2020.09.02 WS Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

she works for a State Farm office in Northeast Minneapolis. She noted her office had a very diverse clientele group and she gets to know them b y asking what country they come from. She stated she enjoyed getting to know people and their life experiences and was understanding now that this was insulting. Mr. Vazquez encouraged Ms. Douglas to consider if she would ask this same question of someone who was white and discussed the impact this question has on people of color. Mr. Justin stated he would ask the same question of white people because he was an inquisitive person. He believed that Ms. Douglas was also being inquisitive by trying to get to know her clients. Perhaps the way the question is phrased was a concern. But he stated he would keep trying to get to know people, where they grew up and what brought them to New Brighton. He did not want people to become nervous about asking people questions because they feared they were insulting someone. Mr. Vazquez commented this was correct and stated it would benefit people to ask where did you grow up versus where are you from. He encouraged residents to share their own experiences in order to let people in. Ms. Becher explained she was a very private person on social media. She reported she had an experience where a black woman she grew up with saw her silence as a painful betrayal. She commented she has become more aware of how her silence makes others feel. Mr. Vazquez indicated he had a lot of people reach out to him after the murder of George Floyd. He stated these people were asking how to get involved because this person felt this was expected. He commented on the numerous ways people can be engaged in their own way, such as making donations, bringing water to protests, buying masks at Target, etc. He explained he does not make posts on social media but rather he has real conversations with people. Mr. Justin commented on the importance of how statements are phrased. He noted the death of George Floyd was being investigated and people do not have all of the information. He recommended that Mr. Vazquez not refer to this as a murder because it was still being investigated. Mr. Vazquez thanked Mr. Justin for sharing his opinion but noted he was going off of the information he had regarding the death and he believed it to be murder. Mr. Abdulle stated he believed George Floyd was murdered as well and not an unfortunate death. He discussed the different ways people addressed racial injustice and stated he appreciated when his colleagues and coworkers empathized with him even when they cannot fully understand what he is going through. He believed those people that want to be allies during moments or racial tension should show their support or make a phone call. Mayor Johnson indicated she believed George Floyd was murdered as well. She understood there may be other circumstances, but a police officer had a knee to his neck for almost nine minutes. She commended Mr. Vazquez for facilitating the meeting as he had. She apologized to Mr. Justin if this was not what he wanted to hear. Mr. Vazquez thanked all of the members of the public who had participated in this meeting. He commented on how his experiences were different from other people in the community. He appreciated the fact that the community was working to move forward even if this meant learning from the bumps along the way. Listening session adjourned at 7:26 pm Respectfully submitted, Terri Spangrud City Clerk