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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015.04.28 PacketCity of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 HRRC III. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☒ ☐ ☐ 4/28/2015 Approval of Meeting Agenda Approve the meeting agenda for the regular meeting of the Human Rights and Relations Commission. Information / Background: None. Attachment: Meeting Agenda 1 AGENDA CITY OF EDINA, MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS & RELATIONS COMMISSION April 28, 2015 I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA IV. APPROVAL OF March 24, 2015 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES V. COMMUNITY COMMENT During “Community Comment,” the Human Rights & Relations Commission will invite residents to share relevant issues or concerns. Individuals must limit their comments to three minutes. The Chair may limit the number of speakers on the same issue in the interest of time and topic. Generally speaking, items that are elsewhere on tonight’s agenda may not be addressed during Community Comment. Individuals should not expect the Chair or Commission Members to respond to their comments tonight. Instead, the Commission might refer the matter to staff for consideration at a future meeting. VI. REPORTS/RECOMMENDATIONS A. Work Plan Updates B. Vision Edina Advisory Communication C. Committee/Working Group Roster VII. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITION VIII. CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS IX. STAFF COMMENTS X. ADJOURNMENT The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification, an interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. 2 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 HRRC IV. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☒ ☐ ☐ 4/28/2015 Adoption of Meeting Minutes Approve the minutes for the regular meeting of the Human Rights and Relations Commission. Information / Background: None. Attachment: Draft meeting minutes from HRRC meeting; Attendance Roster 3 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS & RELATIONS COMMISSION March 24, 2015 7:00 PM City Hall – Community Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Arseneault called the meeting to order at 7:01pm. II. ROLL CALL Answering roll call were Chair Arseneault, Commissioners Burza, Davis, Gates, Kennedy, Sanders, Seidman, Tian, Vecchio-Smith, and Weinert. Staff present: HRRC Staff Liaison MJ Lamon and City Management Fellow Lindy Crawford. III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Motion was made by Commissioner Seidman to approve the Regular Meeting Agenda of March 24, 2015. The motion was seconded by Kennedy. Motion carried. IV. APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 24, 2015 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Commissioner Kennedy moved to approve the minutes as presented to the HRRC. Commissioner Seidman seconded. Motion carried. V. COMMUNITY COMMENT None. VI. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The HRRC existing members and new members introduced themselves. VII. GUEST SPEAKER: Karen Kurt, Assistant City Manager Assistant City Manager Kurt shared a presentation about Vision Edina. Vision Edina is a broad- based community visioning process. It will serve as the foundation for the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Plan. Kurt shared that reports are available for review on the City of Edina website. The HRRC was encouraged to share feedback about the Draft Strategic Vision and Framework report. The HRRC discussed writing an advisory communication for City Council. This will be discussed further at the HRRC April Regular Meeting. Arseneault asked the HRRC if any members would like to volunteer to form a committee in order to draft an advisory communication for HRRC review in April. Commissioners Vecchio-Smith and Tian volunteered. VIII. REPORTS/ RECOMMENDATIONS A. Work Plan Initiative Updates a) Community Outreach Commissioner Davis updated the HRRC about the Community Conversations working group. The March 18 and 24 scheduled sessions were postponed and turned into working group meetings. The working group is in process of determining if it is feasible to hold the postponed sessions in late April. b) Human Rights City Designation Commissioner Kennedy shared that a working group meeting was held last week. They hope to select critical issues identified by the City of Edina to work on, which may include affordable housing, income disparity and domestic violence. The 4 working group is preparing a short presentation on their work to address local organizations that represent the community such as the League of Women Voters, Edina Senior Center, Edina Rotary, Southdale YMCA, and Edina Chamber of Commerce. The working group hopes to have a rough draft by April and is planning the first presentation for June 3rd at the Minneapolis Rotary. In response to inquiries about the project goals, Kennedy will provide the UN’s guidelines to become a Human Rights City to HRRC members at the April meeting. c) Days of Remembrance/Genocide Awareness Commissioner Seidman noted that this year’s event will be held on April 19th from 1:00 - 3:30pm at City Hall. Posters have been hung around the city and a press release will go out this week. HRRC members were encouraged to invite others to the event. d) Affordable Housing Chair Arseneault and Staff Liaison Lamon updated the HRRC about the Greater Southdale area planning process. Lamon explained the process and encouraged any HRRC member to attend the meeting if he or she is available. e) Body Image and Sexuality Awareness Student Commissioner Gates shared she has been establishing questions and contacts to interview supportive parents and grandparents of teens to discuss how they feel about their children/grandchildren identifying with sexuality. Gates is still working on where the information will be posted. f) Human Trafficking Student Commissioner Weinert shared she is working with the moderator to establish questions for the panel discussion for the human trafficking event to be held on April 9th from 6:30-8:30pm at City Hall. The focus of the event will be prevention and vulnerability awareness. HRRC members were encouraged to invite others to the event. Posters and press releases are being finalized with the City’s Communications department. B. Establishing 2015 Committee and Working Group Chairs and Members HRRC looked through the roster and decided to officially sign up for committees and working groups at the April Regular Meeting after members had more time to consider their interest. A motion was made by Sanders to dissolve the HRRC nominating committee. Seidman seconded. Kennedy and Davis abstained. Motion carried. Commissioner Tian volunteered to chair the blog subcommittee. Tian also volunteered to chair the website administration subcommittee. Seidman volunteered to work on the bias offense subcommittee as a member. Vecchio-Smith volunteered to be a member on the affordable housing subcommittee. Arseneault volunteered to be a member on the community conversations working group. C. League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions Staff Liaison Lamon submitted the HRRC dues and is waiting to receive a meeting schedule from the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions. D. 2015 MN Legislative Session on Human Rights Commissioner Kennedy shared that the Minnesota legislature introduced a bill (SF 1703) to designate the second Monday in October as the American Indian and Indigenous 5 Peoples Day. The bill passed unanimously in its first Senate committee hearing. Kennedy reported that the legislature will not take up a conflict minerals resolution this legislative session. IX. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITION Staff Liaison Lamon passed out a thank you letter from Beacon Interfaith thanking the HRRC for considering their nomination for the Tom Oye Award. X. CHAIR, COMMISSION MEMBER, AND STUDENT COMMENTS None. XI. STAFF COMMENTS Lamon asked that those who have not signed up for the Boards and Commission Annual Meeting on April 20th to please do so. If members would like to attend the Volunteer Recognition event on April 29th they should sign up through Lamon. Lamon will resend the website link to the HRRC. XII. ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Commissioner Kennedy to adjourn the March 24th meeting, Seidman seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:23pm. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________________ MJ Lamon, HRRC Staff Liaison Minutes approved by HRRC April 28, 2015 ____________________________________ Pat Arseneault, HRRC Chair 6 J F M A M J J A S O N D Work Session Work Session # of Mtgs.Attendance % Meetings/Work Sessions 1 1 1 3 NAME TERM (Enter Date)(Enter Date) Arseneault, Patrice 3/1/2018 1 1 1 3 100% Davis, Laura 3/1/2018 1 1 2 67% Kennedy, Ellen 2/1/2017 1 1 1 3 100% Sanders, Tiffany 2/1/2017 1 1 2 67% Seidman, Jan 2/1/2016 1 1 1 3 100% Winnick, Steve 2/1/2016 1 1 2 67% Tian, Tony 3/1/2018 1 1 33% Vecchio-Smith, Maggie 3/1/2017 1 1 33% Burza, Jasna 3/1/2016 1 1 33% Bigbee, Arnie 2/1/2015 1 1 2 67% Gates, Nicole 9/1/2015 1 1 2 67% Weinert, Katrina 9/1/2015 1 1 1 3 100% Liaisons: Report attendance monthly and attach this report to the Commission minutes for the packet. Do not enter numbers into the last two columns. Meeting numbers & attendance percentages will calculate automatically. INSTRUCTIONS:Counted as Meeting Held (ON MEETINGS' LINE)Attendance Recorded (ON MEMBER'S LINE) Regular Meeting w/Quorum Type "1" under the month on the meetings' line. Type "1" under the month for each attending member. Regular Meeting w/o Quorum Type "1" under the month on the meetings' line. Type "1" under the month for each attending member. Joint Work Session Type "1" under "Work Session" on the meetings' line. Type "1" under "Work Session" for each attending member. Rescheduled Meeting*Type "1" under the month on the meetings' line. Type "1" under the month for each attending member. Cancelled Meeting Type "1" under the month on the meetings' line. Type "1" under the month for ALL members. Special Meeting There is no number typed on the meetings' line.There is no number typed on the members' lines. *A rescheduled meeting occurs when members are notified of a new meeting date/time at a prior meeting. If shorter notice is given, the previously-scheduled meeting is considered to have been cancelled and replaced with a special meeting. HUMAN RIGHTS & RELATIONS COMMISSION 7 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 HRRC VI.A. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☐ ☒ ☒ 4/28/2015 Work Plan Updates None. Information / Background: a.Community Outreach (Davis) b.Human Rights City Designation: Review of UN guidelines on becoming a Human Rights City (Kennedy) c.Days of Remembrance/Genocide Awareness: Report on April 19 Event (Seidman) d.Affordable Housing (Winnick) e.Body Image and Sexuality Awareness (Gates) f.Human Trafficking: Report on April 9 Event (Weinert) Attachment: 2015 Work Plan; Human Rights City Report; DOR Event Summary 8 Approved by City Council on 12/16/14. 2015 New Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Community Outreach: Community Conversations Working Group (Davis) 1. Conduct community listening sessions 2. Reach out to those that live or work in Edina (including religious, ethnic, disabled, income levels, etc.). 3. Partnership with Advocates for Human Rights Consolidate into a report 1. What is a welcoming community? 2. Is Edina a welcoming community? March 2015 – complete community conversations (5-6) that start in November 2014 May 2015 – report complete and presentation to HRRC $500 Administrative Progress Report: 2015 New Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Human Rights City Designation (Kennedy & Sanders) 2015-2016 $300 Administrative Progress Report: 2015 New Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Affordable Housing Expanding Opportunity (Winnick) 1. Continued education on affordable housing 2. Monitor status of Edina 3. Support current efforts 2015 None Human Rights and Relations Commission 2015 Annual Work Plan 9 Progress Report: 2015 New Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Body Image and Sexuality Awareness (Gates, Seidman, Arseneault) 2015 $800 Administrative, coordination with Communications Progress Report: 2015 New Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Human Trafficking (Weinert, Seidman, Arseneault) May 2015 $300 Yes Progress Report: On-going Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Days of Remembrance/Genocide Awareness: Event (Seidman, Kennedy, Arseneault) April 19, 2015 $1000 Administrative, coordination with Communications Progress Report: On-going Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Bias Offense Response and Prevention Plan (Sanders) August 2015 NA Yes Progress Report: On-going Initiative Target Completion Date Budget Required Staff Support Required Council Approval Tom Oye Award (Winnick 2014-2015) Tom Oye Award (Davis 2015-2016) 1. Sub-committee will recommend guidelines and changes to nomination form to start in 2015-2016. April 2015 $100 Yes Progress Report: 10 Ongoing Responsibilities Update Bias Offense Response and Prevention Plan (August) Tom Oye Award (Oct-April) Days of Remembrance (Event held in April or May, to coincide with the national observation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) Edina Resource Center/Edina Community Council: HRRC representative (Sept-May, 3 year term) The Advisor: Blog: Need Commissioner Monitoring Affordable Housing Sub-Committee Other Work Plan Ideas Considered for Current Year or Future Years Disability Awareness Campaign: 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Black History Month Tolerance in Motion – hosting mobile exhibit and associated activities (pending funding by sponsors) Proposed Month for Joint Work Session: September Staff Comments: Council Comments: 11 1 Human Rights Cities Report for the Edina Human Rights and Relations Commission Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D. and Rachel Carlson, William Mitchell College of Law student April 28, 2015 1. The process for becoming a Human Rights City: • No formal UN approval process is necessary. • Interested cities’ representatives contact the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) New York Liaison to inform them of our objective. 1 • Recommended process for undertaking Human Rights City designation and initiatives:2 1. Establish a Steering Committee that represents the main sectors and issues of the society. Both ad hoc and elected and appointed officials usually comprise the committee. 2. Draft a plan of action to examine the laws, policies, resource allocation, and power relations that prevail in the city on issues such as women, children, workers, indigenous peoples, poverty, education, food, water, housing, healthcare, the environment, and conflict resolution. This effort includes developing workshops to examine challenges facing the city in realizing human rights and the linkages of those challenges to broader national and global issues. 3. Implement learning activities and other action to insure both a vertical and a horizontal learning process. Neighborhoods, schools, political, social, and economic institutions, NGOs, and other groups examine the human rights framework and relate it to their beliefs, aspirations, etc. Training and other activities take place in all venues and fora of city life. 4. Evaluate the ‘Human Rights City’ on a periodic basis, to be done by the Steering Committee and carried out at all levels of the community. 5. Publicize and expand the effort as positive results are achieved. Many Human Rights Cities have shared their experiences throughout the country and have assisted other communities in adopting the model to their own cities. 1 Process information was provided by Professor Stephen Marks, Harvard School of Public Health, author of the majority of the publications on Human Rights Cities. Professor Marks is currently on sabbatical in India and is easily contacted via e-mail. 2 Information in this section was provided by Shula Koenig at the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning Office (PDHRE) in New York. Ms. Koenig is available to speak at an EHRRC event and would require only transportation costs. 2 2. The commitment of a Human Rights City: • Overall commitments and timelines are determined by the individual cities’ steering committees. • Communications between the cities and the PDHRE office is strictly voluntary. • The purpose of the initiative of Human Rights Cities is for a city to find its own way to address the human rights issues in its community within the framework outlined by PDHRE. • An ongoing commitment can be demonstrated by an annual or other periodic series of human rights education workshops.3 3. The status of other US cities’ efforts: • Eugene, OR: In November 2011, the City Council voted to revise Eugene’s Human Rights Ordinance to make the city’s Human Rights and Relations Commission embrace the full set of rights listed in the UDHR. The city of Eugene was invited to the 2011 Gwangju World Human Rights Cities Forum because of its internationally-recognized dedication to human rights.4 • Pittsburgh, PA: In April 2011, the City Council passed a Human Rights Proclamation in which the UDHR was adopted as guidance principles for the city. • Carrboro and Chapel Hill, NC: In November 2009 the City Council adopted the UDHR and have since adopted the principles of other international treaties such as the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers. • Some cities have taken a broad approach and have simultaneously addressed inequities in housing, healthcare, education, etc.; other cities have chosen to focus on one issue at a time. 4. Guiding Principles for a Human Rights City, developed at the 2014 World Human Rights Cities Forum: 1) The Right to the City: The Human Rights City respects all human rights recognized by the existing relevant international human rights norms and standards such as the UDHR and works towards the implementation of the right to the city in line with the principles of social justice, solidarity, equity, democracy, and sustainability. 2) Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action: The Human Rights City respects the principle of equality and equity among all inhabitants within its administrative boundary and beyond. 3) Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity: The Human Rights City respects the values of social inclusion and cultural diversity among communities of different racial, religious, linguistic, ethnic, and social backgrounds. 3 PDHRE offers materials that are available for this purpose. 4 An annual World Human Rights Cities Forum is held in Gwangju, South Korea; the next one is scheduled in July 2016. It is not yet known whether the City of Edina needs to notify the May 18 Memorial Foundation, which organizes the annual Forum, about its intent to pursue the status of Human Rights City. It is also not yet known whether delegations from designated cities must receive invitations to attend the Forum or are able to register without invitations. 3 4) Participatory Democracy: The Human Rights City upholds the values of participatory democracy, transparency, and accountability. 5) Social Justice, Solidary, and Sustainability: The Human Rights City respects the values of socio- economic Justice, solidary, and ecological sustainability. 6) Political Leadership and Institutionalization: The Human Rights City recognizes the importance of collective high-level political leadership by the mayor and municipal councilors and their commitment to human rights values and the vision of a human rights city. 7) Human Rights Mainstreaming: The Human Rights City recognizes the importance of integrating human rights into municipal policies, including administration and governance such as planning, policy formulation, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring. 8) Effective Institutions and Policy Coordination: The Human Rights City recognizes the role of public institutions and the importance of policy coordination and coherence for human rights within local government as well as between national and local government. 9) Human Rights Education and Training: The Human Rights City recognizes the importance of human rights education and learning as a means to foster a culture of human rights and peace. 10) Right to Remedy: The Human Rights City recognizes the importance of the right to effective remedy and establishes appropriate mechanisms and procedures including the ombudsman or municipal human rights commission for redress, including preventive measures as well as mediation, arbitration, and conflict resolution. Edina’s Days of Remembrance: From Armenians to the Holocaust Sunday, April 19th at Edina City Hall, over 130 Twin Cities residents attended the City of Edina’s 5th annual Days of Remembrance and Genocide awareness event. This was the most well attended Days of Remembrance event since it began in 2011. Mayor Hovland introduced the event, which was initiated by a local Edina resident with the goal of remembering those who perished and honoring the survivors and liberators of the holocaust and other genocides. This year, we commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII. Dr. Ellen J. Kennedy, Executive Director of World Without Genocide, spoke about the denial of the Armenian Genocide by various governments, including the Turkish Government, and how these actions still impact survivors and families today. From 1915 to 1923, more than 1,500,000 Armenians perished during the Armenian Genocide. Two out of three Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire, in what we call Turkey today, were killed through torture, starvation and extermination. The Turkish government, to this day, continues to deny there was an Armenian genocide 100 years ago. Twenty-one countries around the world have acknowledged the Armenian genocide. Although the U.S. government has not officially acknowledged this genocide, 43 states in the U.S. have, including Minnesota. Also part of this year’s Days of Remembrance and Genocide event, author and Holocaust survivor, Dora Zaidenweber, along with author, artist and moderator, Susan Weinberg, spoke about Dora’s experiences, her family’s triumph over adversity and their courage to survive. Dora believes in speaking out about her experiences and has educated many young people, teachers and individuals about the Holocaust. If there is a lesson to be learned from the Holocaust, Dora believes “if you do nothing and ignore what is happening when others are being persecuted, you are no different than those who perpetrate the crimes.” Dora was born in 1924 in Radom, Poland. She survived the Radom forced labor camp, was deported to Auschwitz in July, 1944 and was liberated from Bergen-Belsen camp in 1945. Dora emigrated to Minnesota in 1950. At the end of the event, Dora took questions from residents and signed her book, “Sky Tinged Red”. Her book, written shortly after the end of the war by her father, Isaia Eiger and translated by Dora, tells the story of Isaia Eiger’s two and a half years as a prisoner at Birkenau. The program concluded with a play, “Upstanders: Savings Armenians and Jews”, performed by World Without Genocide staff and area students. The play told the story of courageous Armenians who fled from the Armenian Genocide and then paid it forward to save victims and survivors during the Holocaust. The Days of Remembrance and Genocide Awareness event on April 19th at City Hall was a huge success. Our Twin Cities residents heard about the impact on denial of genocide on families and victims. We also heard about the courage, dreams and lessons learned from survivors. The lives of genocide and holocaust survivors are constant reminders of the freedom that we have in our country and the courage we will need to become “upstanders” for human rights! 12 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 HRRC VI.B. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☒ ☐ ☐ 4/28/2015 Vision Edina Advisory Communication Approve Vision Edina advisory communication to City Council. Information / Background: Commissioners Tian and Vecchio-Smith drafted a Vision Edina advisory communication on behalf of the HRRC. Attachment: None. 13 To: City Council From: Human Rights and Relations Commission Cc: Karen Kurt, Assistant City Manager Date: May 6, 2015 Subject: Vision Edina Feedback Attachments: None Action Requested: Consider the following recommended changes to the Vision Edina Strategic Vision and Framework. Recommendation: Page 4, Edina’s Vision Statement, Second Bullet Point under Inclusive & Connected: The statement that the community offers a mix of residential development that includes "higher density multi-family options, especially for the young and the old” does not adequately describe the fact that a lot of families with children live in apartments and townhomes in Edina. Suggested edit: strike the phrase “especially for the young and old.” Page 7, #1. Residential Development Mix, Last Bullet Point under Strategic Actions: All of identified areas for exploring “options and opportunities for new multi-family development opportunities” are either in the Cornelia or Richfield attendance area (depending on what part of the Southdale area) and this will continue to cluster our multi-family housing. There is a redundancy in the use of the word “opportunities.” Should / could the document utilize a different word than “fringes”(which has a negative connotation) for describing exploration of multi-family development opportunities on the “fringes” of other mixed-use areas and public spaces? Is this an issue of zoning? Suggested edit: “Continue to explore options for new multi-family development opportunities in the Southdale, Pentagon Part, and Grandview area, and in other mixed use areas and public spaces.” Page 7, #1. Residential Development Mix, Strategic Actions: There is no action that references how to manage the teardown issue. Should there be something else in the action plan to address this issue? Page 2 Page 10, #4. Live and Work, Introductory Paragraph and First Bullet Point under Issues: Identifying “young professionals” as the ones who want to live and work in the same area misses the larger issue that many different people would like to live and work in the same area. The “relatively high cost of quality housing” as noted in the introductory paragraph impacts more than “young professionals.” Page 10. #4. Live and Work, Third Bullet Point under Issues: The issue is broader than “key staff in organizations” across Edina and includes employees who work in Edina who cannot afford to live in the community. There is no action to address this issue of the lack of availability of affordable housing. Page 12, #6 Population Mix, Second Bullet Point under Issues: The high housing cost isn’t a perceived barrier...it is a barrier. There isn’t much housing stock in certain cost ranges, and teardowns are exacerbating this issue. There is no action to address this issue of the lack of availability of affordable housing. Page 12, #6 Population Mix, First Bullet Point under Strategic Actions: The proposed action to counter the ‘Edina Bubble’ is a weak response. A more aggressive and effective approach would include efforts to attract a more diverse teaching and non-teaching staff. Research suggests that recruiting and supporting an educational licensure cohort of non- majority culture Edina residents who already work with children is the most efficacious way to diversify Edina’s educational team. Recruitment from within the community can also diversify the staff in our schools. City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 VI.C. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☒ ☐ ☐ 4/28/2015 Committee and Working Groups Roster Establish 2015 Committee and Working Group Chairs and Members Information / Background: HRRC members need to remove or request committee/working group addition. Note working group notification requirement outlined in bylaws. Attachment: HRRC Bylaws. Committee and Working Group Roster 14 Responsibilities Chair Members Term Notes Committee Tom Oye Award Press release; Update nomination form; Provide summary to commission; Update letters to nominees and nominators; Ensure marking for Nominations; Have PSA run on Channel 16; Ensure we have presentation award OPEN Steve Winnick Renew Annually Process starts in October and ends at Volunteer Award Ceremony; Committee has been tasked with a comprehensive review of nomination process and to bring recommendations to HRRC by June meeting Committee BC Blog Liaison Work with commission members to provide content to city blog on a regular (TBA) basis Tony Tian OPEN Renew Annually This is shared among several commissions; therefore, timing of publications depends on the number of participants Committee HRRC Website Administration Annual and periodic review of website for content accuracy; Work with Staff Liaison as needed on changes or updates Tony Tian OPEN Renew Annually Committee Bias Offense Response Plan Annually review Bias Offense Response Plan; Work with City Manager and Chief Nelson Tiffany Sanders Pat Arseneault Jan Siedman Renew Annually Committee Monitor Affordable Housing Monitor the status of affordable housing projects and support current affordable housing efforts; Continue education on affordable housing Steve Winnick Maggie Vecchio- Smith Terms ends December 2015 Committee, Working Group, Event, Rep to External Committee 15 Responsibilities Chair Members Term NotesCommittee, Working Group, Event, Rep to External Committee Committee Human Trafficking Awareness Event Set event date (April 9, 2015); Secure city hall and tech support; Assist with marketing, poster and agenda design; Secure speaker, moderator and panelists Student Commissioner Katrina Weinert Jan Seidman Pat Arseneault For duration of event planning and presentation Co-sponsor with the Edina High School Against Modern Day Slavery Club; 2 hour presentation with Breaking Free Speaker, and Panel discussion Committee Body Image and Sexuality Awareness Project Develop project that will bring awareness to issues surrounding body image and sexuality awareness for teens, with aim to educate parents / community on issues Student Commissioner Nicole Gates Jan Seidman Pat Arseneault For duration of project Committee 25th Anniversary of ADA Commemorative Event [Placeholder] OPEN OPEN Working Group National Observance of Days of Remembrance Create agenda and decide on Holocaust survivor presenter; Have holocaust videos run on Channel 16 throughout month of April; Market the event and work with Communications Department for poster design and brochures; Send thank you notes to all involved Jan Seidman Ellen Kennedy Pat Arseneault John Cashmore Renew Annually Process usually starts in October and ends in April to coincide with National Holocaust Museum Days of Remembrance 16 Responsibilities Chair Members Term NotesCommittee, Working Group, Event, Rep to External Committee Working Group Edina Community Conversations Recruit June 2014; Training Sessions July & Aug 2014; Conduct 5-6 sessions beginning fall 2014 through 2015; Report to HRRC/Issue date TBD Open Arnie Bigbee Laurie Davis Katie Meehan Chris Bremer Maggie Goetze Charles Goldstein Mary Kost Sallie Lewis Katherine Oberle Melvin Ogurak Sid Ramesh Judith Rodgers Christina Wagner For duration of project Working Group Human Rights City Designation Ellen Kennedy Tiffany Sanders Colleen Feige Leslie Lagerstrom For duration of project Community member involvement HRRC Rep to External Committee Edina Community Council Council serves as Steering committee for Edina Family Services Collaborative; Attend meeting of the social service agencies serving Edina, the Edina school district, and other South Hennepin metro communities. Share information, participate in budget process N/A Steve Winnick (3 year term: 2012- 2013; 2013-2014; 2014-2015) Renew every 3 years (before start of school year) Meets (7:30-9:00 a.m.) every other month during the school year (September - May) HRRC Rep to External Committee School District Equity Advisory Council Provide communication between HRRC and Edina Public School System N/A Jan Seidman (2 year term: school years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016) Renew Biennually (before start of school year) Meet September - May. Attend conferences, 2 workshops, and about 5-6 meetings a year 17 Responsibilities Chair Members Term NotesCommittee, Working Group, Event, Rep to External Committee HRRC Rep to External Committee Human Services Taskforce Review requests for funding proposals from human service providers who serve Edina populations in need; Make recommendation to Council on the city's annual funding to providers N/A OPEN Renew Annually (at or before September Commission meeting) Taskforce comprised of reps from Boards and Commissions; Meets 4 times in Oct/early Nov to consider requests; Meets with Council to make recommendation 18 Section 1: Introduction The bylaws outlined below are approved procedures for the Human Rights and Relations Commission (HRRC). Members should review and understand City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1 and Chapter 2, Article III, Division 2 included in the appendix of these bylaws. In the event of a conflict between the City Code and the HRRC bylaws, the City Code will prevail. Some components of these bylaws are common across all City boards and commissions. The City Staff Liaison should be consulted prior to considering bylaw amendments. Proposed bylaw amendments should be announced one meeting prior to voting on the proposed change. Bylaw amendments require the approval of a majority of the voting HRRC members and approval by the City Council. In addition to the City Code and these bylaws, the HRRC will be guided by those policies and procedural documents applicable to the HRRC or City advisory boards in general. Copies of these documents will be made available to members at the beginning of their service with the HRRC. Section 2: Mission and Business Address Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1 and Chapter 2, Article III, Division 2, Section 2-117 for the HRRC mission. The business office for the HRRC is located at Edina City Hall; 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424-1394. Members of the public can also contact the HRRC at edinamail@ci.edina.mn.us. Section 3: Membership Membership Composition Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-78 and Chapter 2, Article III, Division 2, Section 2-119. Terms of Membership Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-81. Contact Information HRRC members are required to provide a mailing address and phone number or email address to the City Clerk. This contact information is available to City staff and members of the public. Responsibilities HRRC members are expected to be present and adequately prepared for all meetings and to actively participate in meeting discussions. Members who are unable to complete assigned tasks should notify the Chairperson as soon as possible. 19 Attendance Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-86. If a member cannot attend a regular meeting, he or she should notify the Staff Liaison as soon as possible and ideally no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting. Cancelled meetings will be counted as meetings held and attended for purpose of calculating attendance percentages. Resignation or Removal Refer to City Code section Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-81. The HRRC may ask the City Council to review a member’s appointment based on the member’s failure to perform the responsibilities outlined above. Section 4: Meetings Meeting Notice Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-84. All board and commission meetings are open to the public. To comply with legal requirements and ensure accessibility to the public, the City Clerk gives official notice of all HRRC meetings on the City’s website and at City Hall. Regular Meetings Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-84. Regular meetings of the HRRC are held at Edina City Hall or another officially noticed location on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. A regular meeting may be rescheduled by the HRRC at a prior meeting. Annual Meeting In February the HRRC will hold an annual meeting to: • Elect officers for the upcoming year, • Review and update bylaws as necessary, and • Affirm the regular meeting schedule for the upcoming year. Special Meetings Special meetings of the HRRC may be called by the Chairperson, City Council, City Manager or by the directive of a majority of the HRRC voting members. Members will be notified of the special meeting by written or email communication at least three calendar days in advance of the meeting. To comply with the open meeting law and to ensure accessibility to the public, the City Clerk posts official notice of all special meetings. A quorum is not required for special meetings; however, members cannot take action on a motion unless a quorum is present. Cancelling Meetings Meetings of the HRRC can be cancelled by the Chairperson, City Council, City Manager or by the directive of a majority of the HRRC voting members. Meetings may be cancelled for insufficient business, lack of quorum, conflict with a holiday, inclement weather or in the event of a community emergency. Quorum Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-84. 20 Meeting Agendas Meeting agendas will be prepared by the Chairperson in consultation with the City Staff Liaison. Members may request that items be added to the agenda; however, the addition of such items is subject to approval by a majority of the voting members. The meeting agenda and related materials will be sent electronically the Thursday prior to the scheduled regular meeting. Meeting Proceedings During regular meetings, business will be conducted in the order listed below. The order of business may be changed with the support of a majority of the voting members. • Call to order • Roll call • Approval of agenda • Approval of minutes from preceding meeting • Public hearings • Community comment • Reports and recommendations • Correspondence • Commission comments • Staff comments • Adjournment Meetings will be conducted according to the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order. Community Comment During "Community Comment," the Chair will ask to hear from those in attendance who would like to speak about something not on the agenda that is relevant to the HRRC. Individuals must limit their presentations to three minutes. Chair has the right to limit the number of speakers making similar statements and to limit comments related to matters previously discussed. The HRRC is not required to respond to the comments. In order to maintain a respectful environment for all those in attendance, disruptive behavior such as the use of signs, clapping, cheering or booing is not allowed. Motions and Voting A simple majority of voting members present and voting will decide all motions before the HRRC. At the request of a member, a roll call vote will be taken when there is a divided vote on any item. A tie vote on any motion will result in a failure to pass. Student members are not eligible to vote. Meeting Minutes Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-85. City staff will prepare minutes for HRRC meetings. The minutes will include which members were present and absent, a summary of each item discussed and any motions proposed, and the votes on those motions. If a member of City staff is not present to record minutes, the HRRC will appoint a secretary to prepare the minutes. The secretary will prepare draft minutes within two weeks of the meeting 21 date and forward the draft to the Chair and City Staff Liaison. Approved minutes will be posted on the City’s website and forwarded to the City Clerk for distribution to the City Council by the City Staff Liaison. Section 5: Officers Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-83. The HRRC will hold elections for the officer positions of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at the annual meeting in February. The Chairperson may make and second motions and vote on all motions. The duties of the Chairperson include but are not limited to: • Prepare the agenda in consultation with the City Staff Liaison. • Lead the meeting in accordance with the agenda and facilitate discussion on agenda items. • Invoke a reasonable time limit for speakers during public testimony. • Ensure that the bylaws are followed and actions are properly taken. • Maintain meeting decorum. • Extend meetings or schedule special meetings as necessary. • Cancel meetings, in consultation with the City Staff Liaison. • Facilitate the development of the annual work plan. • Develop annual calendar of anticipated agenda items for each month. • Consult with members regarding attendance issues. • Encourage active participation by HRRC members and members of the public. The Vice Chairperson performs the duties of the Chairperson in his/her absence. If both the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson are absent, an acting chairperson may be assigned in advance by either officer or at the meeting by a majority vote of the members. Section 6: City Staff Liaison Refer to City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1, Section 2-79. The HRRC has a City Staff Liaison appointed by the City Manager. The City Staff Liaison is expected to work cooperatively with HRRC members. Members may not direct City staff but can request assistance through the City Staff Liaison to carry out the HRRC mission. The duties of the City Staff Liaison include but are not limited to: • Work with Chairperson to prepare and distribute meeting agendas. • Reserve meeting rooms and other needed meeting equipment. • Record and prepare meeting minutes (or delegate the responsibility to another City staff member). • Provide technical expertise and access to City resources. • Work with Chairperson to ensure bylaws are followed and annual work plans are submitted. • Relay information or directives from City Council meetings or work sessions relevant to the HRRC. • Respond to HRRC inquiries in a timely manner. • Forward information to and between HRRC members. • Record meeting attendance, include the current attendance record with each packet and consult with the Chairperson and City Clerk regarding attendance issues. • Provide orientation materials to new members and chairperson. • Handle funds allocated to the HRRC in accordance with its directives, City policies and legal requirements. 22 • Serve as the custodian of HRRC records. • Work with City Clerk to serve all notices required by law or these bylaws. Concerns with the performance of the City Staff Liaison should be directed to the Assistant City Manager. Section 7: Committees and Working Groups Introduction Committees or Working Groups may be established by a majority vote of the HRRC to study issues in greater depth and report findings. Committees or Working Groups present their analysis to the HRRC for discussion and recommendations. The HRRC has the sole authority to make final recommendations on all matters on which a Committee or Working Group has given guidance. The HRRC defines the scope and the duration of the Committee or Working Group’s mission. In no case may the Committee or Working Group exceed the authority granted by the HRRC. Committee and Working Group participants may not include enough voting HRRC members to constitute a quorum for the HRRC. Committees or Working Groups may be designated as standing (ongoing) or temporary in nature. Definitions Committees and Working Groups may be comprised of two or more people, one of whom is the chair appointed by the HRRC. A Committee is comprised of current HRRC members only. A Working Group is led by a HRRC member, but will also include members of the public. Working Group Announcement Public notice will be given of the formation of any Working Group, including a press release from the City to local media outlets. Individuals will have a minimum of 14 days after the public notice to express interest in joining before members are selected. Public Access Based on the potential public interest in the topic, some Committee and Working Group meetings may be designated as public meetings by the HRRC or the City Council. If a Committee or Working Group’s meetings are designated as public meetings, official meeting notices, written agendas and written minutes are required. Refer to Section 4 of these bylaws for additional information on meeting notices. Appointments and Chair Assignments Committees: The HRRC Chairperson will ask for Committee volunteers from the HRRC membership. A majority vote may approve the Committee appointments once sufficient volunteers are established. A temporary Committee Chair will be appointed by the HRRC at the time of Committee formation. The Committee will elect its own chair and notify the HRRC Chairperson. Working Groups: The HRRC Chairperson will ask for volunteers from the HRRC to serve as the Working Group Chair. The Working Group Chair is approved by a majority of the HRRC members. The Working Group Chair will recommend other 23 Working Group members. By definition, those members will include individuals outside of the HRRC. The Chair may also nominate a co-chair who is not a HRRC member. Working Group appointments will be made by a majority vote of HRRC members. The duties of the Committee or Working Group Chair(s) include but are not limited to: • Set the meeting schedule and, if required, notify the City Staff Liaison for public notification. • Prepare and distribute a written meeting agenda, if required. • Lead the meeting in accordance with the agenda and facilitate discussion on agenda items. • Ensure that this section of the bylaws and HRRC directives are followed. • Maintain meeting decorum. • Recommend members and notify HRRC of changes in membership (Working Group only). • Report on the Committee or Working Group’s activities at each regular HRRC meeting. • Communicate to the Committee or Working Group any directives, questions or input from the HRRC. Resignation or Removal A Committee or Working Group member may voluntarily resign by submitting his or her written resignation to the Chair of the Committee or Working Group. A Committee or Working Group member may be removed by a majority vote of the HRRC. Disbanding A Committee or Working Group may be disbanded at any regular meeting of the HRRC by a majority vote of the members. Committees or Working Groups will automatically be disbanded if no member of the HRRC is available to serve or appropriate volunteer membership cannot be established. Section 8: Communication Applicability This section applies to all types of media and communication methods including face-to-face, telephone, email and social media. Communication Between Members Outside of Meetings HRRC-related communication between members when a quorum of voting members is present constitutes a violation of open meeting laws if it takes place outside of publicly-noticed meetings. Members are prohibited from discussing HRRC business in such a situation. Since email communication is common outside of meetings, the following email protocol is adopted: • Any email communication intended for a majority of HRRC members should go through the City Staff Liaison so that an appropriate record can be established. • Members should not respond “reply all” to group messages. • Members should not blind copy (bcc) other members. 24 Members must not engage in a serial discussion of HRRC business. A serial discussion occurs when members discuss official business with a majority of voting members through successive communications. Serial communication can occur through a combination of communication methods such as face-to-face, email, telephone or on a social media site. Communication with the Public Outside of Meetings HRRC members are encouraged to share their work with members of the public within the guidelines noted in the paragraph below. When communicating HRRC business with the public, members should understand and convey the following: • The deliberations and decisions of the HRRC will be based solely on information contained in the public record presented to all HRRC members participating in the deliberation or action. • The member’s comments do not represent the opinion or viewpoint of other commissioners or the HRRC as a whole. Members should exercise care not to communicate how they intend to vote on any pending matter or give the appearance any matter has been pre-decided. Public Announcements and Press Releases The City’s Communications and Technology Services Department will approve and coordinate any public announcements, press releases or other media contact desired by the HRRC. Section 9: Financial Transactions All financial expenditures by the HRRC must relate to the HRRC mission and be covered under the HRRC budget. All expenditures must be approved in advance by a majority of the voting members. The City Staff Liaison is responsible for ensuring that all approved expenditures or reimbursements meet the criteria above as well as other City financial policies. Expenditures that do not meet the criteria above will not be reimbursed. The HRRC does not have the authority to execute contracts or to otherwise financially obligate the City of Edina. Any contract related to HRRC business will be managed by the City Staff Liaison and may be subject to City Council approval. Section 10: Ethical and Respectful Conduct Conflict of Interest Members may not use their position on the HRRC for personal benefit. The interests of the HRRC must be the first priority in all decisions and actions. Any member who has a financial interest in, or who may receive a financial benefit as a result of, any HRRC action or decision must disclose this fact as a conflict of interest. A member who has disclosed a conflict of interest should abstain from discussion and voting on the matter. Gifts 25 HRRC members may not receive personal gifts from any “interested person” in conjunction with their board and commission duties. An “interested person” is a person, or representative of a person or an association, who has a direct financial interest in a recommendation under the HRRC’s purview. This section does not apply to lawful campaign contributions. The HRRC may recommend acceptance of general gifts or donations through the City’s donation policy. Respectful Behavior The City of Edina is committed to providing a work environment free from violence for all elected and appointed officials, employees and visitors. The City does not tolerate any form of violence in the workplace including threats or intimidating actions by or against any of the groups cited above. Violence and threats may include, but are not limited to: • Any act which is a physical assault • Any threat, behavior or action which is interpreted by a reasonable person to carry the potential to harm or endanger the safety of others, or result in an act of aggression, or destroy or damage City property. The Chairperson and City Staff Liaison have the right to call for the immediate removal of anyone who threatens or commits an act of violence on City property. Respectful behavior also includes how HRRC members relate to each other, City staff and members of the public. Members share a joint responsibility in modeling, monitoring and addressing behavior within the group. During HRRC interactions, members should strive to: • Treat people with courtesy, politeness and kindness • Encourage others to express their opinions and ideas • Listen to what others have to say • Use the ideas of others to improve decisions and outcomes • Recognize cultural differences Members should avoid: • Speaking over or cutting off another individual’s comments • Insulting, disparaging or putting down people or their ideas • Bullying other members by displaying a pattern of belittling, demeaning, judging or patronizing comments. How to Report Members can report cases of unethical conduct to the City Staff Liaison, Assistant City Manager, City Manager or City Attorney. Appendix City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 1 – Generally 26 Sec. 2-78. Establishment (a) Authority to establish. Pursuant to Minn. Stats. § 412.621, and other such statutes as are specifically cited herein, the council establishes or continues the following boards and commissions to advise the council with respect to municipal functions and activities and to investigate subjects of interest to the city. (b) How established. A board or commission may be established by a majority vote of the council. An ordinance shall be adopted prescribing the purpose, duties and composition of the board or commission. (c) Subject to provisions in this chapter. All boards and commissions established by the council shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise specified in city ordinance or state law. (d) Purposes and duties generally. All boards and commissions established by the council shall be advisory to the council and shall have the responsibility to: (1) Investigate matters within the scope of the particular board or commission or as specifically directed by the council. (2) Advise the council by communicating the viewpoint or advice of the board or commission. (3) At the direction of the council, hold hearings, receive evidence, conduct investigations, and, on the basis of such hearings, evidence and investigations, make decisions and recommendations to the council. (e) Advisory role. A board or commission established by the council shall not assume the role of an administrative or legislative body. Sec. 2-79. Cooperation of city officials subject to direction of city manager The manager may make available city staff members to record and prepare minutes of board and commission meetings. Such staff members shall perform only such clerical duties on behalf of a board or commission as provided in the bylaws of that board or commission or as assigned by the chairperson with the consent of the manager. The manager may assign additional staff to assist a board or commission. Sec. 2-80. Membership (a) Regular members. Regular members of boards and commissions established by the council shall be adult residents of the city unless otherwise expressly stated by ordinance. Members who discontinue legal residency in the city shall automatically be deemed to have resigned from office as of the date of such discontinuance. (b) Student members. Student members shall be residents of the city and enrolled full time in a secondary school. Student members shall be nonvoting. Sec. 2-81. Appointment and terms of membership (a) Regular members. Board and commission members shall be appointed by majority vote of the council and shall serve terms of membership not to exceed three years per term. Each member is eligible to serve two three-year terms, except for members of the planning commission, who are eligible to serve three three-year terms. A member in good standing shall serve until a successor has been appointed. 27 (b) Student members. Student members shall be appointed by majority vote of the council and shall serve terms of membership not to exceed one year per term. (c) Resignation and removal. Members shall serve without compensation and may resign voluntarily by letter or e-mail to the city clerk or be removed by majority vote of the council or pursuant to section 2-80 or 2-86 (d) Vacancies. Vacancies in membership shall be filled by majority vote of the council for the balance of the unexpired term. (e) Term of appointment to fill vacancy. A person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be eligible to serve two (or for planning commission, three) full terms in addition to the balance of the unexpired term. (f) No concurrent membership. No person may serve concurrently on more than one board or commission. (g) Staggered terms. Terms of membership shall be staggered so that no more than one-half of the terms on a board or commission expire in any particular year. Sec. 2-82. Committees and subcommittees (a) Establishment. A board or commission may, with specific approval of the council or pursuant to its bylaws, establish committees, subcommittees, committees of the whole or working groups that include members of the board or commission and additional persons as requested by the board or commission. (b) Prohibition. A committee, subcommittee, committee of the whole or working group may not engage in activities, functions, or duties outside the scope of authority granted to the board or commission by which it was established. Sec. 2-83. Organization and bylaws (a) Bylaws. Each board or commission shall adopt and be governed by such bylaws as shall be necessary and desirable for the conduct of its activities. Bylaws shall be subject to review and approval by the council. (b) Chairperson. Each board or commission annually shall elect from its members a chairperson and vice-chairperson to serve a term of one year. No person shall serve more than two consecutive one-year terms as chairperson of a particular board or commission. A chairperson elected to fill a vacancy shall be eligible to serve two full terms in addition to the remainder of the vacated term. Sec. 2-84. Time, location and conduct of meetings (a) Regular meetings. All board and commission meetings are open meetings subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law (Minn. Stats. ch. 13D) and shall be held at a fixed time, on a fixed date and in a fixed place as shall be determined by the board or commission. The city clerk shall give notice of all board and commission meetings as required for meetings of public bodies. (b) Public comment. All board and commission meetings shall include scheduled time for public comment. (c) Quorum. A simple majority of voting members, appointed and serving, shall constitute a quorum for any regular or special meeting. If a quorum is not established or maintained during the course of a meeting, no votes on board or commission business may be taken except a motion to adjourn or recess. 28 (d) Meetings conducted according to bylaws. All meetings shall be conducted according to the bylaws of the board or commission. Sec. 2-85. Meeting minutes (a) Official record. Approved minutes of board or commission proceedings shall be public record; the city shall retain a copy of the official minutes of each board or commission meeting in accordance with applicable state law. (b) Recording. A board or commission may appoint from its membership a secretary to record and prepare meeting minutes. Minutes so recorded shall be reviewed and approved by the board or commission and a copy forwarded to the city clerk. In the alternative, the manager may make available to the board or commission a member of city staff to serve as secretary to record and prepare meeting minutes. (c) Distributed to city council. Official minutes of each board or commission meeting shall be distributed to the council prior to the first regular council meeting after approval of the minutes by the board or commission. Sec. 2-86. Attendance requirements (a) Purpose. To assist boards and commissions in fulfilling their purposes and duties and to ensure that they are not prevented from doing so by the repeated absence of their members, the council hereby establishes an attendance policy for members serving on boards and commissions. (b) Removal. Any member of a board or commission established by the council who fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings, or in the case of members of the planning commission, four consecutive regular meetings, or who fails to attend at least 75 percent of the scheduled meetings in any calendar year, whether regular or joint work sessions with the council, shall be deemed to have resigned as a member of the board or commission. (c) Exceptions. (1) The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to attendance at special meetings, or of meetings of committees or subcommittees, including committees of the whole, established by a board or commission pursuant to section 2-82 (2) The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to members of the housing and redevelopment authority of the city, the East Edina Housing Foundation or the city council. (d) Annual review. The council shall conduct an annual review of the attendance of members of boards and commissions established by the council. (e) Vacancies. The successor to any member of a board or commission who has been removed pursuant to this subsection shall be appointed pursuant to section 2-81 City Code Chapter 2, Article III, Division 2 – Human Rights and Relations Commission Sec. 2-116. Policy statement. 29 It is the public policy of the city to: (1) Secure for all of the residents of the city freedom from discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, familial status or national origin in connection with employment, housing and real property, public accommodations, public services, credit and education. (2) Support the home, family and human relations in the city. (3) Cooperate with the state department of human rights, and other agencies and commissions in their programs of human rights. Sec. 2-117. Establishment and purpose. To promote and help implement the above policies, the council hereby establishes the city human rights and relations commission (the "commission"). Sec. 2-118. Duties. The commission shall: (1) Advise the council on matters relating to discrimination and human relations referred to herein. (2) Implement such programs of education and community action which are designed to effectuate the public policy stated in section 2-116 and which have been approved by the council. (3) Cooperate with the state department of human rights, and other agencies and commissions in their programs of human rights. (4) Investigate, study, report and undertake other functions as are assigned to local commissions under and pursuant to Minn. Stats. ch. 363, and to discharge its duties under Minn. Stats. ch. 363 with regard to specific matters referred to it by the state commissioner of human rights or filed with it by individuals. Sec. 2-119. Membership. The commission shall consist of nine regular and two student members. 30 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 HRRC VII. MJ Lamon Staff Liaison ☐ ☐ ☒ 4/28/2015 Correspondence and Petitions None. Information / Background: Correspondence received since the last HRRC meeting. Attachment: Correspondence. 31 From:Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail To:MJ Lamon Subject:FW: Contact Us form submission Date:Monday, April 13, 2015 10:36:42 AM Hi MJ, Can you assist this person???? Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 | Fax 952-826-0389lbiunno@EdinaMN.gov | www.EdinaMN.gov ...For Living, Learning, Raising Families & Doing Business From: ladytonya.thenation@gmail.com [mailto:ladytonya.thenation@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 3:17 AMTo: Edina MailSubject: Contact Us form submission Name: Tonya Renee Owens Organization: Website: Address_1: Address_2: City: Bloomington State: MN Zip_Code: 55420 Email: ladytonya.thenation@gmail.com Phone: 6514947826 Referrer: google Message: Less than a month ago my family recently moved from Raleigh-Durham, NC to Bloomington, MN because my husband's job transferred him to a location in Edina. So that we can become more familiar with the area, my children and I have traveled with him to work on several occasions. We have visited many retail stores, the library as well as the mall in Edina. I must say that I have been stopped on 3 occasions that made me as an African American Woman feel very uncomfortable. I overheard a manager at the Apple Store in the Southdale Mall ask one of the sales associates what was I doing there instead of taking the initiative to help me. I was also approached at the Galleria mall. I must say that after living in North Carolina for 40 years I have never been so embarrassed and humiliated as I have been since visiting your city. I was glad to leave the south because of so much racial injustice 32 towards blacks. I never thought that it would be so obvious here as well. I have no desire to visit Edina nor do I plan to patronize any businesses there. I have been humiliated so much during our short time here. I do hope this is not something that you are anticipating for your city. Not all African Americans are criminals nor do we all live in poverty. Believe it or not there is so much value and worth that minorities can add to an area such as this.Thank you. TURNED OFF BY YOUR CITY, Tonya Owens 33 Cataloging Policy & Support Off' Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-405 Dear Colleagues, Additional justification for replacong the subjeo eading, , ecommended: 9-26-050. ARMENIAN MSSACRES, with ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, as With best w shes 040141.2 ord Z-rman 400 Mo lingside Road Edina -iN 55416 952 92,-5738 W rld Without Genocide-. 4-13-15 COMMUNITY 'Remember the Armenians' This spring, Armenians in Minnesota and around the world solemnly recall the crime against humanity known as the Armenian Genocide. Beginning on April 24, 1915, more than 1.5 million Armenians — 75 percent of the entire population of Armenians in the world at that time — were massacred by the Ottoman Turks in a • state-sponsored policy of extermination, Minnesotans took part in national efforts to pro- vide life-saving humanitar- ian assistance to survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Some found safe haven in Minnesota, where their de- scendants continue to play a vital, productive role in community life. One of the free public events in the Twin Cities that will honor 'Remember the Armenians' is in Edina. "Days of Remembrance: From the Armenians to the Holocaust," is sched- uled for 1-3:30 p.m. Sun- day, April 19, at Edina City Hall. 34 A4 • STAR TRIBUNE • MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015 orld e angers Tu At mass, Francis equated the slaughter of Armenians with Nazi and Soviet genocides. By JIM YARDLEY and SEBNEM ARSU New York Times ROME - Pope Francis on Sun- day described the World War I-era slaughter of Armenians by the Otto- man Turks as the first genocide of the 20th century igniting a diplomatic confrontation with Turkey, which quickly summoned the Vatican's ambassador to condemn the pontiff's remarks. Francis, who made the comments at a mass for the centenary of the start ofthe mass killings, and in a later mes- sage to all Armenians, repeated his stance that the seemingly piecemeal global violence of the 21st century actually represented a "third world war." He also described his frustra- tion with what he considers global indifference toward the persecution and killing of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere, especially by mil- itants with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. "Today, too, we are experiencing a sort of genocide created by gen- eral and collective indifference," Francis said. In broaching the term genocide, Francis quoted from a 2001 declaration by Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Karekina the Armenian Apostolic Church's supreme patri- arch, in which the two leaders called the Armenian slaughter a campaign of extermination that was "generally referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century" Yet Vatican diplomats have been deliberately prudent in avoiding the inflammatory term, so in using it during the mass, before an audience that included the Armenian presi- dent, Serzh Sargsyan, Francis clearly intended to provoke a response. He equated the fate of the Armenians with the genocides orchestrated by the Nazis and the Soviets under Sta- lin, while also condemning "other mass killings, like those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia." "It seems that humanity is incapa- ble of putting a halt to the shedding of innocent blood," he said. "It seems that the human family has refused to learn from its mistakes caused by the law of terror, so that today, too, there are those who attempt to eliminate others with the help of a few, and with the complicit silence of others who simply stand by" Francis said it was a duty of every- one not to forget the "senseless slaughter" of the estimated 1.5 mil- lion Armenians killed by the Otto- man Turks from 1915 to 1923. "Con- cealing or denying evil is like allow- ing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it" the pope added, GREGORIO BORGIA • Associated Press Pope Francis and Karelcinli, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, cele- brated an Armenian-Rite mass Sunday. Turkey denies accusations of genocide. 35 3ILENC IS DENIAL lam mr f ST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE *E N Protesters in Turkey march against the denia of the Armenian genocide. dina's 'Da From The A olocaust s R., Inanc nicins To The To mark Edina's fifth-annual Days of Remembrance program, the City of Edina will host "Days of Remembrance: From the Armenians to the Holocaust" from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at Edina City Hall. The community event is sponsored by the City of Edina's Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) in partnership with World Without Genocide. "The City of Edina is committed to remembering those who perished and to protecting human rights for all people. Edina's Days of Remembrance event, initiated by a local resident, aims to raise awareness and understanding for those whose lives and cultures have changed forever as a result of the Holocaust and other genocides," said HRRC Chair Jan Seidman. "The goal of the annual event is also to encourage our residents to reflect and act on the need for respect of all people." In 2011, an Edina resident asked that the City of Edina organize an event to honor survivors, rescuers and liberators of the Holocaust. In response, the City Council approved a proclamation to annually acknowledge the National Days of Remembrance. Since then, Edina's HRRC has organized and presented the annual event to remember and honor victims and survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides. This year, the City will host the Days of Remembrance program in conjunction with the State of Minnesota's Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month. The Days of Remembrance program will have three components. To begin the event, Ellen Kennedy, member of the HRRC and Executive Director of World Without Genocide, a human rights organization, will speak about denial of the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust. She will discuss what happens to a person and culture when the tragedy that befell them is not acknowledged? How do survivors and witnesses move forward and find justice, either through legal means or through efforts to find truth and to reconcile with the past? Through these questions, Kennedy will examine the denial of the Armenian genocide. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, an area we now call Turkey, during World War I. More than 1.5 million innocent men, women and children were starved to death or murdered. 36 Helping you achieve your financial goals. TOM GARTNER MSAPM, or 'SC FINANCIAL ADVISORS ISUinuncialadvisors.com 952-835-1560 Minneso a Center, Suite 270 I 7760 France Avenue South 1 Minneai. Is, MN 55435 "When Hitler was contemplating the extermination of the 11 million Jews of Europe, he was asked how he thought he would be able to accomplish such a feat. He replied, 'Who today remembers the Armenians?' There are no [longer any] survivors of the Armenian genocide ... and the few remaining Holocaust survivors are elderly," said Kennedy. "When we have no more survivors and no more witnesses, how do we understand what happened, and more critically, how do we use that information to prevent future genocides?" This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This program will examine these questions in the single most important way: through the in-person testimony of a survivor. Holocaust survivor Dora Eiger Zaidenweber will share the personal story of her family's incarceration in a Polish ghetto, imprisonment at Auschwitz, transfer to Bergen-Belsen and liberation. She will talk about her efforts to inspire the public to take important steps to reduce discrimination and hate. She also will have copies of her family memoir, Sky Tinged Red, available for purchase. A play, "Upstanders: Saving Armenians and Jews," will conclude the event. At Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, Israel, more than 25,000 people from around the world are recognized as "righteous among the nations:" those who risked their lives to save Jewish friends, neighbors and even strangers. Only four of these "righteous among the nations" were Americans, while 24 were Armenians. They had experienced the Armenian genocide and fled to countries throughout Europe. When the Nazis targeted the Jews, these courageous Armenians paid it forward to save them. This play tells their stories and invites others to become upstanders for human rights. The April 19 event is free and open to the public. Lawyers can receive two standard continuing legal education (CLE) credits ($35 fee), peace officers can receive two peace officer standards and training (POST) credits ($35 fee) and educators can receive two "clock hours" at no cost. Registration is not required in advance. For more information about legal education credits, contact World Without Genocide, 651-695-7621. For more information about the City of Edina's Days of Remembrance observance, contact HRRC Staff Liaison MJ Lamon at 952-826-0360 or MLamon@EdinaMN.gov. AboutTo Vi Volume 26, Number 2 Circulation 25,000 Spring 2015 Official Publication of the www.EdinaMN.gov City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359 37 tact --me nrst genocide or me zum Lentury.- Reflecting Turkey's long-standing dispute of this view, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted, "The pope's statement, whichis out oftouchwithboth historical facts and legalbasis, is simplyunacceptable." The historical facts, however, have created consen- sus among most academics. "lam in agreement with the vast majority ofhistorians, including =increasing number of Turkish historians, who believe that this constituted a genocide beginning in1915," said Joachim J. Savelsberg, a University of Minnesota professor of law and sociology who is an expert on genocide. "I understand the power of words," said Dan Wildeson, faculty director of St. Cloud State Uni- versity's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Edu- cation. "It should be called that. At the same time I understand the political implications, the identity implications, the legacy implications of calling it a genocide." The geopolitical implications indeed are stark, tiUnegS, executive nity Relations Council of Minnesotaand the Dakotas. On Thursday Holocaust Remembrance Day- Hunegs noted the "diabolical linkage" between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, since Hitler infamously asked, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" Hunegs, who will speak at the April 24 commemoration at St. Sahag, is one voice. "It's important for Jews and all people to join in solidarity with others who have suffered ... The obscuring ofthe Armenian Genocide for geopolitical reasons — that's wrong, and should be addressed," Hunegs said. Most important, said the Rev. Barseghyan, "If we don't learn our lessons about history, genocide will happen again and again and again." John Rash is a Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist The Rash Report can be heard at 8:20 a.m. Fridays on WCCO Radio, 830-AM. On Twitter: @rashreport St Sahag Church Bill-6ards in the Twin Cites were used to rerr6d residents of the centennial of the Ail tenia' n Genocide. SATU RDAY, Ap R I L 18, 20 15 • S T AR T R IB UNE • A 7 38 THE MASS KILLINGS OF 1915 The Pope, billooards and the Armenian Genocide On its centenary, the "forgotten genocide" gets global attention via a variety of political, religious and media measures. john rash rash report Among Interstate 94 and 1-494 billboards is a striking sign imploring motorists not to consume, but con- sider an event many are unaware of. "THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE," the unexpected billboard reads, along with "100 Years of Remembrance 1915-2015" and a purple flower — a forget-me-not. "It's unfortunate that the Armenian Genocide is often referred to as 'the forgotten genocide,' " said the Rev. Tadeos Barseghyan, whose St. Sahag Arme- nian Church in St. Paul sponsored the billboards in advance of the global commemoration on April 24. Other genocides, rightly, are not forgotten. There's near universal awareness of the horrors of the Holo- caust, and relatively broad knowledge of Cambodia's "killing fields" in the 1970s and the Rwandan Geno- cide a generation ago, among others. Not so with Armenia. "It's a shame we have to let people know, to raise awareness, but it is important to remember," said Barseghyan. Beyond the billboards, the pope and pop culture recently have highlighted the centenary, too. Real- ity TV stars Kim and Khloe Kardashian, who are Armenian-American, laid flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Museum's eternal flame. More consequentially, Pope Francis inflamed given Turkey's key strategic role in a region roiling with conflict. Yet the legacy implications are stark for Turkey, too. Other countries have benefited from reckoning with their past, said Savelsberg. "You look at coun- tries like my own home country Germany in the way they memorialize the Holocaust, the way they live up to the responsibilities of the past. It does not do them any harm in the international community. To the opposite, it has increased acceptance in the inter- national community. Turkey would gain more than they would lose." Germans certainly gained. In fact, for the second year running, Germany was the world's most widely admired country in a BBC World Service global poll. If the Turks were to take Germany' example, 'flu- key may not top next year's list, since several other dynamics factor into Germany's ranking. There's no doubt its interpretations of century-old events that transpired during the Ottoman Empire have an effect on Turkey today. Obama used the term genocide as a candidate, but not as a president. "The U.S. should recognize it," St. Cloud's Wildeson said, adding that, "I understand the problems, but we've worked through more difficult diplomatic issues than this before?' Indeed, it would create complications at a cru- cial time with a fellow NATO nation that is a bridge between Europe and Asia and Islam and Christianity. But it creates problems not to acknowledge it, too. 39 NNtuld wilhout GENCV:.1 • .?cr Sr I Lt IANI MITtl flt COU R; or pmt ect. prf,s,,alte remernix,r. W NV IV 111 ide.org The Armenian Genocide: A Selected Bibliography Historical Analyses Akcam, Taner. A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility. Macmillan, 2006. Akgann. Taner. Dialogue Across an International Divide: Essays towards a Turkish-Armenian Dialogue. Zoryan Institute, 2001. Akcam, Taner. The Young Turks Crime against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire. Princeton University Press, 2012. Balakian, Peter. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response. Harper Perennial, 2004. Dadrian, Vahakn N. German Responsibility in the Armenian Genocide: A Review of the Historical Evidence of German Complicity. Blue Crane Books, 1996. Dadrian, Vahakn N. The History of the Armenian Genocide. Berghahn Books, 2003. Dadrian, Vahakn N. The Key Elements in the Turkish Denial of the Armenian Genocide: A Case Study of Distortion and Falsification. Zoryan Institute, 1999. Dadrian, Vahakn N. Warrant for Genocide: Key Elements of Turko-Armenian Conflict. Transaction Publishers, 1999. Dadrian, Vahakn N. and Taner Akgam. Judgment at Istanbul: The Armenian Genocide Trials. Berghahn Books, 2011. Hovannisian, Richard G. Enlightenment and Diaspora: the Armenian and Jewish Cases. Scholars PR, 1999. Hovannisian, Richard G. Looking Backward, Moving Forward: Confronting the Armenian Genocide. Transaction Publishers, 2003. Hovannisian, Richard G. Remembrance and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide. Wayne State University Press, 1999. © World Without Genocide, 2015 40 Suny, Ronald Grigor, Fatma Muge Gocek, and Norman M. Naimark, eds., A Question of Genocide. Oxford University Press, 2011. Memoirs Balakian, Grigoris. Armenian Golgotha. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009. Panian, Karnig. Goodbye, Antoura: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide. Stanford University Press, 2015. Davis, Leslie A. The Slaughterhouse Province: An American Diplomat's Report on the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1917. Aristide D. Caratzas Publishers, 1989. Miller, Donald and Lorna Miller. Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide: Urrivers`401- California Press, 1999. Fiction Bohjalian, Chris. The Sandcastle Girls. Random House, 2012. Narrative Nonfiction Ureneck, Lou. The Great Fire: Two Americans' Mission to Rescue Victims of the 20th Century's First Genocide. Harper Collins, 2015. Films Aghet: Nation Murder, 2010. The Armenian Genocide, 2006. The Armenian Genocide: 90 Years Later, 2005. The Cut, 2014. Destination Nowhere: The Witness; 2000: Grandma's Tattoos, 2011. Screamers, 2006. Voices from the Lake: The Secret Genocide, 2003. This list represents a small number of the many publications on the Armenian genocide. We welcome your recommendations. 2 ©World Without Genocide, 2015 41 UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations rapporteur for minorities has anti-Roma and anti-`Gypsy' bias in her sights. Apr. 8 marked International Roma Day, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Rita Izsak used the occasion to call for greater action on stamping out bias against Roma. "Discrimination and racism against Roma come in many different forms, ranging from silent indifference to hate speech and violence against individuals or entire communities [...]. Unfortunately this has led to a desensitisation of the public, and to the resurgence of unacceptable myths about Roma criminality, unworthiness and inferiority," Izsak said in a statement published on the website of the U.N. Office in Geneva. "It is due time for our societies to stop tolerating any public discourse that perpetuates stereotypical, racist, hateful or discriminatory views about Roma, and take effective action against such discourses. We must reject anti-Gypsyism in all its forms." Izsak will present a comprehensive study of the human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism, to the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in June. In her statement, she highlighted the need for media to avoid perpetuating "sensationalist" coverage of negative stereotypes of people of Gypsy and Roma heritage, as well as for political and social leaders to work harder in eradicating biases against those groups. "There is an urgent need for strengthened political will, especially at the national and local level, and an openness to learn from past mistakes in policies and planning... in order to break the vicious cycle of stigma, discrimination and marginalization," Izsak said. She also raised concerns about "the lack of Roma representation" in political and decision-making bodies. The issue of how those of Roma and Gypsy heritage are treated has made recent headlines worldwide. In April 2014, a leaked note from a Paris police chief ordered his officers to work "day and night" to "systematically evict" Roma families from Paris streets. An Amnesty International report in 2014 also accused European states including France, the Czech Republic and Greece of failing to protect Roma from racism and violence. Amnesty said the estimated 12 million Roma living in Europe were "living with the daily threat of forced eviction [...], police harassment and violent attacks." Most of France's 20,000 Roma lived in extreme poverty, according to the report, with "little or no access to basic services, such as water and sanitation and at constant risk of forced evictions." Violent anti-Roma protests, police harassment and violence, evictions and arbitrary detention of Roma were detailed in the report. Copyright © 2015 1PS-Inter Press Service. Share this article! 42 Andres Kudacki / Associated Press Roma residents throw flowers into Madrid's Manzanares River to pay homage to those killed during the Holocaust and other extermination campaigns. SFCHRONICLE.COM AND SFGATE.COM I Thursday, April 9, 2015 I A5 SPAIN 'Swindler' definition rankles Roma ASSOCIATED PRESS MADRID — Spanish groups representing gyp- sies Wednesday opened a campaign to remove a reference to them as "swindlers" from the world's benchmark Span- ish dictionary. The country's Gypsy Secretariat Foundation and others delivered pro- test letters to members of Spain's Royal Language Academy, which produces the definitive Spanish dictionary. Foundation spokes- woman Filar CaIon says the campaign attempts to raise awareness of dis- crimination against Gyp- sies, also known as Roma. The dictionary's most recent 2014 print edition lists "swindler" ("trapa- cero") as one of its defini- tions for "gypsy" ("gita- no"). The foundation does not object to other acade- my dictionary definitions for "gypsy" but would like the "swindler" reference changed. The academy declined comment but has said dictionary definitions reflect actual use and are not meant to be derogato- ry. It has offered the possi- bility of changing the forthcoming online edi- tion to clarify that such references are pejorati, e. The protest was deliv- ered on International Roma Day. Before handing in the letter, Roma group repre- sentatives gathered to throwflower petals into Madrid's Manzanares River in the customary homage to the Gypsies killed in the Holocaust and other extermination campaigns. The dictionary protest stretches back some years. The "swindler" reference was introduced late last year after complaints about the 22nd edition entry that included a celoquial reference to "gypsy" ("gitano") as one "who deceives or maneu- vers to cheat," a reference which is still on the online edition. "That was a swindle in itself," said Calon. She said members of the State Council for Roma People, which includes the foun- dation, hope to meet with academy authorities soon to discuss the issue. The language academy is made up ofsome 20 esteemed authors and intellectuals backed by language ex- perts. Spain has about 750,000 people of Roma heritage, out of a total population of some 47 million. Although a minority, the ethnic group has al- ways formed an important part of Spanish society and culture, most notably due its strong links to Spain's emblematic fla- menco music. Joaquin Cortes, one of the coun- try's most internationally renowned flamenco danc- ers, is a Gypsy . Although there have been giant steps made toward greater integration in society, Roma are still often discriminated against in housing, educa- tion and jobs. 43 tanfbrd Be'man 4-13-15 Cataloging Policy & Support Office Library of Congress. Washington, DC .20540-4305 Dear Colleagues,----- More warrant-for establishing the MICIP-WAGG ESSION NATIL,A) subj ct heading „recommended -10-140 ( With_ rite'S rds, 44i-0 Morningside Road Edina, MN 55k16 952 925-5738 0.` 44 the way I see it Rachel Lockman Academic librarians and social justice A call to microactivism of systemic oppression. But no matter our individual identities within oppressed com- munities, we as librarians hold automatic privilege: we are master's degree-holders with keys to the information kingdom. We have a responsibility to use our privilege as allies against the myriad discriminations our patrons face, from homophobia to hunger. And academic librarians can't leave that work only to public librarians. Libraries and social services—and, I would argue, the pursuit of social justice—are long- standing natural partners. And that natural partnership is becoming more explicit, thanks to the work of librarians like Sara Zettervall, whose concept of Whole Person Librarian- ship explores the connections between social work and library work.' Students, too, do better when librarians attend to their whole wellbeing—not just their grades. While librarians like Zettervall and others pursue the potential for changing the world through libraries, many in the academic field are consumed by the momentous workload brought on by understaffing, budget cuts, and tenure pressures, and also overwhelmed by the scale and rhetoric of larger social justice movements. Despite occasional apathy or reticence, though, I've also heard librarians Within one springtime week, two stu- dents told me they were so broke they were skipping meals. I was nine months into my first full-time academic librarian gig. Be- fore that, I had worked a year and a half as a substitute public librarian, helping patrons fill out their first-ever online job applications on top of recommending their next great read. Those hungry students made my pub- lic librarian instincts kick in. After hitting a dead end with my college's student services, I contacted a local hunger relief nonprofit myself and got some Supplemental Nutri- tion Assistance Program (SNAP) brochures. I posted these strategically around the library, and they continue to disappear quietly into students' backpacks. I originally came to librarianship with a desire to work with others. To increase their access to information, yes, but also to provide a guide to those secret privileged handshakes in society—housing, employment, digital literacy. When I worked in public libraries, I was distinctly aware of the challenges many of my patrons faced in finding services and making ends meet, in a way that often goes unacknowledged in the academic sphere. Now, as an academic librarian, I see that our drive to teach and research can overshadow awareness of the complex needs and lives of the faculty and students with whom we interact. As a queer female-bodied person, I'm no stranger to the subtle and ominous workings April 2075 Rachel Lockman is librarian at McNally Smith College of Music, email: racheLlockman@gmail.com 0 2015 Rachel Lockman 193 C&RL News 45 express feelings of hopelessness and anger in the face of our discrimination-drenched society. One trick to whole-person librari- anship is to counter that discrimination, even or especially when it manifests as microaggressions. Although it has a longer history, the term microaggression gained momentum in academic scholarship about racism in the early 2000s to denote the small ways systemic racism plays out.2 Since the term was coined, queer, feminist, and other social justice movements have adopted it, as wel1.3 See, for example, the Microaggressions in Librarianship Tumblr,a which calls out mi- croaggressions in the library profession. Our view of microaggressions may begin with our interactions with colleagues but should expand to encompass our patrons, as well. We are united through the microagressions we and our patrons face in our daily lives, and as librarians, we can use our position of privilege to be allies instead of perpetrators. Let's start a social justice revolution through our everyday work as academic librarians. The Internet abounds with ex- amples of a new principle: microactivism.5 Let's harness microactivism in a library context—in our reference interactions with patrons, in our selection of materials, in our curricula, in our cataloging practices—in every area of our days on the job. In this way, our work can be in dialogue with larger movements and give a nod to public libraries' strengths. Hopefully, small-scale activism will act as a gateway drug of sorts, leading to greater librarian involvement in progressive change. So what can microactivism look like, specifically? In my library, besides our SNAP campaign, we use feminist topics to demonstrate databases during instruction sessions; we,, provide meeting space in the library for the student Gay Straight Alli- ance; we design displays based on diverse themes; we purchase materials on diverse topics and from alternative publishers. Academic librarians can also be micro- activists through participation on an insti- tutional level, which builds like-minded communities just like larger social justice movements do. Colleges and universities are rife with committees, and librarians do themselves and their patrons a favor by speaking to their interests on a committee or two. I, for instance, am chair of my col- lege's committee in charge of professional development and diversity initiatives. These are just a few of the many ways librarians can be microactivists, of course. I have great faith in academic, as well as public, librarians' motivation to do good, and our creativity in finding ways to al- leviate systemic oppression. But we face a greater challenge when we work alone, handing out SNAP pamphlets in isolation. Let's take the momentum librarians like Zettervall have created and continue the discussion, form our own community, and build our own movement. In the face of change-averse academic administrations and the behemoth of systemic oppres- sion, let's support each other's micro- and macro-activism. Notes 1. See http://mlismsw.wordpress corn /author/sarazet4 http://stkatemlis.blogspot. com/2014/03/whole-person-librarianship -course.html. 2. See Daniel Solorzano, Miguel Ceja, and Tara Yosso's 2000 article in The Journal of Negro Education, "Critical Race Theory, Racial Microaggressions, and Campus Racial Climate: The Experiences of African American College Students." 3. See hap :Hen .wikip e di a . org/wiki /Microaggression. 4. See http://lismicroaggressions.tumblr. COM. 5. See www. g reen awards . c om/bl o g /microactivism-a-million-drops-of-water -make-a-rainstorm and http://firstmonday. org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4653. Acknowledgement Special thanks to Emily Drabinski, Char Booth, and Sara Zettervall for their input. om C&RL News ApriI2015 194 46 Not in My Library! Sanford Berman Foreword by Maurice J. freedman Berman's Bag" Columns from The Unabashed Librarian, 2,000 2013 47 "Genocide" or Merely "Massacres"? The Politics of Subject Cataloging (U*L 139, 2006) My previous column (no. 138, p. 19-20) quoted Nicholas D. Kristof's reference to "the Armenian genocide in 1915." Well, that event, like the ongoing nightmare in Darfur, also has library implications. On September 26,2005, I sent this letter to the Chief of the Library of Congress Cataloging Policy & Support Office (Washington, DC 20540-4305): Dear Colleague, At an EMIERT-sponsored program on resources related to the Armenian Genocide that took place on Saturday, June 25th, during this year's American Library Association Confer- ence in Chicago, I asked whether the present, misleading Library of Congress descriptor, ARMENIAN MASSACRES, 1915-1923, should be converted to the more accurate and schol- arly acceptable ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, 1915-1923. The presenter and entire audience emphatically endorsed such a change, especially since "massacres" suggests occasional, lim- ited, and even haphazard actions, failing to adequately denote or express the systematic and deliberate campaign waged by the Turkish regime to exterminate Armenians within the Ottoman Empire. In April 1990, Hennepin County Library in Minnesota replaced the "massacres" form with a "genocide" rubric, reporting that reform in HCL Cataloging Bulletin no. 105, p. 5-6: Armenian genocide, 1915-1923.** cn LC form: ARMENIAN MASSACRES, 1915 —1923. Authority: "Bush reaf- firms opposition to Armenian bill to visiting Turkish President," Asbarez, Jan. 27, 1990., p. 19 ("President George Bush assured Turkish President Turgut Ozal Thursday that he would vigor- ously oppose the pending Senate resolution to designate April 24 as a day of remembrance for Arme- nians massacred by Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Geno- cide, according to an Administra- tion official"). Assignment: Lindy V. Avakian's Cross and the crescent (1989). sf Armenian Holocaust, 1915 —1923 Armenian massacres, 1915 —1923 Genocide, Armenian, 1915 —1923 Holocaust, Armenian, 1915 —1923 XX Genocide The HCL treatment was later noted in The Reference Librarian, nos. 61/62 (1998), p. 223: 150 Armenian genocide, 1915-1923. 98 48 "Genocide" or Merely "Massacres"?— Cataloging Politics 450 Armenian Holocaust, 1915-1923. 550 Genocide 450 Armenian massacres, 1915-1923. 681 LC form: ARMENIAN MASSACRES, 1915- 450 Genocide, Armenian, 1915-1923. 1923. 450 Holocaust, Armenian, 1915-1923. In the meantime, as stated by Gary Bass in the attached 5-3-04 New Yorker, both the Boston Globe and New York Times adopted style guidelines preferring "Armenian Genocide" to "Armenian Massacres." Please make the substitution as a matter of historical accuracy and fairness. More than three months passed. No response. So on January 11, 2006, I directed this missive to James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, with copies to Minnesota's two Senators and my local Congressman: Dear Colleague, On September 26, 2005, I formally recommended to the Chief of the Library of Congress Cataloging Policy and Support Office that the LC subject heading, ARMENIAN MASSACRES, 1915-1923, be replaced with ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, 1915-1923. That communication, which cited relevant precedents and scholarly justification, produced no reply. Subse- quently, on 10-18-2005, 10-22-05, 10-28-05, 11-7-05, and 11-10-05, I submitted further doc- umentation, from such sources as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. These, too, elicited no response. In the meantime, I have heard—albeit indirectly— that this overdue change has been stymied or prevented by the State Department, presumably in order to avoid disturbing or inflaming relations with a NATO ally. I have two concerns: 1. The failure of the Library of Congress to acknowledge my suggestion and report on its status in a timely fashion. 2. The outrageous interference (or influence), if true, by an executive agency in the operation of the Library of Congress, in this case possibly damaging the historical accuracy and intellectual integrity of LC's product and undermining both the credibility and auton- omy of the institution itself. I trust you agree that serious communications should be treated with speed and courtesy, and that professional cataloging decisions should be immune to political intervention. The Library of Congress should not be an instrument of foreign or domestic policy. With best wishes, Sanford Berman Former Head Cataloger Hennepin County Library (Minnesota) ALA Honorary Member P.S. In the event there has not been any State Dept. tampering, what acceptable reason remains for not making the terminological switch supported by 95 percent of historians and academics (according to the CHGS Director)? Finally, on February 3, 2006, Deanna B. Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services, wrote: Dear Mr. Berman: Regarding your suggestion that the Library of Congress change its subject heading "Armenian massacres, 1915-1923" to "Armenian genocide, 1915-1923," you are probably aware there are resolutions on this subject currently pending in both the U.S. Senate and 99 49 NOT IN MY LIBRARY! the House of Representatives. It is inappropriate for the Library, as an agency of the Con- gress, to attempt to anticipate the outcome of the Congressional debate on this subject and to change the heading prematurely. We are carefully following the debate in Congress, and will consider changing our heading should the pending resolutions be adopted. I can reas- sure you that neither the State Department nor any other executive branch agency has in any way been involved with or "interfered" with the Library in this matter. A reference has been made from the term "Armenian genocide, 1915-1923" to the estab- lished heading, so no library user who looks under that term is denied access to relevant material. That prompted this reply, which to date (4-6-06) has gone unanswered: Dear Colleague, While relieved that "neither the State Department nor any other executive branch agency has in any way been involved with or 'interfered' with the Library" concerning the replace- ment f the primary subject heading, ARMENIAN MASSACRES, 1915-1923 with ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, 1915-1923, I am nonetheless dismayed that the decision to reform a palpably inaccurate and outdated LCSH descriptor for an historical event should depend on the out- come of pending Congressional resolutions. Forgive my youthful idealism, but I had imag- ined that determination of subject heading language was a professional and intellectual, not political, process. Although LC, as I noted in my 1-11-06 letter to James H. Billington, is surely the "Library of Congress," since when does that signify that Congress—rather than LC's own subject specialists— should dictate the form of LC subject headings? If executive agency tampering in subject cataloging is unconscionable (and it is), so is Congressional tamper- ing. Moreover, the essentially passive approach manifest in your 2-3-06 communication, can — and likely will — result in the perpetuation of an imprecise and unscholarly represen- tation of those 1915-1923 events. (There is, of course, no assurance that Senate or House will ever pass those pending resolutions. And I dearly hope that — in any event — Senators and Representatives do not wish to arrogate to themselves the power to dictate the forma- tion of library subject headings. That's the business and responsibility of librarians, not legislators.) The new "see" reference from "Armenian Genocide" to "Armenian Massacres" does not mitigate the elemental truth that the primary heading is wrong, its correction apparently being held hostage to both passivity and political deference. Incidentally, background and activist data on Darfur may be found at: • www.darfurdiaries.orq • arcsudan@vahoo.com (American Refugee Committee Khartoum) • huyp@archq.orq (ARC International Headquarters) • www.ajws.orq (American Jewish World Service) • http://SaveDarfur.orq • www.hrw.orq (Human Rights Watch) • www.amnestv.orq (Amnesty International) 100 50 Obsessions (U*L 144, 2007) These are remarks I made to students and faculty at two library schools: the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota (3-29-07) and UCLA (4-26-07): I'd like to share some recent obsessions and activities, which just might illustrate the challenges and possibilities of library activism. About two years ago, I attended an EMIERT-sponsored program during an ALA conference. It dealt with websites and online resources concerning the Armenian Geno- cide that took place nearly a century ago in Anatolia, during the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the death of up to a million and a half Armenians and a thorough "ethnic cleansing" of that group from Turkey. During the discussion period, I asked whether "Armenian Genocide" wouldn't be preferable and more accurate as a subject heading used in library catalogs than LC's "Armenian Massacres." The presenter and entire audience agreed that the misleading descriptor should be replaced by the more histor- ically correct form. I furnished LC contact data to the speaker, who assured me he'd approach the Library of Congress directly. I don't know if he did or not. But some time afterward, nothing had happened: the "Massacres" heading remained unchanged. So I initiated the correspondence partially reprinted in a recent Unabashed Librarian col- umn. Subsequently, I forwarded even more documentation affirming that most scholars and experts, including a number of courageous Turks themselves, unreservedly favored the "Genocide" designation. LC still has not budged. They appear to be waiting for the President or Congress to grant them permission, rather than exercising their own best judgment and intellectual integrity. Of course, it's all about not hurting Turkey's feel- ings, since the government there — a NATO ally — is in full denial of the genocide. How- ever, subject cataloging should not be about hurting another government's feelings or obeying the palpably political dicta of your own government. It should be about telling the truth and reflecting the consensus of scholarly opinion. This is a sad case of bald political deference in professional practice. And of intellectual cowardice. (Parenthet- ically, should anyone think that words don't matter: Frontline lately reported that 60 Turkish journalists have been prosecuted for "insulting Turkishness," which usually stemmed from talking about the Armenian experience plainly and calling it "genocide." Further, the American ambassador to Armenia last year was dismissed for publicly using the "G" word, a nice irony inasmuch as the same President who fired the diplomat 111 51 NOT IN MY LIBRARY! for not denying the Armenian Genocide has fiercely rebuked the President of Iran for denying the Nazi Holocaust.) Incidentally, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington has a website and library catalog. On its website, the language regarding those events in Anatolia is invariably "Armenian Genocide." That terminology appears in documents, curricula, and program announcements. So the staff and historians employ one terminology, the librarians another. This particular disconnect or disparity probably doesn't derive from political considerations. In a way, it's worse: It's because the library uses LCSH and will not depart from it even if it conflicts with the terminology favored by its own schol- ars and staff. It's another unhappy instance of slavishness, of lack of autonomy, local initiative, and critical thinking. They know better, but they won't do better — because they refuse to deviate from the "national standard"— even when that standard is demon- strably wrong. Continuing on the admittedly morbid and depressing theme of Holocaust and genocide: Several years ago I became aware, as perhaps many of you did, of something terrible and unacceptable happening in Western Sudan. I first heard eyewitness reports on Amy Goodman's radio show and slowly realized that not only was a momentous event unfolding in Darfur, but that it was being severely underreported in mass media. The first genocide of the 21st Century has involved 200,000 to 400,000 deaths, untold rapes, at least 1,200 villages destroyed, wells deliberately poisoned, and 2,000,000 people forced into exile, some migrating to neighboring Chad or the Central African Republic. There is no question that the Sudan government orchestrated the genocide and that Sudanese military forces, using Russian-supplied bombers, participated in the slaughter and displacement. I've found that most issues and problems have potential library ramifications. And so it struck me that libraries should indeed function as the oft-vaunted "bulwarks of democracy" by highlighting the Darfur Genocide and hopefully raise public conscious- ness and even foment citizen action. To that end, I submitted a resolution that ALA Council approved last summer, calling upon libraries to spotlight and frame the issue through collection development, displays, programming, and resource guides. Now that might sound like an achievement, like a real source of satisfaction in getting the profession to address a serious matter. But it's not. Because in the meantime, unless I've missed them, no ALA publication has published resource guides. In fact, none has even reprinted the full resolution. And locally, I three times wrote the directors of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County libraries, asking them to implement the ALA mandate. After the third time, HCL finally announced that my suggestion would be forwarded to "appropriate librarian staff." Minneapolis later said they'd had something on their website last year. That's all. Even though they have brand new auditoriums at their downtown building and a Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies (to tap for speakers or films) only miles away at the University. Having become properly fixated on the subject, I next contacted the ALA President, 112 52 Obsessions asking her to investigate divesting ALA funds from firms doing business with or in Sudan. I got a brief reply to the effect that ALA had no such investments. I wrote back with details regarding how such investments could be masked. That yielded a formal letter from the ALA investment manager assuring me that no association money was invested, for instance, in Chinese oil companies operating in Sudan. My fixation also spawned two Darfur-related columns in the U*N4A*B4-A*S*H*E*D Librarian, one citing a few online resources, another including the draft ALA resolution. I also practically begged readers to tell me about local or other efforts to generate infor- mation and interest on Darfur. None did. Nearly everything has a cataloging dimension. So does Darfur. I discovered that material on the topic was being subject cataloged by LC under SUDAN —HISTORY — DARFUR CONFLICT, 2003-. LCSH did have a "see"-reference from "Darfur Genocide, 2003-," but most catalog searchers I believe are far more likely to first seek "Darfur Genocide" itself. (And many libraries, unfortunately, do not input cross-references, so the primary term is important.) Moreover, like the Armenian case, the chosen LC pri- mary form in effect trivializes and misstates what's actually taking place. I recommended to LC that they switch or flip the terms. No answer yet. Since I'm a member of the MultiCultural Review Education Advisory Board, I duly suggested to the editor that MR publish annotated resource guides or bibliographic essays on both the Armenian and Darfur experiences. No response yet. Where I live, in Edina, Minnesota, the community newspaper lately ran a profile on someone who teaches at St. Thomas University and actively works toward ending the Darfur tragedy. I forwarded library-related items and invited her help in lobbying the Library of Congress and convincing our local libraries to promote the issue. I made a similar appeal to Taner Ackam, a Turkish scholar at the University of Minnesota. No responses yet. It might be worth adding that in this overall area of crimes against humanity, LC has also steadfastly refused to craft a heading like NATIVE AMERICAN HOLOCAUST (1492-1900). Instead, they continue to employ INDIANS, TREATMENT OF. Which is like saying "Jews, Treatment of" rather than "Jewish Holocaust." Also needed: a cross-reference from "Rwanda Genocide" to the standard form, .ENOCIDE —RWANDA. There's no reason for exultation in any of what I've shared with you. But perhaps It does demonstrate that there are various ways for libraries to address and explore erious issues. And that it often won't happen unless you make it happen. 113 53 More rAttemPtedi LCSH Input, Geopolitics Versus Historical Truth (U*L 155, 2010) These missives went to LC's Cataloging Policy & Support Office (Washington, DC 20540-4305): February 10, 2007 Dear Colleagues, I suggest innovating and retrospectively assigning this genre heading: EROTIC GRAPHIC NOVELS BT Erotic comic books, strips, etc. UF Adult graphic novels Erotic fiction Graphic novels, Erotic Graphic novels. The new form can be immediately applied to Melinda Gebbie/Alan Moore's Lost Girls (Book one, 1995; books 1-3, 2006). With warmest regards, /s/ Sanford Berman 11-18-08 Dear Colleagues, Lately, the Library of Congress introduced a genre heading for DOCUMENTARY COMIC BOOKS, STRIPS, ETC. Assuming that form was intended to denote and identify the non-fiction equivalents of GRAPHIC NOVELS, I warmly recommend changing it to the much less cumbersome and unfamiliar GRAPHIC NON-FICTION UF Documentary comic books, strips, etc. Non-fiction, Graphic BT Comic books, strips, etc. The altered descriptor may be retrospectively assigned to Howard Zinn's People's history of American empire; a graphic adaptation (2008) and Will Eisner's Plot: the secret story of the protocols of the Elders of Zion (2005). Incidentally, the two assigned subject tracings for the Eisner volume should be subdi- vided by COMIC BOOKS, STRIPS, ETC. And the work merits at least two further access points: 147 54 NOT IN MY LIBRARY! 3. Forgeries—Comic books, strips, etc. 4. Literary hoaxes—Comic books, strips, etc. With warmest regards, /s/ Sanford Berman 12-15-09 Dear Colleagues, I recommend establishing a new subject heading: CYYBERCHONDRIA SN Here are entered materials on the baseless fueling of fears and anxi- ety about common health symp- toms due to information gleaned from the Internet. SF Internet-fueled health anxiety Web-fueled health anxiety BT Health information — Internet resources Hypochondrias Attached: Usage-examples and citations for online and other assignment-candidates. With best wishes, /s/ Sanford Berman 2-2-10 Dear Colleagues, I recommend creating a subject heading for GROUP POLARIZATION SN Here are entered materials on the tendency for people to develop attitudes or make decisions that are more extreme when in a group, rather than doing so alone or independently. UF Choice shift (Group polarization) Polarization, Group Risky shift (Group polarization) BT Attitude change Polarization (Social sciences) Social groups Social psychology Attached: usage-examples, definition, and assignment candidate citations from Wikipedia, Google books, and the 11-2-09 New Yorker (Elizabeth Kolbert's "Things people say"). With best wishes, /s/ Sanford Berman 2-23-10 Dear Colleagues: Based on the attached Harper's Magazine creating a subject heading for article and many Google citations, I suggest PROSPERITY GOSPEL SN Here are entered materials on the belief that God wants His children to enjoy health, happiness, and wealth now and not as an eternal reward in Heaven. With best wishes, Is! Sanford Berman UF Gospel of prosperity Gospel of wealth Wealth gospel BT Wealth — Religious aspects— Christianity 148 55 More LCSH Input, Geopolitics Versus Truth As an update to my remarks in U*L 139 ("`Genocide' or Merely 'Massacres'?— the Politics of Subject Cataloging," p. 15-18) and 144 ("Obsessions," p. 26-28), on March 5, 2010 I directed this letter to Howard L. Berman (U.S. House Foreign Affairs Com- mittee, Washington, DC 20515): Dear Representative Berman, On December 5, 2009, I wrote President Barack Obama: This may seem a small and superficial matter. Yet it directly deals with the issue of conducting foreign relations on the basis of firm principles like truthfulness and support for victims of oppression and mass murder. To get to the point: your predecessor dismissed the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia because that envoy spoke in public about the "Armenian Genocide." Successive administrations have denied that unquestionable genocide in order not to offend Turkey, an ally whose government steadfastly maintains that the willful expulsion and exter- mination of Armenians in Anatolia from 1915 to 1922 never happened. Or that it was their own fault. I now learn that you, too, have decided not to use the G-word. Has truth become a negotiable commodity, a geopolitical pawn? Are Armenians never to achieve the same kind of recognition of their historic calamity as Jews and Rwandans? All because we fear to offend the descendants of the original perpetrators? Pretty sad. And shameful. I, for one, expected more honesty and integrity from an Obama presidency. The President never responded. Two years earlier, on 10-22-07, I urged Speaker Pelosi to schedule a House vote on declaring the 1915-1922 events a genocide. I believe she failed to do so. Yesterday, BBC World News reported that the House Foreign Affairs Committee had again approved a genocide resolution. I applaud that action. By copy of this letter, I once more urge Speaker Pelosi to permit a vote. And I encourage my own Representa- tive, Erik Paulsen, to support this long overdue statement that the destruction of some 1.5 million Armenians almost a century ago should rightfully be termed what it was: geno- cide. On a directly-related matter: Since 2005, I have been petitioning the Library of Con- gress to replace its globally-employed subject heading, ARMENIAN MASSACRES, with the more accurate and historical ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. Thus far, LC has adamantly refused to make this simple change although they have the authority and technology to do so. Therefore, I request that the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Rep. Paulsen recom- mend to the Library of Congress that the present inaccurate and misleading descriptor be replaced by the Genocide form sanctioned by scholars, historians, and human rights advo- cates. With thanks in advance for your timely response, /s/ Sanford Berman cc: Hon. Nancy Pelosi Hon. Erik Paulsen Enclosures Hardly any surprise, but as of April 9th, there hadn't been any "timely response." In fact, no response at all, not even an acknowledgment. Press reports, however, suggest that the Genocide declaration will be shelved by the House leadership, even though the Swedish Parliament had defied its own government one week after the House com- mittee action,. prompting the New York Times to exclaim: "Sweden labels mass killing of Armenians genocide." That led me to transmit a short plea to Berman, Pelosi, and Paulsen: 149 56 NOT IN MY LIBRARY! March 18, 2010 Dear Representatives, If the Swedes can do it, so can we! Please let the whole House vote on H. Res* 252. It's shameful that the United States remains among the genocide-deniers. Tangentially, I attended a program on March 30th at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. The topic: Youth in Cuba Today. The presenters: two Federation of University Students leaders, one 24, the other 30 (not exactly "youths"). One Speaker, in the course of reciting the Cuban Revolution's many successes, explicitly declared that the island is not beset by "racial discrimination." Later, someone asked how Cuba addresses "Africanness," and was assured by the same speaker that a particular saint's day is widely observed and emphasizes African elements, and that Afro-Cuban drum groups are common, enjoying official support. Unable to contain myself, I observed — from the audience — that it was fine to celebrate Africanness. I applauded it. However, I wondered why, since 60-70 percent of the Cuban population is Black, did Afro- Cubans experience 70 percent unemployment compared to 30 percent for Whites, and why did Blacks constitute 85 percent of the prison population. The immediate reply was to impugn my numbers and their source. But I noted that the statistics derived from a state-published document authored by the chief economist. Then the "defense" was to explain the disparities as a "legacy," not something for which the Cuban revolutionary leadership could possibly be held responsible. Despite a wealth of visual, statistical and anecdotal evidence, the presenters simply could not manage to say the word, "racism." Yet until something is called by its right name, it cannot be corrected. Armenians continue to undergo spiritual and emo- tional torment because Turkish nationalists and bureaucrats refuse to acknowledge what befell their ancestors, refuse to say "genocide." And Afro-Cubans are unlikely to experience full citizenship and equality until Cuban political (and "youth") leaders rec- ognize that racism permeates their society. I'll readily furnish more documentation on both situations, Turkish and Cuban, on request. The Library COOKERY, with favored moderni applause. Less pri switch. They could 1 Although it t nepin County Lib duly reported tha letin. If anyone It finally permit mo is not worth celet My still-unsi subject form, AR stark departure fi make the change I and House leader pened to Armenii case of LC failing Emily Parker repc Canadian writer I story of Lu Dechei during the 1989 pi tered face underm Icon and Unmask 150 57 rld longing for heroes, let's pay tribute to Sandy”—Bill Katz (1988) "Like a modern-day Diogenes, Sandy seeks honest librarians and where he does not find them, calls them to task. Good thing his humor is as great as his Outrage at the shoddy, the biased, the incomprehensible"—James P. Danky, coeditor (with Sandy), Alternative Librmy Literature, 1982-20( "The indelatigable Sandy is, right now, campaigning for LC to add the subject headings STOP-AND-Ms WAGF HEY 1, and DRON1 WAR, ARI "—Tina Gross, Minnesota librarian, writer and activist "Sandy Berman is one of the most original and interesting thinkers in the library field. Anything h ri I es — I want to read!"— Patricia Glass Schuman, cofounder Neal-Schuman, former ALA preside, "Known as an advocate for the disadvantaged, the minority, the isolated, Sandy is much more—faithful custodian of the intellectual commons that the public library must be if our democracy is to survive"—James Chaffee, San Francisco library advocate "Sandy has the passion of a revolutionary. 11 is righteous indignation is all the more endearing for the pomposity of his targets"— James V. Carmichael, Jr., LIS professor,;UNC Greensboro Foreword by Mitch Freedman, a reprinted Counterpoise interview and 43 of Sanford Berman's LI*1 columns dealing with book-burning, genocide, government secrecy and repression, cataloging, indexing, classism, sell- censorship and free speech for library staff (et cetera!). Index by Chris Dodge. "Sandy Berman is fire for the mind. Along with heat and light, he brings unchained intelligence and a passion for justice. lie's readable, he's revolutionary, and, by golly, he's right!"—Rosalie Maggio, How to Say It author "Sandy Berman is the biggest mensch in librarianship. He is fiercely brilliant and critical, but just as strongly warm and generous"—Jenna Freedman, research 8; zinc librarian, Barnard "Indulge yourself in a marathon binge. Where else are you going to find cover-to-cover unadulterated library opinion? Just askin'!"—Toni Samek, US professor, University of Alberta "For more than half a century, Sandy Berman has radicalized librarianship, improved cataloging, admonished the Library of Congress, stimulated peers, and published hundreds of scholarly works.. Thank goodness!"— RobertHauptman, editor, Journal of Information Ethics •••••n ."We li in difficult times, but $andy's optimism and fitith,give.s ns all _hope for the future oflibraries"—Larl Lee, technical services, Pittsburg State University "Our leading missionary, revolutionary, irritant and inspiration"—Eric Moon (1993) McFarland 9 1/81/1 1 86 1 1111 1 478224 On the cin Santord Berman in hb. home office, 099 (photograph 1-n onn Nelson); t1lotI1ion' Irom Siiuidi as background 58