BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team
Business/Planning Meeting: February 1, 2021
Present: Murray Bennett, Lauralee Carbone, David Curley, Barbara Gilday, Lisa Heezen, Bharti Kirsher, Tom Kirshner, Claire Lender, Cat McIntyre and Hank Ohana
1. Eracism Minutes. --Now entitled Anti-Racism Minutes per meeting agreement
Feb 7 Cat McIntyre
Feb 14 Eliana Steele
Feb 21 Lisa Heezen
Feb 28 Hank Ohana
2. Programs for Feb 8 and Mar 8: Barbara will research Truth and Reconciliation Efforts for Feb. 8 program; if she can't find anything by Wednesday, she will call Hank Ohana, who will organize a program on William Barber.Cat will organize March 8 program with Seattle group, GRACE (Grandmothers for Race and Class Equality) for a dialogue on reparations and HR 40. David suggested an alternative for March or April, a program on Inter-racial, Class-based Organizing with BLM founder Alicia Garza.
3. Widening the Circle Study: Genia Allen is organizing this eleven-meeting program from February through mid-May. Mel Hoover and Rose Eddington will lead these discussions. Much interest in this program among those attending this meeting.
4. Scholarship for Black Teachers.Tom Kirshner suggested this as a BUF activity under Covenant of Beloved Community. Barbara Gilday has communicated with Western Washington U and several individuals in the community. Woodring College is very interested in BUF funding a fellowship for a minority person (black, indigenous, or hispanic) at a cost of $5,000/year without dorm; $13,000/year with dorm. There are several possible hosts for home stay (Barbara, Genia, Lauralee). We agreed there should be a clear statement of the purpose of this educational support to avoid "White Savior" or offense to the student. The aim is to provide four years of support. Bharti, Tom and Barbara will present the idea at the Beloved Community Covenant meeting on Thursday. We should be sensitive to this effort not competing with BUF for funds, given the tight budget for the coming year due to COVID.
5. Review of BLM Ministry Action Team Charter. Cat and David presented the proposed updated Charter, to cover 2020 through 2023. The Beloved Community covenant (8th principle wording) is included in the new charter. Objectives have been spelled out, including supporting Beloved Conversations II in 2021.
6. Covenant of Beloved Community. Everyone is encouraged to attend the next meeting on Thursday, February 4 at 6 pm
7. Beloved Conversations II. We have support from the Board with $1,000 funds for Fall 2021; those attending will pay some fee to underwrite the cost. We agreed that the newer, on-line Beloved Conversations is too expensive, at $250/person, for our community, so we will stick to in-person version at BUF next fall.
8. Black Community interest in meeting at BUF. The expression of interest from Dr. Damani Johnson for BUF possibly providing a meeting space for local black community is on hold while Damani completes his retirement and continues conferring with other black leaders; David offered assistance in finding them a space even if it's not BUF
Next BLM Program meeting: Feb. 8 at 7 pm
Next BLM business/planning meeting: Mar. 1 at 6 pm
Respectfully submitted
Cat McIntyre, co-facilitator, BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team
