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<br /> <br />how long it took him to learn the same lessons. He stated he was very pro-Latino after living in <br />Argentina for 10 years and working with Latinos for the past 45 years. <br /> Mr. Vazquez stated in the realm of “Minnesota Nice” where we focus on what not to say because it <br />might hurt somebody else’s feelings, what do people do when they see racial injustice happening. <br /> Councilmember Jacobsen stated this was situational for him. He described how he stepped up in other <br />people’s defense at work. He indicated he was more challenged when attending large family gatherings <br />in rural settings. He commented he was becoming more aware of these situations. <br /> Councilmember Allen explained he worked for an umbrella of the AFL-CIO that addressed economic <br />and racial justice issues. He stated he has gone to protests for George Floyd and Breanna Taylor. He <br />indicated he has been challenging his relatives that don’t live in the area to talk about implicit bias. He <br />stated these conversations have gotten heated, but progress was made. He believed that he was falling <br />short on social media because things can get very uncomfortable. <br /> Mr. Vazquez stated he has taken a step back on social media because this platform was not the right <br />place to have this type of conversation. Instead, he was now reaching out to individuals and speaking <br />to people one on one when he sees a comment that makes him uncomfortable. He stated this has led to <br />some very good conversations and better understanding. <br /> Councilmember Dunsworth explained she has a multi-racial family. She commented she did not <br />always believe people of color when they said racists things happen to them until she has been around it <br />and seen it for herself. She stated she was more understanding now and knew what to look for, <br />especially the micro-aggression issues. She indicated she was at Target one time and another customer <br />said to her son, “Oh, he’s cute. What is he?” She reported her son responded he was a kindergartner, <br />which quickly diffused the situation. She discussed how she becomes flustered when things like this <br />happen to her. She stated she was still learning how to speak up and had phrases in her toolbelt to <br />address negative comments. She indicated she was working to be a better ally for people of color. <br /> Mr. Vazquez explained how he responds to the question, “Where are you from?” He spoke to the <br />difference of where he was from versus where he was born. <br /> City Manager Massopust provided an example stating he was completing a fantasy football draft two <br />nights ago. He stated one of the members in the Zoom meeting made a comment about the Asian <br />American in the draft thinking he would be funny. He commented there was a pause and nobody said <br />anything. He explained he was not a fan of conflict and he needs to know better how to address these <br />types of things in the moment. <br /> Mr. Vazquez encouraged City Manager Massopust to have a conversation with both the individual who <br />made the comment and the person that the comment was made to. He stated this was a way to stand up <br />for the racial injustice. <br /> Abdullahi Abdulle explained he joined the meeting midway. He thanked Ruben for facilitating this <br />meeting. He appreciated the conversations that were being held. He stated not talking about race was <br />not solving the problem. He encouraged the City to continue holding these types of conversations. He <br />commented on some of the personal experiences he has had in this country. He stated it started with <br />professors and the questions they asked him as to why he came to the country. He reported he ended <br />up changing his major because he had to get away from a professor because he never had all the right <br />answers. He discussed how comments regarding hijabs affect him because everyone in his family wears <br />a hijab. He stated as he has gotten older, he has been able to stand up more against racial injustice and <br />biases. <br /> Mr. Vazquez commented he has seen from the BIPOC community that it has become easier for them to <br />stand up and say something, especially after 2016, and after the murder of George Floyd. He explained <br />he was struggling with the fact that the dominant white community members were not saying anything. <br />He indicated this may be due to the fact they were afraid of saying the wrong thing. He challenged the <br />white community members to be uncomfortable. <br /> Ms. Douglas stated this was calling her out. She didn’t realize she was doing a bad thing. She noted