Item C: City Council Priority Issue - Communities of Color Meeting Debrief

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Communities of Color Meeting – Table #2 Note taker: Janie King Facilitator: Beth Rietveld Participants: Johnny Lake Charmaine Coleman Betty Taylor Neil Van Steenbergen Eve Terran Yungsonna Geil-Walker The facilitator asked the table to explain who they are, their relationship to Eugene, why they came today and what they want to get out of the meeting. She said we will end with 2-3 things we’d like to see that are do-able, and 10-12 things we’d like to do in the future. One person said she has lived in Eugene for 44 years. She and her husband researched, knew the demographics and chose to live here. They were ready for the challenge and have raised two sons in Eugene. She feels her attitude was primary. Another person said he has lived in Eugene for 15 years, and his first impression of Eugene continues. He’s very involved in the community and feels that we need to listen more, and hear the voices and stories of minorities. Another person is a Korean adoptee. She said being surrounded by people who care is important. She’s involved with special education, human services, and has worked with youth of color. She said she’s anxious to hear new voices, saying it seems like the same ones all the time. Another person said he grew up in Tennessee, which, he said is more overtly racist than Eugene. He talked about consistent racial profiling being prevalent in Eugene and the fact that conversations like these are redundant. Another person said she is a graduate student at the UO in the Restorative Justice Program. She’s a single parent, and has developed new insight on how hard life is for lots of people. She wants to help and is here today to learn and connect. Another person said she is a City Councilor and was an English teacher before beginning her political life. She was also born in Tennessee. She remembers being in church at age 7 when a black man sat next to a white man, and the minister said that perhaps next time the “colored member” would be more comfortable sitting with his own people. She knew at that young age, that it was wrong, and that was the beginning of her desire to help minorities. The group talked about sophisticated racism, which is more covert. One person said that until denial is addressed, we won’t get anywhere. He said there’s always an excuse when people are being racist. He calls it intellectual ignorance when people say things they should know are wrong. Communities of Color 7 July 12, 2006