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City of ji�� J�' Minnesota, USA I Human Rights Commission 2 DR.AFT — Meeting Minutes — DRAFT 3 May S, 2Q07 4 5 Present: Chair Janet Delmore; Commissioners Bab Venters; Tam McGehee and Philip 6 Crump. 7 S Absent: Commissioners Thelma McKenzie and Pam Bosch. 9 l 0 Others Present: Rowzat Shipchandler, Manager of "Facing Race — We're All in This 1 J Together," anti-racism initiative for the Saint Paul Foundation, and 12 13 14 Call to Order: 15 Ib 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 27 28 Approval of Minutes Recording Secretary Sheila Stor�vell. Chair Delmore called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m, Commissioner Crump rnoved and Commissioner Venters seconded approval of the March 13, 2007 meeting rninutes as presented. Motion casried 4/0. Commissioner McGehee moved and Commissioner Venter seconded approval of the April 11, 2007 meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried 4/0, with Comtnissioner Crump abstaining. Presentation by Rowzat Shipchandler, Project Manager for "Facing Race" We're Ajl in This Together," a Saint Paul Foundation anti-rscism initiative Chair Delmore introduced Ms. Shipcha.ndler, who proceeded with the presentaEian. 29 Ms. 5hipchandler provided background informatian on the Foundation and the initiative and 30 discussed racial disparity issues in the community, state and nation. Ms. Schipchandler notcd the 31 involvement of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington Counties in social issues of our day and the 32 Foundation's plan to play a pro-active role in reducing racial disparities through educafiion, 33 supporting strong faxnilies, encouraging economic development and through creating anti-racist 34 communities. Ms. Shipchandler summarized the start of the program ttarough an awards program 35 with a donaiion from a major donor and the results of the study and a random survey as well as 3b focus groups, leadership groups and determinations of systematic or institutional racisrn. Ms. 37 Shipchandler referred Com�russioners to the Foundation's website for more detailed survey and 38 study information. 39 4Q Discussion among Commissioners and Ms. Shipchandler included difficullies in addressing the 41 racism problem and assmnptions that our culture had moved beyond racism issues; the nature of 42 racism and verbalizing issues; measuremenis in schools and in work environmcnts; czoss-racial 43 factors (i.e., personal relationships, violence); and development of a DVD {with a new version 44 available in August of this year) as a tool to initiate discussions regarding racism in the 45 workplace or other sacial settings.