Salem Human Rights Coalition

No Place for Hate Committee Meeting Minutes September 6, 2016 5:30 PM 120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor Members Present: Joseph Amico, Laura Assade, Jim Bostick, Jeff Cohen, Lucy Corchado, Alison Miller, Elaine Milo, Conrad Prosniewski, Fara Wolfson Guests Present: Fawaz (Fuzzy) Abusharrkh; Wendy Kent, Nicole Lashomb, Kathy Lique, Michael Millett, Gricel M. Ocasio, Scott Weisberg The meeting was called to order by the chair at 5:30. Introductions/Public Comment. Public Comments opened up with Nicole Lashomb and Gricel Ocasio sharing a synopsis of recent events related to The Rainbow Times’s newspaper boxes and the escalating degree of vandalism over the past 3 1/2 months culminating with explosives being planted in the box on Derby Street on August 23rd. This is being pursued as a hate crime against the publication and against the LGBTQ community. Highlighted were the police response and Conrad’s pivotal role, the response of many allies in the community and the “Reclaiming Salem” event. “We do not want to cower to cowards... but will stand tall together [moving] ahead with the work we’ve done for the last decade.” Conrad added that they are making positive progress in the investigation. Jim commended Gricel and Nicole for their courage adding that he is proud of them and proud of what they do for the community. Clerk’s Report Minutes from August were reviewed. Committee members are asked to review the minutes and send revisions to Laura or Fara. Treasurer’s Report shared. Financials have not changed since last meeting. Chair’s Report Beverly Human Rights Committee is trying to put together a gathering/meeting. Salem Now Leo Jodoin would like to have Jeff represent NP4H on the show again. Email or talk to Jeff with issues you want him to share. He definitely wants to talk about The Rainbow Times. Guest Speaker Wendy Kent (Director of Behavioral Health and Prevention Programs Project COPE (Affiliate of Bridgewell) In addition to talking about addiction and the current opioid crisis, she talked about: * the stigma that perpetuates the problem and makes recovery difficult. * the words that have become part of the lexicon that need to be changed (i.e. clean, dirty urine....) and how we need to stop defining people by the disease/behavior. * reaching out and supporting people by presenting information and by being persistent (“If you are struggling, I want to help,” “I’m not going to judge you,” etc) You might plant a seed that doesn’t germinate at first but reach out and make connections.  * harm reduction centers around clean needles, how to avoid an overdose, keeping people alive until they are ready to seek treatment * the need for wraparound services and how and why shelters are dry shelters * the importance of building trust and the need for more funding * hits all populations * issues related to employment and need for “get well jobs” (interim jobs) Election of new members Ballots were distributed. Conrad commented on how difficult this was to choose based on the candidates and made a motion to vote in all members. The motion was seconded and Fuzzy Abusharrkh, Nicole Lashomb, Michael Millett, Gricel M. Ocasio, and Scott Weisberg are now officially members. (Kathy Lique had withdrawn prior to meeting but will continue involvement) Congratulations/welcome. (Jeff later discussed our FB page and how members can post) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) Events start with Flag-Raising September 15th. Tabernacle Church and St. Peters will have additional flags continuing “Beyond the Doors” highlighting the flags of nations that gained independence in the month of September. Salem State is hosting a Pizza and Politics event on Sept 28 (discussing politics, immigration, and the election). The Point Neighborhood Association and LLC will recognize Latino public servants (police dept, fire dept, and City Hall). There will also be an official proclamation at a City Council meeting. Updates will be on Salem.com and on our Facebook page. Please email Laura Assade. Communications and Community Engagement Subcommittees Jim will head the Communications subcommittee. The draft of a bilingual version of our brochure is ready for review. Jeff has talked to Rebecca about heading the Community Engagement subcommittee. First thing for subcommittees will be to prioritize tasks/events. Jeff will send out an email to committee members. Following meetings by subcommittees emails to NP4H committee members should be in place to fill in gaps between meetings. Voting issues were discussed. there will be 11 days of early voting,. People are still needed to work the polls. Disruptive, hateful speech in Salem in October brought us back to Jim’s previously shared concerns regarding “disruptive, hateful speech” during the month of October infringing upon the rights and safety/comfort of citizens. The committee discussed creative ways to curb this, learning from NOLA and SF and other communities. Conrad discussed the challenges in finding the balance between free speech and protecting the rights of those being targeted or those who are directly affected by the speech. The Meeting was adjourned.