►
Description
The City of Bloomington is part of a Government Alliance on Race and Equity. On May 24, the City hosted several member jurisdictions and community members to attend a speakers series to enhance understanding of others working to achieve racial equity. The topic, “Organizing for Power – Inside and Outside Strategies” featured a panel of community leaders who shared insights on what it takes to create community-level racial equity outcomes through the process of community engagement. The panelists included: Terri Thao, Program Director at Nexus Community Partners; Vina Kay, Executive Director of Voices for Racial Justice; and Nadine Graves, board member, We Are All Criminals (WAAC).
A
A
Welcome
to
the
city
of
Bloomington
I
appreciate
you
being
here
for
the
gara
cohorts
meeting.
My
name
is
Jamie
Verbruggen
I'm,
the
city
manager
here
in
Bloomington,
and
it
really
is
a
pleasure
to
invite
you
to
what
I
think
is
one
of
the
most
wonderful
municipal
facilities
in
the
state
of
Minnesota.
It
is
really
a
testament
to
the
commitment
of
the
city
council
to
partner
with
our
community
that
they
provide
a
really
beautiful
and
functional
community
space,
and
so
before,
I
go
any
further.
A
B
B
A
B
C
A
Third
thing:
we're
going
to
do
is
utilize
a
racial
equity
toolkit
to
evaluate
the
programs
and
services
with
the
city
office,
so
anytime
that
we
are
adopting
a
new
program
or
new
policy
or
were
reorienting
services
that
we
provide
to
the
community.
We
want
to
be
sure
that
we're
doing
so
through
the
lens
of
tech,
which
our
staff
has
responded
to
opportunities
to
have
open
and
honest
conversation,
as
we
have
provided
opportunities
through
video
series
and
through
lunch
and
learns
over.
C
D
A
A
So
some
of
the
work
that
we've
done
this
year,
following
up
on
our
commitments
that
we
made
as
part
of
the
gara
process
last
year,
includes
a
diversity
and
inclusion
and
government
program
which
is
really
trying
to
bring
awareness
and
create
a
space
for
conversation
within
our
own
organization.
And
so
this
process
is
actually
driven
by
a
team
of
employees.
A
Is
we
want
to.
We
want
to
give
people
the
information
and
the
skills
that
they
need
to
do
that,
and
so
we
invited
people
in
and
said
we'd
like
to
spend
one
week
day
night,
a
month
and
one
Saturday
every
month
for
the
next
six
months,
to
give
you
these
skills
and
to
provide
this
training.
And
we
are
hopeful
that
we
would
get
20
people
who
were
interested
and
we
had
45
that
applied,
and
it
was
a
lot
more
than
we
had
anticipated
and
our
team
that
is
working
on.
A
This
has
worked
to
make
sure
they
can
develop
the
curriculum
to
still
be
successful.
They
actually
have
about
36
who
end
up
going
through
this
process.
We
had
our
kickoff
last
week
and
you
can
see
the
calendar
there.
So
there's
a
lot
of
interest
in
our
community
people
who
are
willing
to
give
their
time
on
Saturdays.
Even
can
you
imagine
that
to
learn
about
what's
going
on
in
the
in
the
city,
and
then
we
also
have
piloted
a
suburban
law
enforcement
training
program,
we're
doing
that
in
partnership
with
several
other
communities
and
I
apologize.
A
If
I
forget
some
Maplewood
st.
Louis
Park,
the
Metropolitan
airports,
Commission,
Eagan
and
Hastings,
and
if
I
have
forgotten
somebody
I'm
sorry
where
we're
trying
to
find
alternative
pathways
into
law
enforcement,
so
that
we
can
be
hiring
police
officers
or
candidates
for
police
officers
who
bring
a
much
more
diverse
life
experience
to
their
to
their
job
and
we're
also
developing
some
training
with
st.
A
So
we
appreciated
what
we
learned
last
year
through
the
gear
cohort
and
I
think
it's
really
important
to
demonstrate
that
we're
making
the
commitment
to
continue
forward,
and
so
that's
a
little
bit
about
the
city
of
Bloomington
story
and
I'm
glad
that
we
had
a
chance
to
tell
it
because
you're
here
tonight
and
I
want
to
thank
you
for
coming.
This
is
really
important,
work
and
I'm
glad
that
we
have
so
many
committed
partners
across
the
cities
and
in
our
community
who
are
willing
to
do
this
work
with
us.
A
E
Thank
you
very
much,
Jamie
I.
Think
many
of
you
probably
already
know
me,
but
I
am
Gordon
Goodwin
and
I
am
the
Midwest
Regional
Manager
for
the
government,
Alliance
on
race
and
equity.
Welcome
to
our
racial
equity
speaker
series
for
this
evening,
and
this
is
really
about
organizing
for
power
inside
and
outside
strategies,
but
as
we
get
ready
to
get
started
just
wanted
to
welcome
you
here
and
acknowledge
that
in
our
audience
today
we
have
elected
officials.
Is
that
right
raise
their
hand
if
you're
an
elected
official
fantastic?
E
Thank
you
glad
that
you're
here
we
have
people
who
are
city,
government
employees,
of
course
city
all
right
and
we
have
county
employees
county.
We
have
state
employees
fantastic
and
we
have
community
members
here
all
right.
We
also
have
other
jurisdictions
like
park
boards
as
well
as
library
entities.
Is
that
correct
great
all
right
anybody
here
from
our
nonprofit
community
very
broad
mob?
Thank
you
glad
you're
here
and
faith-based
organizations
as
well
right.
E
E
So
all
of
you
who
are
involved
in
gear
know
that,
in
terms
of
our
model
for
how
we
do
our
work,
normalizing
conversations
about
race
is
where
we
spend
a
fair
amount
of
time,
because
we
don't
do
enough
of
that
in
our
work.
And
if
we
don't
do
it,
we're
not
going
to
arrive
at
solutions
that
address
racial
equity.
E
What
you're
going
to
experience
is
really
a
range
of
work.
That's
going
off.
That's
going
on
in
our
community.
Nadine
is
going
to
be
really
talking
about
an
effort
that
is
increasing
the
awareness
of
the
public
about
how
the
criminal
justice
system
is
creating
disparate
outcomes
in
our
community,
and
it's
doing
that
from
that
is
happening.
From
the
perspective
of
how
people
encounter
the
criminal
justice
system,
then
we
will
hear
from
Vina
who's
going
to
talk
about
the
work.
E
That's
being
done
to
really
create
more
understanding
about
how
racial
equity
can
be
infused
into
public
policy
and
how
the
public
is
involved
in
doing
that,
particularly
from
accountability
for
racial
equity
and
then
Terry
is
going
to
be
talking
about
a
range
of
examples
about
how
this
is
happening
successfully
in
our
community.
So
without
any
further
ado
I'm
going
to
ask
Nadine
if
you
would
like
to
come
on
up
and
I'll.
F
F
Studies
show
that
black
teens
are
viewed
as
older
and
more
culpable
than
white
teens
by
law
enforcement
and
the
general
public
for
merely
existing
black
brown
and
indigenous
people
are
more
likely
to
get
caught
in
the
justice
system
than
white
Americans.
For
example,
according
to
the
Sentencing
Project,
black
baby
boys
born
in
2001
face
a
lifetime
likelihood
of
imprisonment
of
one
in
three
four
white
girls
born
in
the
same
year.
Their
race
is
1
in
111.
F
Note
that
these
rates
of
offending
do
not
come
close
to
explaining
the
disparities
looking
at
just
on
looking
just
at
our
war
on
drugs,
perhaps
the
greatest
contributor
of
our
current
crisis,
whites
and
blacks,
use
and
sell
drugs
at
roughly
the
same
rate.
Yet
black
individuals
are
far
more
likely
to
be
stopped,
searched,
arrested,
prosecuted
and
punished
for
drug-related
activities
than
whites,
and
it's
no
small
number
of
people
loss
of
right.
F
Now,
more
than
2
million
people
in
this
country
are
behind
bars
and
after
release,
studies
shall
have
shown
that
the
mark
of
a
criminal
record
proves
far
more
problematic
for
people
of
color
than
for
white
people,
the
record
becoming
not
something
that
they
did,
but
it's
considered
who
they
are
a
thief:
a
felon,
a
criminal.
So
here's
the
question:
how
can
the
United
States
be
the
land
of
the
free
when
we
incarcerate
more
people
per
capita
than
any
other
nation
in
the
world?
How
can
we
call
this
justice?
F
Call
this
a
justice
system
when
the
laws
are
so
unevenly
applied?
How
can
we
call
the
American
Dream
one
of
second
chances?
When
not
everyone
receives
the
first
here's
another
puzzler?
Why
do
we
perpetually
punish
people
with
criminal
records,
locking
them
out
of
jobs,
school
housing,
voting
and
more
when
they've
paid
the
fine
and
done
their
time?
But
we
pretend
that
those
who
don't
have
a
criminal
record
or
things
you
see,
one
in
four
people
in
the
US
has
a
criminal
record,
but
I
contend
that
four
and
four
have
a
criminal
history.
F
We
are
all
criminals,
ask
people.
What
have
you
had
the
luxury
to
forget?
What
roles
did
race
play
and
class
play
in
your
ability
not
to
get
caught?
We've
all
heard
the
stories
from
people
who
would
have
not
had
access
to
the
lives
that
they
now
enjoy
because
they
did
not
get
caught
along
with
those
stories.
We
take
photographs
in
a
way
that
obscure
a
participants,
identity
but
portrays
individuality,
personality
and
even
a
little
humanity.
We've
heard
some
stories
of
offenses
that
happened
decades
ago
and
others
a
bit
more.
Recent.
F
F
Two
relatively
harmless
like
this
gentleman
who
carried
a
bottle
from
one
house
party
to
the
next,
that's
an
open
bottle,
charge
and
I
fail
in
a
any
failed
to
return
a
library
book.
That's
a
petty
theft.
He
now
has
a
contract
to
work
with
the
Department
of
Defense,
some
of
the
highest
security
clearance
and
the
nation.
If
he
had
been
caught,
he
likely
would
have
been
able
to
get
a
job
at
a
gas
station.
F
F
F
F
F
What
would
our
country
look
like
if
people
in
positions
of
power
considered
their
own
criminality
and
their
privilege
before
perpetuating
punishments?
A
criminology
profession,
professor
in
Georgia,
has
been
asking
her
students
about
how
people
in
prison
and
those
with
criminal
records
should
be
treated.
How
many
meals
a
day
should
they
have,
and
should
they
be
allowed
to
study
or
go
to
work
or
live
near
you?
F
F
She
reports,
for
example,
that
more
than
50%
of
the
time,
students
who
first
said
that
people
in
prison
should
only
receive
two
meals
change
their
answers
after
realizing
that
they
themselves
could
have
been
the
ones
denied
dinner
for
the
next
eight
years.
We
are
all
criminals
seeks
to
close
the
empathy
chasm.
G
Hi
everybody
good
to
be
here
and
thanks
for
being
out
here
in
a
beautiful
evening,
it's
really
great
to
be
presenting
this
evening
with
both
Nadine
and
Terry.
Meghan
has
presented
at
a
an
event:
prison
justice
event
at
voices,
racial
justice.
So
it's
good
to
see
her
again
and
Terry
is
the
treasurer
of
the
board
at
voices.
G
G
Organizing
apprenticeship
project
was
the
name
that
was
connected
to
the
racial
justice,
organizing,
that's
always
been
at
the
core
of
our
work:
organizing
training,
learning
the
art,
the
practice
of
organizing
by
doing
it,
so
that
continues
to
be
the
core
of
our
work,
building
leadership,
capacity,
organizing
capacity
for
racial
justice,
primarily
with
communities
of
color,
but
with
with
allies
as
well.
That
is
what
we
do
it's,
what
we'll
always
do,
but
about
10
or
12
years
ago.
G
The
organization
may
have
really
big
commitment
that
a
change
in
its
own
and
vision
to
being
very
intentionally
focused
on
racial
equity,
racial
justice.
So
at
that
time
we
added
research
and
policy
to
our
body
of
work,
focusing
on
policy
change,
developing
tools
for
organizers
to
use
in
advocating
for
change,
and
that
included
the
legislative
report
card
on
racial
equity,
which
we've
been
producing
for
over
10
years
now,
and
now
the
racial
equity
agenda
that
we
introduced
at
the
beginning
of
every
session
and
the
bill
watch
a
racial
I.
G
Think
one
of
the
impacts
of
the
legislative
report
card
on
on
racial
equity
over
the
years
has
been
really
shift
the
language
to
work
with
elected
leaders
in
seeing
the
issues
of
institutional
and
structural
racism
and
the
fact
that
policy
change
to
address
racial
disparities
is
actually
possible
and
that
their
leadership
will
be
noticed
by
community
groups
like
ours.
So,
in
addition
to
those
research
and
policy
tools,
we
do
what
we
call
strategic
convening.
G
G
But
what
I
want
to
share
with
you
all
this
evening
is
what
I
think
of
as
our
inside
outside
strategy.
What
we're?
What
we're
here
to
talk
about
tonight
and
inside
outside
strategies
have
increasingly
become
something
that
we
think
about,
and
we
we
work
on
at
voices
and
that's
really
for
a
few
reasons.
One
is,
of
course,
as
we
all
know,
there's
an
urgency
in
shifting
you
know
the
government
government's
institutions,
the
business
community,
all
of
our
communities
toward
racial
equity,
because
we're
seeing
disparities
intact.
G
All
of
us
at
the
local
level,
the
state
level
federal
levels,
so
there's
a
real
urgency.
But
what
we're
also
seeing
is
a
shift
in
government.
You
know,
as
community
organizers,
what
we're
seeing
is
that
maybe
it's
somewhat
connected
to
the
shift
in
and
how
we're
talking
about
race
and
racism,
the
focus
on
equity,
not
just
equality,
as
that
slide
that
was
featured
earlier
shows.
G
G
We
were
asked
to
do
some
consulting
with
the
park
board.
That
was
committed
to
working
toward
racial
equity
and
what
the
park
board
staff
asked
of
us
was
that
we
work
with
them
on
a
couple
of
different
master
plans,
and
one
was
the
Rhett
quest
master
plan.
That's
going
on
now,
and
the
other
was
a
Calhoun
Harriet
master
plan
and
the
idea
was
to
take
a
couple
of
projects
and
apply
a
racial
equity
lens
to
that
work.
And,
let's
just
see
what
can
happen
through
that
process.
G
So,
as
we
were
thinking
about
one,
whether
to
even
accept
a
consulting
relationship
with
the
park
board,
we
as
a
team
as
voices
our
board
check,
checked
in
with
us
as
well.
We
thought
about
how
do
we,
as
organizers,
engage
with
governments
in
this
inside/outside
way?
How
do
we
do
this
in
a
balanced
way
and
for
us
what
we
decided
was
we
could
do
that
work?
We
could
work
with
and
even
be
paid
to
do
that
work
by
governments.
G
That
was
that
had
to
be
something
that
we
could
agree
on
and
then
everything
that
I
would
learn
through
that
consulting
relationship
would
also
feed
our
organizing
work,
so
the
politics,
the
dynamics,
the
decision-making
all
of
that
was
coming
to
us
as
a
community
organization,
and
that
decision
on
the
the
park
board
to
be
a
part
of
that
transparent
process
was
a
real
transformative
decision.
I
think
because
it
meant
that
they
were
willing
to
be
open
and
vulnerable
with
community.
In
this
work,
which
was
hard
work
and
then
at
voices.
G
What
we
said
to
ourselves
was
that
if
we
were
to
enter
into
this
contract
and
consulting
relationship
with
government,
we
would
have
to
have
at
least
as
strong
and
outside
strategy
as
an
inside
strategy.
So
we
would
have
to
know
that
our
outside
organizing
was
powerful
was
ready
to
you
know,
show
up
at
at
park.
Board
meetings
was
paying
attention
to
the
issues
as
organizers
as
community
in
order
to
keep
our
work
with
government
true,
and
if
we
were
ever
out
of
balance
that
wouldn't
be
right,
they
wouldn't
feel
right
to
us
as
an
organization.
G
So
those
are
our
principles
in
doing
that
work.
One
of
the
things
that
came
up
in
the
Calhoun
Harriet
master
plan
was
a
desire
on
the
part
of
some
members
of
the
community.
Advisory
Committee,
the
community
advisory
committees
are
appointed
by
commissioners
and
are
set
up
at
this
committee
to
advance
the
conversation
to
make
some
decisions
and
ultimately
recommendations
to
the
park
board
on
the
master
plan,
and
so
some
of
the
members
of
the
CAC,
as
they're
called
for
the
Calhoun
Harriett
master
plan
wanted
to
have
a
deeper
conversation
about
racial
equity.
G
G
How
was
the
Dakota
history
and
heritage
culture
recognized,
particularly
at
what
was
known
as
Lake
Calhoun,
and
what
could
this
master
plan
do
to
elevate
that
that
narrative
and
that
experience
the
problem
was
the
tax
process
was
really
it
was.
It
was
a
really
big
piece.
If
there
was
a
lot
on
every
agenda,
there
was
a
lot
of
room
to
have
the
conversation
about
racial
equity
that
this
group
wanted
to
have.
G
So
what
I
proposed
to
the
staff
at
the
park
board
was
to
have
a
subcommittee
to
allow
for
that
conversation
to
happen
among
those
who
are
interested
and
then
to
bring
back
what
they
discovered
and
learned
and
even
recommended
to
the
larger
CAC,
and
that's
what
we
did.
We
formed
a
racial
equity
subcommittee.
G
They
met
several
times
that
our
office
had
voices.
It
was
a
different
table
than
I.
Then
I
typically
have
in
my
office.
It
was
made
up
of
community
members
who
mostly
lived
in
the
areas
around
those
two
lakes,
some
people
of
color,
but
mostly
not,
and
they
were
there
ready
to
talk
about
racial
equity.
We
had
some
wonderful
conversations.
G
We
had
a
lot
of
back
and
forth,
but
what
emerged
out
of
that
was
a
desire
on
the
part
of
the
subcommittee
to
advance
the
restoration
of
the
name,
the
Dakota
name,
but
in
Makaha,
as
their
first
recommendation
coming
out
of
this
group
out
of
this
racial
equity
subcommittee.
There
were
many
many
other
racial
equity
issues,
but
this
was
one
that
they
believed
was
not
only
symbolic
but
was
a
way
of
saying
on
the
part
for
the
Park
Board
to
say
you
belong
here.
This
belongs
to
all
of
us
and
changing
the
name
or
restoring.
G
The
name
is
our
way
of
recognizing
that.
So
that's
what
this
group
did
and
they
got
the
full
Community
Advisory
Committee
to
support
that
which
was
a
big
win,
and
then
they
worked
hard
to
get
the
Park
Board
to
also
support
that-
and
it
was
only
just
like
earlier
this
month
just
a
month
ago,
that
the
park
board
unanimously
voted
to
support
the
recommendation
of
the
name:
restoration,
vadoma
Casca.
G
It's
the
beauty,
I
think
it's
a
beautiful
story
and
it's
one
of
an
inside
outside
strategy
where
an
internal
committee
of
a
committee
appointed
by
commissioners
organized
within
this
and
they
changed.
I
watched
this
group
change
its
mind.
Come
together,
change
its
mind
about
what
it
wanted
to
recommend,
but
not
only
that
I
watched
the
staff
at
the
park
board
change
to
that
process.
They
supported
having
community
listening
sessions
in
different
parts
of
the
city.
G
They
supported
these
unusual
racial
equity
subcommittee
meetings
because
it
hadn't
really
been
done
before
they
allowed
for
some
things
to
happen.
That
weren't
typical
and
some
of
it
was
this.
Organizing
that
happened
internally
and
and
I
was
really
impressed
with
the
way
the
staff
was
able
to
be
open
to
that
process.
But
what
we
also
watched-
and
it
was
significant
in
the
end-
we
watched
commissioners
changed
their
minds
through
that
process
and
over
and
over
again
I
heard
Park
Board
commissioners
say
that
night
of
that
vote.
G
So
that
has
that's
my
favorite
story
of
an
inside
outside
strategy
and
pretty
recent,
and
it's
when
that
that
is
still
going
to
have
a
lot
of
work
to
do.
The
park
board
made
that
recommendation.
It
has
to
go
through
Hennepin,
County
and
I
think
ultimately
through
the
DNR,
but
it's
very
exciting
to
see
that
kind
of
work
come
together.
So
I
guess
I
would
end
by
just
saying
that
there
are
some
key
lessons
and
principles
that
have
emerged
over
the
many
months
that
we've
been
doing.
G
G
Our
work
of
holding
government
accountable
always
needs
to
be
as
strong
as
our
inside
strategy,
at
least
as
strong,
and
that
not
only
is
it
necessary
for
us
for
our
credibility
as
an
organization
as
organizers,
but
it's
also
necessary
for
all
of
you
that
you
have
a
community
paying
attention
and
pushing
you
along
as
well
and
I
would
say.
Finally
that
government
needs
to
know
that
those
relationships
and
that
engagement
takes
time
and
it
takes
resources
and
investing
in
both
investing
the
time.
Investing
the
resources
in
that
engagement
in
that
relationship
building
is
important
thanks.
G
H
Great
well
good,
all
right
good
evening,
everybody
again,
my
name
is
Terry
towel
and
I
feel
really
honored
to
be
speaking
after
step
out
here
since
I'm
a
little
vertically
challenged
since
I
to
speak
after
these
two
amazing
speakers,
I
think,
if
anything
I
appreciate,
you
know
the
work
at
Nadine's
work
and
the
we
are
all
criminals.
Work
is
about.
Shifting
the
narrative
and
voices.
H
Great
work
is
about
holding
folks
accountable
and
allowing
space
for
that
nexuses
work
around
inside/outside
strategies
as
well,
as
is
this
work
happening
at
the
local
level,
but
it's
also
the
work
of
policy
making.
So
at
Nexus
we
are
a
community
building
intermediary,
which
means
we
and
what
that
means
is
we
focus
on
people
right
in
communities.
Buildings
have
gotten
better
off,
but
not
necessarily
the
folks
living
in
them,
and
since
day
one
we've
been
working
with
communities
of
color
in
other
underrepresented
communities.
H
We
started
off
doing
our
work
into
neighborhoods
and
then
have
expanded
across
the
region
and
for
us
our
key
work
is
in
three
areas
around
authorship,
which
is
community
engagement.
We
have
a
community
engagement
Institute,
where
we
work
of
organizations
government's
institutions
about
how
they
begin
to
authentically,
engage
with
communities
to
begin
to
have
those
conversations
open
for
space
and
discussion
and
to
think
about
where
those
conversations
could
lead
to
some
potential
shifts
in
the
way
government
systems
operate.
H
We
are
also
embarking
on
a
body
of
working
community
wealth
building,
which
is
in
particularly
worker
cooperatives,
which
is
more
around
economic
democracy.
What
would
it
look
like
to
have
folks
participate
as
owners
in
in
community
of
different
initiatives
and
efforts,
and
then
the
work
I
do
is,
and
I'll
be
speaking
to
tonight
is
about
building
capacity,
darshan
work
building
capacity
over
the
years.
We
funded
lots
of
great
ideas
and
have
we
granted
about
13
million.
H
We
do
a
lot
of
capacity,
building
technical
support
and
strategic
guidance,
and
this
is
really
true
because,
when
we
think
about
for
us
the
capacity
that's
needed
to
succeed,
really,
we
believe
that
working
at
both
levels,
right
and
so
on.
The
I've
been
seeing
on
the
supply
and
the
demand
side.
So
we're
assist
we're.
What
we're
doing
is
we're
pushing
systems
like
governments
and
institutions,
as
well
as
pushing
individuals,
organizations
and
communities
which
could
be
thought
of,
as
you
know,
very
much
inside
outside
strategy.
H
What
we
know
is
that,
for
both
levels
to
succeed,
they'll
need
information,
don't
need
shared
analysis
or
agreement
of
the
problem,
particularly
when
it
comes
to
racial
equity.
Do
we
have
shared
agreement
about
race?
Do
we
have
shared
agreement
about
class
and
those
definitions,
and
then
really
important
is
shared
agreement
about
goals
and
indicators
of
progress,
particularly
towards
racial
equity,
and
then
a
key
piece.
I
think
that
we
know
spoke
to
as
well
is
about
accountability,
creating
an
accountability
mechanism
to
each
other
and
to
our
stakeholders.
H
That's
a
big
mouthful
and
I'm
used
to
saying
it
all
the
time,
but
that's
really
clear
to
us:
it's
not
just
a
training
program.
Certainly
we
build
skills,
but
we're
really
saying
is
we're
in
the
process
of
training
folks
to
get
someplace
and
actually
on
boards
and
commissions
to
make
a
difference.
We're
part
of
a
broader
local,
regional,
national
network
of
other
BC
allies
across
the
country,
including
the
original
site
in
the
Bay
Area,
and
for
us
the
inside-outside
looks
like
this.
These
are
the
folks
that
are
operating
at
these
different
levels.
H
Right
we
know
there
are
the
organizers
and
community
members,
as
well
as
the
Advocate
commissioners
and
policy
advocates
who
are
helping
navigate,
they're,
the
ones
putting
out
reports
helping
us
figure
out.
You
know
what
information
we
need
is
we're
getting
folks
to
sit
on
these
boards
and
commissions,
and
also
not
understanding
what
the
inside
looks
like.
It's,
the
elected
officials,
its
agency
staff,
government
staff
is
yourself
and
it's
a
lovely
term
gatekeepers
which
have
been
good
gatekeepers
because
they
help
facilitate
information.
H
They
share
what's
happening
with
community
they're
able
to
translate
policy
to
community
members
or
to
border
commission
members.
We
have
to
make
that
put
to
make
those
decisions,
or
sometimes
they
can
be
bad
gatekeepers.
They
can
be
people
who
are
don't
share,
information
and
kind
of
obstruct
the
process
which
makes
it
frustrating
for
everybody
overall
and
so
for
us
in
the
BCI
program.
H
We're
really
clear
that
these
are
the
folks
that
we
need
to
work
with
on
the
inside
and
outside
in
order
to
accomplish
our
work
and
push
for
broader
racial
equity
policies,
and
for
us
it's
really
clear
that
it's
not
enough
that
we
help
figure
out.
Folks
how
to
translate
this,
but
that
we
need
to
give
folks
the
political,
technical
skills
and
content
knowledge
to
navigate
people
in
process
that
goes
beyond
that's
just
having
a
seat
at
the
table,
but
an
actual
vote,
and
how
do
we-
and
these
are
ways
we
actually
advocate
on
the
inside.
H
You
know,
certainly
by
having
people
at
the
table,
our
fellows
at
the
table
and
other
communities.
We
raise
awareness
about
racial
and
economic
equity
and
build
visibility
and
power
of
community
in
the
program.
People
are
nominated
to
a
for
the
program,
we're
holding
them
accountable
to
a
broader
community.
H
So
Gordon
asked
me
to
talk
a
little
bit
about
kind
of
examples
of
success
and
where
particularly,
we
said,
I
alumni
and
some
work
that
Nexus
has
done
to
work
inside
outside
for
actual
policy
impact.
We
had
a
recent
alumni
this
year,
who
was
worked
on
the
Minneapolis
workplace
regulation
Council,
who
was
pushing
faith
and
sick
time
work.
He
was
doing
this
on
behalf
of
an
organization
and
he
was
working
for,
but
he
was
really
clear
in
saying
that
this
is
he
knew
he
needed
to
get
on
this
commission.
H
Sometimes
we
forget
that
there's
already
good
policies
out
there
that
have
been
actually
the
legacy
of
the
civil
rights
movement
and
the
work
that's
come
before
us
and
we've
had
fellows.
Who
say
you
know
what
we
have
good
policies,
such
as
making
sure
that
disadvantaged
business
enterprises
or
women-owned
enterprises
continue
to
be
part
of
our
requirements
as
we
bid
out
for
contracts,
and
there
was
an
agency
that
said
well,
maybe
we
should
think
about.
H
H
Well,
what
happens
as
a
result
of
that
engagement?
It
actually
got
written
into
those
station
area
plans,
so
when
we,
what
we
acknowledge
is
when
you
bring
community
to
the
table,
they're
able
to
give
input
as
raise
good
questions
about
policy
that
which
leads
to
a
better
policy
impact
for
everybody.
So
thank
you
very
much.
E
Someone
who
you
well
know
will
be
helping
me
with
that.
So
you
know
a
lot
of
the
things
that
you're
talking
about
really
are
requiring
some
risk
right,
I
mean
you're
going
to
be
reaching
out
into
community
and
then
you're
with
a
governmental
entity.
Sometimes
there
have
been
experiences
that
people
have
had,
which
have
you
know,
give
them
a
negative
sort
of
feeling
about
where
government
is
coming
from,
but
in
many
cases,
also
in
particular,
with
some
communities
of
color
and
immigrants.
E
You
know
the
experience
of
working
with
government
has
not
been
the
same
as
white
communities
have
experienced
it.
Are
there
any
particular
tips
or
anything
that
you
would
say
to
the
folks
who
are
working
for
governmental
entities
about?
You
know
how
to
become
comfortable
taking
some
of
those
risk
and
what
are
some
of
the
things
that
you
should
maybe
keep
it
top
of
mind
as
you're
reaching
out
into
community,
because
many
times
we
come
with
our
own
agenda.
But.
I
H
I
would
say
first
I
I
think
we
have
to
first
acknowledge
that
there's
no
one,
a
Hmong
community
there's,
no
one
black
community,
there's
no
one
Somali
community.
We
have
to
acknowledge
that
there's
different
types
of
communities
out
there
and
so
and
that
helps
us
figure
out
how
we
best
do
that
deep,
listening,
I
also
think
when
you
are
speaking
with
folks
I
know,
government
tends
we
tend
to
be
a
little
tend
to
be
a
little
more
technocratic
right,
very
detail-oriented,
but
for
community
members
they
really
care
about
impact.
H
So
what
at
the
end
of
the
day,
how
does
this
development
project
impact
my
life
right
and
I?
Think
so
many
times
as
folks
interact
with
folks
and
community
and
try
to
explain
with
them
work
that
they
forget
about
that
and
that
that,
but
that's
really
what
people
out
of
people
care
about,
hey
you've,
convened
me.
You've
asked
me
to
come
this
meeting
or
you're
asking
me
this
question
at
a
park.
What
does
this
mean?
How
is
this
going
to
matter
my
family,
my
kids.
At
the
end
of
the
day,.
G
You
know
all
kinds
of
reasons,
but
because
of
the
way
the
budget
was
set
up
to
do
this
master
plan,
I
kind
of
had
to
get
into
a
conversation
with
the
park
board
about
how
it's
necessary
to
allow
the
space.
For
this
broader
conversation
to
happen
and
you'll
get
to
the
answer
that
you're
looking
for
around
this
particular
master
plan.
You'll
get
a
lot
more
as
a
result.
F
J
E
Explore
just
another
dynamic
of
this
right,
because
it's
everything
that
you
all
have
said
I
think
is.
We
could
all
take
something
away
from
that
in
terms
of
the
level
of
investment.
That's
needed,
and
empathy
in
particular
I
think,
is
something
that
maybe
needs
to
be
a
hallmark
for
all
of
our
work.
But
inevitably
you
know
there
going
to
be
times
when
things
aren't
working
out
very
well
and
when
we
enter
into
these
periods
of
tension
and
strife
sometimes
being
shut
down.
E
E
H
I'll
be
really
radical
and
safe
and
non
Minnesotan
to
say
I
mean
we
have
to
address
it
right.
Sometimes
you
have
to
take
timeouts
right,
we're
really
good
at
letting
it
be
really
quiet
for
a
long
period
of
time,
but
I
think
you
know,
and
everybody
feels
that,
like
the
minute
someone
acknowledges
it
like
it
is
this
awkward
you'll
get
a
lot
of
people
who
agree
and
I
think
we
just
have
to
be
really
brave.
To
ask
those
questions
and
in
the
moment
just
say:
do
we
need
to
take
a
break?
H
Do
we
you
know
and
acknowledge?
Maybe
you
know
like
this
is
a
very
tense
point
and
so
I
think
the
more
we
start
to
do
that
and
I
know
it's
hard,
because
it's
not
Minnesota
culture.
Sometimes
it's
not
the
culture
in
our
communities,
it's
not
the
culture
and
our
families.
To
do
that.
This
is
somebody
but
I
think
we're
at
a
point
where
we
don't
have
the
time
or
luxury
to
let
that
it
pass.
We
have
to
be
calling
things
out
and
acknowledging
in
the
moment.
E
In
particular,
around
issues
of
race
many
times
you
know
the
work
that
we're
doing
is
going
to
be
about.
You
know.
Yes,
we
believe
that
there
needs
to
be
more
racial
equity.
We
don't
have
all
the
answers
as
government,
we
don't
even
have
all
of
the
data
that
we
need
when
you
start
reaching
out
to
community,
then
sometimes
you
know
there
are
things
that
you
bump
into
around
that
conversation.
Are
there
just
some
things
to
keep
in
mind
about
how
to
do
the
work,
particularly
when
we're
talking
about
immigrant
communities,
communities
of
color.
G
Yeah
to
the
point
about
tension-
and
you
said
what
should
you
say
in
some
ways:
I
actually
think
not
saying
a
lot
and
listening
more
can
be
a
very
good
solution,
because
people
feel
a
certain
kind
of
way
about
things
when
they
don't
go
well
and
having
the
space
to
air
that
is
really
important
from
a
community
perspective.
I
think
this
is
true
in
all
of
our
relationships,
of
course,
but
avoiding
being
defensive
but
practicing
the
humility
of
you
know
what
you're
saying.
G
G
E
I
Thank
you.
My
question
is:
is
in
connecting
with
the
community
for
government
who
that's
not
a
typical
role
of
government.
Usually
the
community
comes
to
the
government
agencies
for
services.
What
are
some
ways
in
which
to
effectively
reach
out
and
make
those
connections
to
build
those
relationships?
You
know
verse.
We
have
some
pieces
in
place
as
far
as
diversifying
our
commissions
and
boards
and
things
like
that,
but
to
truly
make
authentic
connections,
like
you
said,
there's
not
one
community
among
one
community
of
color.
You
know
so
it's
a
broad
spectrum
in
our
community.
G
One
leave
your
office
well
as
I'm
sure
you've
heard
go
meet
people
where
they
are
in
their
communities,
get
to
know
the
neighborhood's,
the
cities
that
you
know
the
community
that
that
people
are
in
and
I
really
do.
Think
that
there's
something
to
not
waiting
until
you
need
to
engage
with
the
community
in
order
to
move
forward,
but
actually
doing
a
lot
of
the
work
way
way
before
that
and
just
to
make
it
a
practice
rather
than
a
thing
on
the
list
to
do,
but
something
that
is
ongoing.
That
doesn't
always
have
an
agenda.
G
F
Would
recommend
government
officials
attending
events
that
are
already
happening?
Those
community
members
they're
already
organizing
they're
meeting
and
so
show
up
and
just
sit
back
and
listen
and
hear
their
stories,
and
you
can
hear
the
concern
that
they
are
sharing
when
they
feel
comfortable
within
their
own
communities.
I
think
is
essential.
L
Okay,
I
have
a
question:
I
have
the
mic
and
I
have
the
question.
So
thank
you
so
much,
and
once
you
also
recognize
the
reality
that
in
this
audience
it's
a
lot
of
people
who
work
for
the
public
sector
and
I
know.
Historically,
a
lot
of
community
organizing
that
has
taken
place
has
really
looked
at
elected
officials.
L
We
love
elected
officials
that
are
working
as
leaders
for
racial
equity.
The
part
of
the
power
of
our
movement
is
looking
at
the
public
sector.
The
hundred
thousand
people
who
work
in
the
public
sector
in
Minnesota
and
the
representation
of
people
in
this
room.
The
confidence
people
feel
a
little
bit
stuck
in
our
own
hierarchy,
where,
if
you're,
you
might
not
not
talking
about
bosses
that
are
in
the
room
here,
but
in
Dunston,
sometimes
like
you
might
not
feel
from
a
top-down
support
that
you're
taking
risks
as
well
so
curious
from
the
risk-taking
perspective.
H
Feel
like
there's
a
lot
more
folks
in
that
pool,
and
so
fine
fine,
fine,
your
community,
where
I
find
the
other
communities
of
practice
right
you're
here,
because
you
not
just
because
of
you
know,
being
part
of
gear
but
through
even
having
a
platform
like
you
know,
being
part
of
the
government,
Alliance
Reesa,
Reesa
and
equity
allows
you
to
meet
similar,
like-minded
people
because
you
it's
going
to
feel
pretty
insular.
That's
the
quickest
way
to
burnout.
H
If
you
feel
like
you're,
the
only
advocate
who's
that
good
gatekeeper
inside
we're
trying
to
work
the
system
on
behalf
of
change
because
it
gets
them
very
lonely.
So
I
would
say
first
find
your
people
find.
Who
is
going
to
be.
You
know,
collaboration
and
then,
because
and
and
then
to
strategize,
to
get
there
right
to
plot
and
plan
together,
because
that's
going
to
be
helpful
in
helping
move
in
shift
and.
G
I
think
that,
actually
for
those
people
working
in
government
who
are
leaders
champions
for
racial
equity,
having
that
community
connection
having
those
relationships
is
your
biggest
asset,
because
you
may,
you
could
have
that
when
even
elected
leaders
don't
and
when
you
are
wanting
to
push
internally
for
some
things
that
are
unconventional,
that
are
hard
for
you
to
have
the
community.
Have
your
back
is
powerful,
so
I
would
say
nurture
that
take
care
of
those
relationships.
M
I
was
curious.
Veena
is
this
language,
but
I'm
curious
about
what
all
of
you
think
about
it:
the
difference
between
transactional
versus
transformational,
engagement
and
like
what
just
I
wanted
to
hear
more
about
that
and
like
what
the
what
you
think
the
differences
are
between
those
two
and
how
do
you
know
when
you're
doing
it
so
I.
H
Have
a
example
of
that,
so
I
sit
on
the
city
of
st.
Paul's,
Planning
Commission
I've
been
a
member
for
several
years
now,
and
a
transactional
piece
is
when
we
would
develop
a
plan
right.
We've
got
this
plan
and
we're
going
to
go
out
and
see
if
the
neighbors
like
it,
you
know
a
transformational
relationship
is
going
to
the
neighbors
and
saying
what
do
you
envision
what
the
site
could
be?
What
do
you
think?
What's?
H
What
are
your
hopes
and
dreams
for
what
this
empty
plot
of
land
could
be
like,
and
you
start
when
you
start
with
possibility.
You
go
a
long
way
as
opposed
to
the
sign
off
on
this
plan.
You
know
we're
going
to
build
we're
going
to
build
this.
You
know
light
rail
through
your
community
and
you
know
by
the
way
you
know
it's
happening
and
we'd
love
to
have
your
support
sign
off
on
this
letter.
G
E
Interesting
that
this
has
become
quite
a
big
topic,
just
in
terms
of
participant
oriented
design,
community
oriented
design
and
though
some
of
you
are
aware
that
Stanford
University's
become
quite
popular
because
they've
been
really
focusing
on
how
you
involve
first
of
all,
empathy
into
the
design
process,
but
also
the
end
user,
even
as
you're
even
thinking
about
it.
So,
hopefully
that's
something
we
can
catch
on
with
our
government
work
as
well.
I
think
it
already
happens
in
several
areas,
but
certainly
the
principles
it
may
be
imitating.
E
G
That's
an
ongoing
conversation
that
voices,
because
you
know
as
a
nonprofit
organization,
we
receive
funding
from
foundations
and
always
as
a
part
of
that
is
sort
of
an
evaluation
plan
and
more
and
more
I'm,
seeing
that
we're
getting
the
opportunity
to
define
our
own
method
of
evaluation
and
that's
good
and
in
our
you
know
from
our
point
of
view,
it
should
come
from
the
community.
How
does
how
did
the
community?
How
did
our
partners
feel
about
the
process?
You
know
what
was
the
experience
for
them?
G
How
was
it
a
trans
going
back
to
that
transformative
versus
transactional
relationship?
So
it
might
not
be.
Did
you
win
this
policy
change?
Did
you
get
this
many
people
to
show
up
at
this
meeting?
You
know
those
are
kind
of
the
typical
evaluation
questions,
but
it
might
be
how
connected
you
feel
to
your
government.
G
H
N
Here,
I
just
wanted
to
start
by
thanking
you
for
being
here
this
evening,
because
I
think
it's
really
important
that
you
took
time
out
of
your
own
schedules
to
be
here.
For
us,
my
question
is
actually
one
of
the
things
that
being
ahead
brought
up
as
well
as
as
we're
here
we're
invested
in
the
process
of
making
sure
there's
racial
equity
in
our
organizations.
We
are
in
some
ways
some
agitators
and
as
we
build
relationships
which
we
know
are
really
important.
One
of
the
challenges
that
can
come
is
particularly
for
community
organizations.
N
That
may
be
very
critical
of
how
government
is.
How
do
you
balance
having
a
really
strong
relationship
being
able
to
shift
us
as
organizations,
but
on
our
end,
knowing
that
the
organization's
will
still
be
critical
of
us
right?
How
do
you
maintain
that,
instead
of
because
I
think
sometimes
what's
happened,
is
in
bringing
some
suggestions?
The
responses
well
they're
just
going
to
tell
us
we're
doing
everything
wrong,
and
that's
that's
not
a
good
place
to
start
that
that
foundation
in
that
relationship.
So
any
thoughts
on
that.
G
J
G
We
can't
forget
that,
but
staff
people,
people
working
in
government-
those
are
all
our
potential
partners
in
this
work,
and
so
it's
on
us
as
well
as
on
you
all
to
take
care
of
those
relationships
again.
You
know,
but
you
know
we
have
to
be
open
to
that.
We
have
to
be
a
little
vulnerable
in
those
spaces,
but
then
so
the
so
do
all
of
you.
So
how
do
we
come
to
some
agreement
about
the
work
that
we're
doing
together
and
I?
G
Think
I
know
from
from
our
point
of
view,
we're
seeing
like
I
said
earlier,
we're
seeing
more
and
more
of
a
shift
in
government
we're
seeing
internal
champions
who
are
really
working
hard,
who
are
committed
to
doing
the
work
and
they're
staying
in
the
system
that
isn't
always
nurturing,
isn't
always
taking
care
of
that
vision,
but
they're
doing
it
because
they
have
that
vision
and
it's
so
strong
that
they're
willing
to
stick
in
it
and
fight
for
it.
So
that's
something
for
us
to
recognize
on
the
community
side.
H
H
Our
life
who's
never
really
happy
who's,
always
critical
of
us,
but
we
at
some
point,
though
it
always
linkers
in
the
back
of
our
mind,
and
we
always
have
to
think
of
those
organizations
that
are
always
pushing
us
as
the
bar
that
we
try
to
strive
our
work
towards
I
think
we
need
to
flip
that,
as
opposed
to
think
of
it,
giving
it
as
criticism,
we
have
to
think
of
it.
As
you
know,
maybe
that's
a
goal.
L
J
F
F
If
you
know,
if
you're
trying
to
tap
into
a
certain
immigrant
population,
they
more
than
likely
have
an
association
that
they
already
currently
meet
that
you
could
find
a
group
on
Facebook
or
whatnot
and
attend
those
meetings
to
be
able
to
engage
and
find
out
the
needs
of
the
community
also
maybe
to
organizing
community
events
right
within
your
various
cities.
To
engage
to
have
people
from
the
community
come
out
and
just
say:
hey
we're
having
a
block
party
and
that's
how
you
get
to
meet
your
neighbors
and
whatnot
I.
H
Earlier
when
I
said,
find
your
people
I
mean
it's
a
very
kind
of
it's
a
I
think
sometimes
it's
a
college
education
bias
where
we
have
to
go
to
the
research
and
then
come
back.
People
are
our
greatest
resources
form
a
community
of
practice,
form
a
lunch
group
that
just
says
hey.
What
are
we
learning
about
this
right?
I
appreciated
the
city
manager
of
Bloomington
who's
that
we
have
these
lunch
and
learns
yeah
real
casual
settings.
H
You
know,
there's
you
know,
people
will
tell
you
way
more
than
reading
a
book
will
do
right
so
and
I
think,
and
you
get
to
the
information
a
lot
quicker,
so
I
think
think
of
yourself
and
each
other
as
resources
is
work,
so
communities
of
practice
go
a
long
way
and
and
helping
figure
out
these
pieces
and
they're
also
really
safe
spaces
where
you
can
be
vulnerable
and
honest,
stealing
and
sometimes
I.
Ask
those
tough
questions.
Yeah.
G
Have
been
to
old
articles
from
the
early
2000
I
probably
have
a
copy
in
my
bag,
but
it
says
if
you,
google,
white,
supremacy
culture
you'll,
find
I.
Think
you'll
find
this.
Article
and
I
have
been
sending
it
out
to
everybody
lately
because
I
see
it
in
us
at
voices
for
racial
justice,
which
I
always
think
of
as
our
great
experiment
at
voices.
Our
you
know
our
racial
justice
organization,
we're
all
people
of
color
in
our
organization
and
multiracial
multicultural
and
we're
always
bumping
into
each
other
and
there's.
G
You
know
just
a
lot
to
work
through,
but
this
article
when
I
read
it
I
see
even
us
all
people
of
color
are
practicing
white
supremacy
culture
all
the
time
and
that's
the
power
of
culture
that
it
just
sits
on
top
of
all
of
us
and
when
I
say
to
somebody
you
know,
we've
got
to
need
this
deadline.
We
have.
We
have
this
funder
coming
and
we've
got
to
do
this
business
I'm,
creating
a
sense
of
urgency.
But
am
I
stepping
back
and
looking
at
what
why?
Why
am
I
doing
that?
G
And
what
is
the
trauma
that
I
am
continuing
to
place
on
all
of
us
by
this
kind
of
false
sense
of
urgency?
So
it
raises
questions
like
that.
But
what
I
love
about
the
article
is
that
it
lays
out
the
problem,
but
it
also
gives
you
some
solutions.
Some
things
that
you
can
be
doing
to
shift
your
practice,
which
I
am
literally
pulling
that
article
at
almost
every
day
and.
F
Then,
for
individuals
who
are
more
introverted
in
maybe
stepping
out
might
not
be
that
your
initial
plan,
there's
books
like
the
new
Jim
Crow,
is
a
great
book
between
the
world
and
me
is
another
great
book.
Just
mercy
is
another
great
book
that
you
can
read
and
be
able
to
get
another
vantage
point
of
some
of
the.
As
far
as
for
from
my
vantage
point
from
the
criminal
justice
system,.
O
K
E
Here's
here's
maybe
a
dynamic
that
you
could
see.
If
this
is,
you
know
a
story
that
you
could
tell
about
asking
people
for
input,
but
then
not
telling
them
what
you're
doing
with
their
input
or
disappearing
and
then
coming
back
a
second
or
third
time
for
input
that
is
there
any
dynamic
there
that
that's
my
sauce,
already
stores
I.
J
H
I
think
that's
the
story
right
I
think
so
many
I
mean
really
there's
been,
there's
been
a
lot
of
times
and
especially
in
the
history
of
particularly
my
experience
and
planning
and
doing
work
with
community
members
is,
we
will
take,
take,
take
and
extract
and
no
one
follows
up
and
then
we'll
be
back
and
and
and
never
so
people
really,
you
know
they
feel
used
right.
People
feel
disillusioned
and
they
feel
like
they
don't
trust
the
process
or
trust
the
system,
and
so
it's
very,
very
common,
so
I
think
I.
H
Think
a
failure
is
that
is
that
you
sometimes
you
walk
in
situations
knowing
that
right,
like
okay,
this
is
going
to
be
a
challenge.
How
will
we
approach
this?
You
know
and
sometimes
you'll
just
get.
The
people
are
like
no
shut
you
down,
but
I
feel
like
when
you,
when
you're
a
little
more
vulnerable
and
you're
just
more.
H
G
You
know
he
kept
as
we
were
trying
to
propose
doing
this.
He
kept
kind
of
putting
up
barriers
because
he
works
in
a
system
that
isn't
used
to
the
community
coming
into
a
prison,
and
so
the
instinct
is
to
resist-
and
there
were
all
kinds
of
reasons
we
couldn't
have
the
event
we
were
having
not
enough
staff,
not
the
space.
G
You
know,
but
at
one
point
this
is
a
african-american
man
who
had
worked
in
the
system
for
a
long
time
at
one
point
for
some
reason
he
said
to
me
in
a
room
with
another
with
a
couple
other
people,
both
of
whom
were
incarcerated
in
this
room.
He
said
I,
don't
understand
how
the
system
can
do
its
work.
Well,
when
it
really
doesn't
understand,
you
know
the
people
who
work
in
the
system
are
not
connected
to
the
community.
That's
in
the
system.
J
G
Are
not
connected
to
the
people
that
we
serve
and,
and
he
was
frustrated
by
that
as
a
black
man
and
I
looked
at
him
and
I
thought
this
is
the
moment.
This
is
his
self-interest.
He
has
a
voice
as
somebody
who
has
worked
inside
prisons,
the
whole
career
and
his
voice
hasn't
been
heard
and
then
I
was
able
to
say
to
him.
You
know,
wouldn't
it
be
great
for
all
of
us
in
the
community
to
hear
from
you,
as
well
as
from
the
people
in
prison.
G
You
know
that
you
have
a
story
to
an
experience
with
the
system
of
incarceration
ways
on
all
of
us,
including
you
and
it
changed
everything
like
all
of
us.
Suddenly
we're
working
together
and
everything
was
going
to
happen
but
I.
For
me,
it
was
a
liberal
learning
of
needing
to
find
that
self
interest.
You
know
what
is
it
what's
in
it
for
me,
why
is
why
should
I
be
doing
this
work
and
he
needed
just
like
any
of
us?
He
needed
to
be
heard.
He
needed
to
have
a
voice
in
this
process.
J
P
P
F
Well,
for
me
personally,
I
have
two
boys,
and
so
I
have
to
do
my
part
to
ensure
a
better
society
and
community
for
them
that
they
grow
in.
As
you
know,
boys
of
color
and
I
have
had
second
chances,
many
second
chances
and
because
of
those
second
chances,
I
am
where
I
am
today
and
so
I
want
to
ensure
that
I'm
continually
engaging
in
a
dialogue
that
provides
the
same
opportunities
that
I've
have
been
fortunate
to
receive
for
other
people.
J
G
G
Article
I
referenced
is
that
guides
me
in
a
way
because
it
says
to
me:
I
need
to
I
need
to
have
a
part
in
making
something
different,
and
so
how
can
we
in
our
little
organization
model
what
we
wish
the
world
to
be?
And
that's
not
that
easy?
But
that
keeps
me
going
because
that's
something
I
can
do.
I
can
get
up
and
do
every
day.
I
can't
get
the
capital
to
move
the
legislature
to
move,
but
I
can
get.
I
can
make
our
organization
a
better
place
and
for.
H
Me,
it's
really
just
you
know,
thinking
that
I
to
have
children,
so
you
think
about
the
future,
but
I
think
about
the
past
and
the
ancestors
and
my
grandmother
and
the
people
who
were
like
we
were
war-torn
refugees.
Indigenous
people
who
lived
in
the
Hills
didn't
know
nothing
about.
You
know
modern
electricity
running
water
society
like
that
to
think
like
unders,
another
I,
think
in
a
digit,
assaulters
caucuses,
we're
the
you
know
the
best
imagination
or
survival
is
so
critical.
H
Our
ancestors
would
have
never
imagined
this
for
us
so
that
always
humbles
me
and
my
work,
but
but
internet
memes
are
pretty
cool
too
so
I
mean
everyday
tried.
My
colleagues
here
we're
watching
pretty
awesome
ones,
and
so
we
read
pretty
cool
was
because
you
know
we
need
to
have
the
key
where
right
so
yeah.
E
E
Want
to
thank
you,
because
we
didn't
plan
that,
in
terms
of
you
having
that
nice
summation
question,
thank
you
very
much
for
all
of
you
for
all
of
the
questions.
We
do
have
some
announcements
from
one
of
our
partners:
the
League
of
Minnesota
cities,
so
I'm
going
to
ask
Kevin
for
result
to
come
up
for
a
bit
Thank.
Q
You
Gordon
I
just
want
to
add
my
thanks
to
the
panelist.
It's
been
a
really
intriguing
night,
with
a
lot
of
great
information.
That's
going
to
help
our
cohort
do
our
work,
and
those
of
us
on
staff
at
the
league
are
opening
up
some
discussions
with
these
organizations
about
ways
that
we
can
partner
and
make
their
insights
and
their
resources
available
to
you
and
your
work
and
also
to
us.
So
you
can
look
forward
to
that.
Just
two
quick
announcements.
Q
And
then
we've
been
talking
a
lot
tonight
about
the
role
of
staff
and
elected
officials,
and
we
wanted
to
let
you
know
that
as
a
part
of
its
commitment
to
the
race
equity
work,
the
league
is
actually
supporting
a
the
formation
of
an
elected
officials
community
of
practice
where
they
can
come
together
and
have
a
chance
to
build
their
own
relationships
across
jurisdictions
and
there's
skill
building
and
their
their
insights
about
how
to
be
supportive
of
a
racial
equity
agenda.
My
colleague
Rachel
Walker
right
back
there
Rachel.
If
you
is,
she
has
some
small
fliers.
Q
So
we
don't
have
a
lot
of
openings,
but
we
would
like
to
let
you
know
about
this.
So
if
you're
already
in
a
cohort-
and
you
have
elected
officials
who
you
think
would
benefit
from
or
be
interested
in,
this
bring
this
to
their
attention
and
invite
them
to
consider
signing
up
in
the
next
week
or
so
and
we'll
try
to
give
them
a
little
bit
of
priority.
We
can't
guarantee
everyone
will
get
in,
but
we'll
get
in
as
many
as
we
can
and
that
are
those
are
my
announcements,
so
thanks
Gordon.
Thank
you.
Thank.
E
You
Kevin,
as
you
get
ready
to
leave
today,
we
will
have
an
evaluation
that
we
would
really
ask
you
to.
Please
fill
out
it's
an
evaluation
about
this
program,
but
it's
also
asking
you
about
future
speakers
series
and
what
you'd
like
to
see.
We
have
a
big
three-day
weekend
coming
up.
One
of
you,
too
big
everybody
to
be
safe
and
happy,
so
we
can
see
you
back
for
our
next
gear
gathering
Julie
the
announcements
from
you.