MEETING MINUTES May 4, 2020

Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team

May 4, 2020

The meeting convened at 6 pm on Zoom. Present were Amoret Heise, David Curley, Mary Alden, Cat McIntyre, Lauralee Carbone and Paul Beckel (for a while).

Agenda:

1. Eracism minutes
2. May 11 programs
3. 8th Principle and SEJC
4. New member
5. Beloved Conversations 2

1. Eracism minutes.

• May 10 Mary Alden
• May 17 Amoret Heise
• May 24 David Curley
• May 31 Cat McIntyre

The services are now broadcast via Zoom. If you will be giving the Eracism minute, be sure to contact Rev. Paul by Wednesday, because there will likely be a rehearsal that you will have to attend.

2. May 11 program. Mary Alden will tell about her recent six-week experiene in South Africa. She may include these subjects:

• How an all white church integrated;
• How it feels to be white in a majority black country;
• How the Black Sash women's movement affected apartheid
• What black Africans told her about cultural appropriation; and/or
• How COVID19 is affecting South Africans.

Cat will send a blurb to MWU and BUF News; Lauralee will post on BLM blog and Facebook.

3. Eighth Principle Update. The working group, composed of representatives from Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team, Immigrant Rights, Native American Connections, Community to Community Partnership and Healthy Relations Team, have completed a draft resolution and are working on a background document.. Karen Nuckles-Flinn , Mary Alden and Kara Black will have a meeting soon about how to structure the consensus building meetings with the congregation.

4. New participant. Lauralee was approached by Michael Knapp who had questions about Eracism minutes, and Black Lives Matter. Cat will add him to the mailing list.

5. Beloved Conversations. Cat presented the cost of Beloved Conversations 1: $3,073. inclusing $2,200 for Fahs Collaborative. A Beloved Conversations 2 would have a budget of about $3,000. David warned that BUF closure due to the pandemic has strained the budget and the board is unlikely to consider funding BC until Fall 2021. We will create a firm budget during this summer, and approach SEJC for a contribution to the budget if it seems appropriate. Some attendees at the meeting felt Beloved Conversations pales in comparison to the urgent needs of individuals from oppressed communities due to COVID 19. Cat mentioned that the State of Washington now has statistics on the number of people of color who have been diagnosed or died from the virus. She will send this information to Amoret.

Next meeting: June 1, 2020.

Respectfully submitted

Cat McIntyre, co-facilitator

BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team