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[*This meeting was joined in progress* ]
OKAY.I THINK WE'VE GOT MOST EVERYBODY BACK.
SO KEVIN, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU TO WRAP UP, UH, YOUR, YOUR CONVERSATION AND YOUR POINTS THAT YOU WERE IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING THEIR, SO THE LAST SENTENCE WAS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LEAST PRIVILEGED AND THE COMMENTARY WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MAKE POLICY.
SO, SO THE 1928 PLAN IS A BIG, IT IS INDEED A BIG DEAL.
IT'S A CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN SET FORTH OVER TIME AND HERE.
I WANT YOU TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THIS LANGUAGE.
THIS IS THE PLAN THAT EVERYONE POINTS TO OR MANY, MANY PEOPLE POINT TO AS LIKE THIS DEFINING MOMENT OF AUSTIN'S RACISM.
UM, AND SO HERE ARE THE PRIVILEGING OF WHITE DEVELOPMENT.
ALL RIGHT? MOST OF THE PROPERTY THAT WILL BE NEEDED AS IT PRESENT OCCUPIED BY UNSIGHTLY, UNSANITARY SHACKS, AND HABITED BY NEGROES WITH THESE BUILDINGS REMOVED TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRAFFIC WAY, THE REMAINING PROPERTY WILL BE OF SUBSTANTIAL AND MORE DESIRABLE TYPE.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS DRIVEWAY AND RECLAMATION OF THE BANKS OF THE CREEK WILL MAKE THE REMAINING PROPERTY BURIED, DESIRABLE, AND WILL INCREASE ITS VALUE TIME.
MANY TIMES THE COST OF THE ACQUISITION ITSELF.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE, THE TOPOGRAPHY IS VERY ROUGH AND AT PRESENT OCCUPIED BY THE CHEAPEST TYPE OF NEGRO SHACKS IS A DIFFERENT PART OF THE CITY.
WHEREAS THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY ADJOINING IS MORE VALUABLE AND CAN EVENTUALLY BE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF THE HIGHEST FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THIS PROPERTY FOR PARK PURPOSES AND THE REMOVAL OF THE PRESENT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
I E THE NEGROES WILL INCREASE THE VALUE OF THE SURROUNDING PROPERTY, MANY TIMES THE COST OF ITS ACQUISITION.
SO THE CITY IS DECIDING HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DEVELOPED.
AND WHAT THEY'VE CONCRETELY DECIDED IS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO MOVE THE REMAINING BLACK PEOPLE FROM THESE COMMUNITIES AND FORCE THEM EAST.
SO IT IS PRIVILEGE OVER THE MARGINALIZED, BUT THEN THEY SAY, WELL, THEN WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO MITIGATE THIS.
UM, WE ARE GOING, WE WANT TO, FOR THE NEGROES, PROVIDE THAT ALL FACILITIES AND CONVENIENCES BE PROVIDED THE NEGROES IN THIS DISTRICT AS AN INCENTIVE TO DRAW THE NEGRO POPULATION TO THE AREA.
AND THEN LITTLE BIT LATER DOWN, WE FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT THE NEGRO SCHOOLS BE PROVIDED WITH AMPLE AND ADEQUATE PLAYGROUND SPACE AND FACILITIES SIMILAR TO THE WHITE SCHOOLS OF THE CITY.
NOW, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WHEN THEY DID BUILD THE SCHOOLS, SO WHEN LIKE SIMS ELEMENTARY IS BUILT IN DEEP EAST AUSTIN, AND CASSIE'S ELEMENTARY IS BUILT AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE BUILT TO DIFFERENT SPECIFICATIONS.
THERE'S BLACK SPECIFICATIONS AND THERE'S WHITE SPECIFICATIONS.
AND THE OBVIOUS POINT THAT WAS MADE IN THE COURT CASES SEPARATE BUT EQUAL, NEVER IS.
BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT HERE IS THAT NOBODY WAS USING THE LANGUAGE OF LET'S SCREW OVER THE MARGINALIZED POPULATION.
LET'S BE EVIL, LET'S BE RACIST, LET'S BE SEXIST.
ANY OF THAT, THEY WERE SAYING, HEY, LET'S TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.
AND THEN LET'S MAKE SURE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN BY THIS OTHER POPULATION.
SO EVEN AS WE MAKE POLICY TODAY AROUND POLICING AROUND SAFETY OR NOTIONS OF SAFETY AROUND HOW WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUT THE BUILD OUT THE ENVIRONMENT, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE FLIPPED THINGS ON THEIR HEAD.
WE WILL IMPLICITLY TAKE CARE OF THE MOST PRIVILEGED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO WE'VE THE MOST PRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES HAVE A PERCEPTION OR CONCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
EVEN IF THEIR CONCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS 180 DEGREES OPPOSITE OF ANOTHER COMMITTED COMMUNITY, THE MORE POWERFULS COMMUNITY'S DEFINITION OF SAFETY WILL PREVAIL UNLESS WE BRING AN EQUITY LENS AND SAY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE MOST MARGINALIZED IN OUR POPULATION.
FIRST, ASK THEM THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND GET A SENSE OF THEIR NEEDS AND PRIVILEGE, LITERALLY PRIVILEGE THE FORMERLY MOST MARGINALIZED.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE PRIVILEGED ARE GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT BEING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IS THAT THE MOST PRIVILEGED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO WORK THE SYSTEM.
IF WE SET UP GUARD RAILS, WE SET UP A LANE AND WE SAY, DO IT THIS WAY.
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AND BY THE WAY, IT'S GOING TO VEER YOU AWAY A LITTLE BIT FROM PRIVILEGE.OUR MOST PRIVILEGED FOLK, JUST IN LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR KIDS, WE'LL FIND A WAY AROUND OUR WOLVES.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PRIVILEGED, WORRY ABOUT OUR MOST MARGINALIZED FIRST AND TO SEE TO THEM.
UM, AUSTIN HAS AMAZINGLY AFFECTED THE DRUM, THE, THE, THE OUTRIGHT DESTRUCTION AND AT THE VERY MOST CHARITABLE, THE INCREDIBLE REDUCTION OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY FROM ONE THIRD TO SEVEN OUT OF A HUNDRED.
SO FROM 33, OUT OF A HUNDRED TO SEVEN, OUT OF A HUNDRED, OVER A COURSE OF LIKE 140 YEARS, IT'S BEEN A STEADY DECLINE.
THE DECLINE IN MY ANALYSIS IS 100% ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE POLICY DECISIONS WE'VE MADE THAT HAVE JUST MADE IT YUCKY OR SOMETIMES DEADLY OR BAD FOR YOUR KIDS TO REMAIN.
SO IF YOU CAN AFFECT, UH, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST STOP THERE.
AND, AND SO I SEE POWERFUL IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SCHOOL BOARDS, HOW WE DO OUR BUSINESS, THERE'S POWERFUL IMPLICATIONS, AND THIS IS WHY THE NOTION OF AN EQUITY LENS COME, COMES INTO PLAY AND BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'LL SEND YOU, I'LL SEND YOU ALL THIS LIKE LITTLE EIGHT PAGES BRIEF, UM, AND FIGHT ANY CONVERSATION IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND MONEY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO QUESTIONS AND ALL, KICK IT OFF AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, KEVIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND SHARE BOTH THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY AND, UM, FROM A POLICY LENS, WHICH IS REALLY THE FOCUS OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO THAT.
MY QUESTION, WHICH MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I THINK IS ONE THAT SHOULD BE ASKED IS AS WE ARE LOOKING TO CREATE POLICIES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, BECAUSE THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY AND ITS COUNTRY ISN'T BUILT ON EQUITY, WHERE DO WE GO TO FIND THE IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR THEM? AND LIKE I SAID, IT MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT NO OTHERS IS TO JUST CONTINUE KIND OF DILUTING THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE RATHER THAN COMPLETELY RESTRUCTURING THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE'VE BUILT.
SO IT'S, IT'S TYPICALLY A MATTER OF REFORM VERSUS JUST WHOLESALE, FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN DO SOME REFORMS ON THE WAY TO STRUCTURAL CHANGE, BUT WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE ALL TOO OFTEN THAT JUST BEAUTIFUL COMPLEX DIVERSITY OF THIS NATION, THE REGIONAL DIVERSITY, THE DIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WHERE FOLKS HAVE COME FROM TERMS OF INCORPORATION AS TO HOW YOU GOT HERE.
ALL OF THIS STUFF COMES TO BEAR AND RESULTS AND A TAPESTRY WHERE ACROSS THE NATION, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON AND THINGS ROLLED OUT IN DIFFERENT WAY.
WE ARE ANYTHING BUT A UNIFORM NATION.
AND EVEN WHEN YOU BOIL DOWN TO AUSTIN, IT'S ANYTHING, YOU KNOW WHAT UNIFORM, AND YOU CAN GO INTO ALMOST ANY OF THESE SPACES AND SEE RADICAL DIFFERENCES.
AND YOU CAN SEE EXAMPLES OF THINGS WORK.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE, UH, AN AISD POLICE FORCE.
WE HAVE PATROL OFFICERS AND WE HAVE SRO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN POLICE OFFICERS IN THE CAMPUSES.
UM, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU JUST TO BETRAY MY, LIKE MY OWN BIASES.
I'M NOT A FAN OF BULLETS IN, IN, IN SCHOOLS.
I'M JUST NOT, UM, I LOVE SAFETY INSECURITY, BUT THAT HAS INCREASED ARMAMENTS.
HAVEN'T MET THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I FALL ON THAT.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS ACROSS AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE HAVE BUILDINGS WITH NO SROI MIDDLE SCHOOLS OR HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE THE DISCIPLINARY REFERRAL RATES, THE PUNISHMENTS THAT CRY THE INCIDENCE OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER BAD THINGS HAPPENING IS VERY LOW, RIGHT.
WE HAVE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE A VERY STRONG POLICE PRESENCE ON CAMPUS, AND THE PROBLEMS ARE VERY HIGH AND THEY DON'T MAP AS NICELY AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'D THINK THAT, WELL, IF THERE'S NO POLICE, THERE'S GOING TO BE HIGH CRIME, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU DIAL DOWN TO THE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE THEM.
THEY HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC AND STRATEGIC AND PURPOSEFUL APPROACH TO HIRING
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THEIR TEACHERS, ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR TEACHERS.AND ALSO A THEORY OF ACTION IN TERMS OF THEIR SOLUTION-BASED APPROACH TO DEALING WITH STUDENTS IN CRISIS.
UM, AND IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY POWERFUL STUFF.
AND THE PRINCIPAL WHO'S ABOUT LIKE A 35 YEAR VETERAN KNOWS WHAT SHE'S DOING, BUT SHE DOES NOT HAVE POLICE ON CAMPUS.
AND THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF A HIGHER NEEDS POPULATION, MORE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SELF HARM, MORE KIDS WHO HAVE GOTTEN INTO QUOTE UNQUOTE TROUBLE.
AND SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT COMMUNITY AND HAS AN APPROACH.
SO ALL THAT'S TO SAY IS THAT THE SOLUTION AND VERY LONG-WINDED WAY TO SAY THE SOLUTIONS ARE OUT THERE.
WE NEED TO DO THE WORK AROUND THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE STATE AND WITHIN THE REGION TO FIND THE MODELS AND STUDY THEM AND PILOT THEM INTO IN OUR, IN OUR MUNICIPALITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING THAT.
UM, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR, TO OTHERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN OR COMMENTS.
UM, KEVIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR YOU PRESENT.
I LOVE THE, UH, OVERVIEW THAT YOU GAVE OF THIS, UH, DESTRUCTION OF BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS.
SO I, I RE I SEE THAT THIS WAS WRITTEN, UH, PROVIDED A FEW YEARS AFTER THE, UM, ERIC TANG REPORT AS WELL, THAT, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIES THE QUALITY OF LIFE AREAS THAT ARE LACKING AND THAT ARE LEADING TO THE OUT MIGRATION OF BLACK FOLK FROM AUSTIN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I LIKED THAT THIS PROVIDES A RESPONSE, ALMOST AN ANSWER, YOU KNOW, OF WAYS FOR BOARD YOU LEAVE IT AT OUR BOARDS, ARE OUR BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COUNCILS TO THIS TASK, UM, OF EMPOWERING LEAST BRIDGE FIRST.
AND, UM, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I GUESS PIGGYBACKING OFF OF AMMANI'S QUESTION, UM, ARE THERE BOARDS HERE, HAVE YOU SEEN EVIDENCE OF, YOU KNOW, BOARDS IN GOOD FAITH TRYING TO REALLY PROVIDE THIS EQUITY LENS? I KNOW WE HAVE AN EQUITY OFFICE AND, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, UM, SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, I MEAN, OBVIOUS OUTSIDE OF THE AWESOME WORK OF THIS COMMISSION AND, UM, WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING IN EARNEST, UM, JUST, UH, JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, BUT ALSO JUST THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THIS.
I AM ALSO VERY GUILTY OF POINTING TO THE 1928 MASTER PLAN, UM, AND PINPOINTING THAT AS THE MOMENT, BUT OBVIOUSLY I RECOGNIZE THAT IT WASN'T, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER THAT THIS GOES FAR BEYOND THAT.
IT'S IT EXISTS IN CONTEXT AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT, IT'S AN IMPORTANT HISTORIC DOCUMENT.
AND AS YOU SAY, IT JUST FITS IN WITHIN THE CONTEXT.
AND I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF BECAUSE I MANAGED TO ANSWER AMMANI'S TOUGH CREDIT QUESTION, BUT YOU JUST LIKE DOUBLED DOWN AND WENT EVEN DEEPER.
LIKE, DO WE HAVE SPACES? YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND OUR VARIOUS MUNICIPAL BODIES WHERE IT'S GOING WELL, UM, I'LL SAY THIS, I THINK THERE'S MANY EARNEST FOLKS OUT THERE WHO COME FROM SORT OF ACROSS POLITICAL SPECTRUM WHO ARE TRYING TO SOLVE OUR CHALLENGES.
AND ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES IS SORT OF GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF OUR BASIC FACTS, OUR BASIC DEFINITIONS, ET CETERA.
AND THAT GIVES RISE TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF WORK WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DO TRAININGS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT I GET KIND OF TRAINED OUT SOMETIMES.
AND, BUT RECOGNIZE IT ALSO AS, UM, IMPORTANT.
SO THE KIND OF MEALING HALFWAY ANSWER IS I SEE PEOPLE TRYING, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, THIS IS THE FLIP SIDE OF OUR DIVERSITY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE COME TO A PLACE WHERE OUR BODIES.
SO LIKE FOR INSTANCE, I SIT ON A NINE MEMBER SCHOOL BOARD AND WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS IN GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND GETTING TO THE SAME PAGE, DETERMINING WHERE WE SHARE VALUES IN SCHOOL.
WE CAN, WE CAN GO LIGHT WARP SPEED.
IF THAT'S A PHRASE, WE CAN GO WARP SPEED FOR PROGRESS, WHERE WE ALL SHARE VALUES.
AND THEN THOSE AREAS, WHAT WE DON'T SHARE VALUES, WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO TO AT LEAST GET ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND THEN IF WE CAN'T GET IT, THEN IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? YOU'RE EITHER GOING TO FIND A WAY TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE AND MOVE FORWARD, OR YOU'RE GOING TO FORM COALITIONS AND BLOCKS AND MAJORITIES AND DO POLITICAL WORK SO THAT I GET A FIVE TO FOUR.
THE PROBLEM WITH A FIVE TO FOUR IS THAT I'M GOING TO LEAVE.
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO, AND IT'S GOING TO FLIP.
AND OUR POLICY'S GOING TO FLIP FLOP.
THE MUCH BETTER SPACE IS FOR US TO BE HEALTHY AS A CITY WHERE WE GET A NINE O IN A VERY
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EARNEST WAY.AND THAT'S THE HARDEST WORK RIGHT NOW.
THIS HOMELESS THING WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF IT.
WE'VE GOT A HORRIBLE PROBLEM AND IT'S ARE YOU ON THIS SIDE? ARE YOU ON THAT SIDE? AND I'M ONE OF THE VERY FEW PEOPLE, I THINK WHO THINK THAT THIS WHOLE AWFUL DEBACLE OF WE'RE HERE, WE'RE THERE, WE'RE HERE WHERE THERE HAS A SILVER LINING AND THAT'S THAT PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS GOING ON NOW SAW PEOPLE, THE INVISIBLE BECAME VISIBLE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE STEPPED UP AND SAID, I'M NOT AGAINST THIS POPULATION.
I'M AGAINST THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM.
AND THEY, AND THEN WHEN PUSHED, THEY SAID, YEAH, I'LL EVEN PUT, I'LL EVEN PUT NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE, I'LL LEAVE.
AND LIKE GO IN AND SAY, WE'VE GOT TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
WELL, NOW WE GET TO CASH THAT CHECK IT'S.
THIS THING IS THE, THE VOTE HAS GONE A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT YOU HAD ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT SAID THEY SHARE VALUES ON THAT.
SO NOW THE SPACE OF OPPORTUNITY IS TO GO TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO AT LEAST AGREED THAT BEING HOMELESS SUCKS.
AND NOW WE SEE HOW BIG THE PROBLEM IS.
IT'S TIME TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
SOME MIGHT SAY THAT'S A PRETTY LAME SILVER LINING, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT SILVER LINING BECAUSE I KNOW TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AUSTINITES HAD NO IDEA THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT SLEEP ON THE STREETS AND LESS PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME ARE DRUG ADDICTED, SOME ARE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, SOME ARE FULL-TIME WORKING AND STILL HOMELESS.
SO THAT LIKE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN LAID BARE TO THOSE WHO HAVE HEARTS TO ACTUALLY THINK IT THROUGH REGARDLESS OF THE, OF WHERE THEY ARE ON A POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
YEAH, NO, IT SEEMS LIKE NOWADAYS, THIS IS MY LAST COMMENTS.
UM, EVERYONE HAS THE WORD EQUITY IN THEIR MISSION STATEMENT, A VALUE STATEMENT.
I'M WONDERING THOUGH, INSTEAD OF THAT AESTHETIC SOLIDARITY, IF THERE IS A KEY THING THAT IF YOU WERE DOING IT, YOU WERE SIMULATING SHOWING THAT EQUITY IS AT THE CENTER OF WHAT YOUR WORK IS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS POLICY REALM.
AND, UM, I HAVE, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT LIKE A BLANKET OF THAT THAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, PUT ACROSS AUSTIN.
AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY WAYS TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, UH, THAT YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT.
I CERTAINLY HAVE, AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE IDEAS THAT ARE FLOATING GROUNDS, UM, OUT THERE.
JUST WONDER IF YOU WERE TO SEE ONE THING, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE LIKE, OH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SIGNAL THAT THOSE THINGS ARE ABSOLUTELY OUT THERE.
UM, AND YOU HAVE TO DIAL DOWN AND DO A RANGE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK.
AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT BEING BLACK STUDIES PROP.
THIS IS THAT WE BORROW FROM WHOEVER YOU HAVE TO DO THE RANGE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK, TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTOURS OF THE PROBLEM FROM A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS STANDPOINT, FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, FROM A, YOU KNOW, AN EFFECTIVE STANDPOINT FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT ROUTES AND YOU, WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU CAN BEGIN TO FIND THOSE PRESSURE POINTS.
I'LL GIVE YOU ONE IN SCHOOLS, EVERYBODY'S FOR EQUITY IN SCHOOLS.
EVERYBODY WANTS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY BODY, BODY BLOCK, BUT MIDDLE-CLASS, AND UPPER-MIDDLE-CLASS PARENTS OF ALL RACES AND WHITE PARENTS WILL AVOID MAJORITY MINORITY SCHOOLS LIKE THE PLAY.
AND THEY WILL DEFY THE DATA IN DOING IT BECAUSE THEY'LL SAY THIS IS A BAD SCHOOL.
AND I'LL SAY, ACTUALLY, HERE'S THE DATA ON WHERE AUSTIN HIGH IS.
AND HERE IS WHERE MCCALLUM IS.
AND YOUR DEFINITION OF A BAD SCHOOL ISN'T HOLDING UP BECAUSE HERE ARE THE SCORES.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT RACE BECAME A PROXY FOR SAFETY AND WHAT IS GOOD.
AND SO IF WE CAN GET TO A POINT FROM A DATA ANALYSIS DATA FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, YOU'VE SAID, YOU'RE ALL IN ON INTEGRATION.
YOU'RE ALL IN ON KUMBAYA AND EVERYONE GETTING TOGETHER.
AND YOU'RE ALL IN ON HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS.
AND I SHOW YOU THAT THE SCHOOL THAT IS CLOSEST TO YOU MEETS YOUR STANDARDS.
NOW YOU'RE AT A POINT WHERE YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION I'M POINTED AT LIKE, WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION.
YOU SAID YOUR VALUES WERE THIS, ARE THEY.
AND WHAT YOU FIND IS THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR A PRIVILEGED PERSON TO PUT THEIR KIDS INTO A SPACE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE IS A RISKIER SPACE.
THE DATA TELLS YOU IT'S NOT RISKY, BUT YOU SEE BLACK AND BROWN BODIES AND PEOPLE RUN FOR COVER.
I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT, BUT THAT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE RACISM IS KIND OF INGRAINED IN OUR CULTURE FROM ALL AROUND US.
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HAVE TO BE BRAVE IN VERY POINTED WAYS THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY.SO ONE OF THEM, FOR INSTANCE, IS INVESTING IN YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL AND CHOOSING TO SEND YOUR KID TO BLANTON ELEMENTARY OR MAPLEWOOD OR NORMAN SIMS. WHEN THERE'S AN IMAGINATION OF BOOGEYMAN THAT IT'S LIKE THIS, WHEN IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.
SO THAT GOES ACROSS THE BOARD WHEN IT COMES, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY, PEOPLE'S IMAGINATION OF WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERSUS WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS, IS STRIKING.
I FIGHT AT THE SCHOOL AT THE SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL, BECAUSE EVERYONE SAYS, WE'RE ALL ABOUT SAFETY OF OUR KIDS.
AND NOBODY TALKS ABOUT SUICIDES.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DATA.
IT'S LIKE THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT WITHOUT GETTING BROKEN UP.
AND EVERYBODY'S ALL ABOUT SAFETY OF THE KIDS.
AND NO ONE TALKS ABOUT, WE HAVE SPECIFIC CAMPUSES WHERE THERE ARE MULTIPLE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS EVERY YEAR CLEAR INDICATORS OF KIDS SUFFERING AND UNSAFE IN SPECIFIC WAYS, BUT WE'RE QUICKER TO GO TO NOT FEEL GOOD, BUT BOGEYMAN NOTIONS OF WHAT SAFETY IS, IF WE'RE ABOUT SAFETY, DEFINE SAFETY AND LIVE INTO.
YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING THAT.
I DID WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE A QUICK UPDATE.
SO WITH OUR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE TO A NEW ZOOM LINK.
SO THAT WILL BE SENT OUT TO EVERYONE SHORTLY.
I THINK IT MIGHT KICK US OFF AGAIN AT 6 45.
SO I WANTED TO JUST JUMP IN REALLY QUICKLY AND, AND GIVE EVERYBODY, UM, THAT UPDATE NOW.
SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS, UM, AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING THAT, THAT NEW LINK.
SO IF IT'S, IF IT ENDS UP BEING MY RAP TIME OR WHATEVER, UM, PLEASE SHARE MY INFORMATION, INCLUDING MYSELF PHONE, INCLUDING MY EMAIL, ALL THAT.
UM, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES, ESPECIALLY INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES.
CAUSE I I'M TRYING TO GET BETTER TOO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, KEVIN, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE YOU BACK.
UM, AND MAYBE IN A PRIVATE FORUM, ONCE WE'VE DUG INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF OUR RESEARCH ON OUR END TO BRING IT BACK TO YOU AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE LOOKED INTO.
THESE ARE THE POLICIES WE KNOW WE WANNA FOCUS ON, UM, HELP US ENSURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING AN EQUITY LENS AND, AND PUSH US WHERE WE NEED TO GO FURTHER.
UM, AND, AND TO GIVE THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND OF COURSE I WILL SHARE OUT YOUR INFORMATION AND COMMISSION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE KEVIN, UM, AS A RESOURCE.
UM, AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN BRINGING TARGET MISSION.
I THINK I'M GOING TO GO EAT DINNER.
HAVE A GOOD, THANK YOU, KEVIN.
SO FOR THE REST OF OUR COMMISSION, I AM GETTING MESSAGES THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT NEW LINK AND WE SHOULD GET AN EMAIL FROM OPO WITH A NEW ZOOM AND WE WILL, UM, JOIN SHEILA OUR SECOND SPEAKER IN THAT NEW LINK.
SO, UM, WE'RE ON HOLD FOR, AS OF RIGHT NOW, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT EMAIL WILL BE COMING OVER TO US SHORTLY.
[Additional Item ]
UM, WHILE WE ARE WAITING, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROJECTS.UM, CAUSE I KNOW WE HAD MANY, WE, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO REVIEWED OUR SECOND CASE AND SENT OFF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND I DID RECEIVE AN UPDATE, UM, FROM CHIEF TACOMA THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THEM.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE A RESPONSE FROM THEM.
I WOULD PROBABLY SAY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, UM, WITH OUR PREVIOUS ONE, YOU KNOW, IT DID TAKE AWHILE FOR US TO GET A RESPONSE.
SO WE WILL BE PATIENT AND NOT, AND IN OUR ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, WE HAD THINGS THAT WE MENTIONED THAT WE WANTED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE.
UM, SO OVER THIS NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE KIND OF MOVING IN AND SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND JUST FOLLOWING UP IN BOLSTERING SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE PREVIOUSLY SHARED.
I SEE THAT SHEILA MADE A COMMENT, UM, THAT SHE IS HERE AND SHE WILL BE JOINING US WHEN WE GET THAT NEW LINK.
UM, SO WE WILL JUST WAIT ON THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, WE HAD OUR TOWN HALL, SO THAT IS ANOTHER SET OF POLICIES THAT, UM, WE WILL BE SHARING OUT ON THE 21ST OF THIS MONTH.
SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 10 DAYS TO KIND OF GO BACK AND
[00:25:01]
RE-LOOK AT THE SURVEYS AND ALL THAT INFORMATION.AND JUST WRITE UP OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO SHARE WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT OF, HEY, THIS IS A COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE, UM, WITH THESE POLICIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN.
SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THEIR PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON.
IN ADDITION TO THE RESEARCH THAT I KNOW RYAN, UM, TANYA, YOU ALL HAVE WORKED ON DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ALREADY INTO KIND OF THE PRACTICES OF APB AS IT RELATES TO RACIAL EQUITY.
SO WE'VE GOT OUR EIGHT CAN'T WAIT, WE HAVE OUR CURRENT CASE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THESE RACIAL EQUITY POLICIES THAT ARE KIND OF OUR THREE PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE HOPE TO WRAP UP KIND OF IN JUNE AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE LINK? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CHRISTINA OR FRANKIE WHO IS SUPPORTING TODAY? WELL, I GUESS WE SHOW WAIT THEN.
UM, LET ME MESSAGE SOME PEOPLE REALLY QUICK AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO WHAT WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO IS IN THIS MEETING HERE AND RECEIVE A NEW LINK VIA EMAIL AND, UM, SHEILA, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT LINK AND ARE ABLE TO JOIN US.
SO UNTIL THEN, WHAT I WILL GO AHEAD AND DO IS IN THIS MEETING HERE, UM, AND JOIN YOU ALL IN THE NEW MEETING AND, AND START OUR CONVERSATION AGAIN THERE.
SO JUST FOR EVERYONE TO BE AWARE, WE ARE ON AGENDA ITEM TO OUR COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS, AND WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A RECESS, UM, AND JOIN IN OUR NEW LINK.