 02:26:03.120 --> 02:26:03.780 Ravi Koil: Safe travels.1002 02:26:05.790 --> 02:26:06.180 Ravi Koil: enjoy.1003 02:26:07.980 --> 02:26:12.510 Brendan Williams: Do we get the report, how do we read the report that we were just talking about.1004 02:26:12.780 --> 02:26:19.200 Pedro A. Vazquez: i'll send it to you, I sent it out to the HR see email, which included you your HR seven seven right.1005 02:26:20.820 --> 02:26:23.430 Brendan Williams: yeah I got I gotta figure it out, I couldn't get into.1006 02:26:24.810 --> 02:26:26.220 Brendan Williams: yeah I gotta figure that.1007 02:26:26.730 --> 02:26:27.780 out yeah.1008 02:26:30.180 --> 02:26:30.690 Brendan Williams: Thank you.1009 02:26:31.890 --> 02:26:34.770 Pedro A. Vazquez: Thank you to take care guys Stephanie go ahead.1010 02:26:36.030 --> 02:26:41.190 Pedro A. Vazquez: No ravi did you have something to say Oh, you were just waiting okay take care of my friends bye bye.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:31