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The #Cranston City Council tonight has unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by @AnieceG recognizing Black History Month in the city. But there was a long, unexpected and often impassioned discussion ahead of the vote. There's a bit to digest - here's a recap (1/17):
To start: @MattReillyRI said while he "fully support[ed] the sentiments" of the resolution and would vote for it, he was proposing a handful amendments seeking to change or remove passages that he suggested some constituents "could find caustic." (2/17):
Reilly said his intent was to make the resolution more "celebratory" and about "calling people in rather than calling people out." He also questioned whether the council has the "expertise to make these claims," in reference to some of the language. (3/17)
For reference, attached are the original language and Reilly's red-lined proposal. Forgive the low resolution on the latter, it's a screenshot from the Zoom (4/17):
@JohnPDonegan then said he was "disappointed in these amendments," adding: "What these amendments say to me as a white guy is that, we'll celebrate Black History Month as long as it's comfortable ... This requires difficult conversations." (5/17)
@AnieceG then offered her response: "I cannot stress enough the urgency to stop all forms of racial oppression. And what you're doing, in all due respect, Councilman Reilly, is oppression." She defined oppression as "embedded in unquestioned norms, habits and symbols." (6/17):
She continued: "You are not comfortable with this language. You are not the only one. We have a lot of constituents. But our role as this body is to set the example." She also shared stories from her experience as a Black woman. (7/17)
Black men and women, Germain said, are "born unlucky." She added: "This time, my brother, is not a time for silence. It's not a time for complacence ... I am committed to help you ... because I know your environment is different than mine." (8/17)
Others weighed in from there. @LammisJVargas called Germain's remarks "extremely powerful." Referring to the language of the resolution, she said: "This is the truth ... It should be included in there." She also said she believed Reilly's "intentions are not bad." (9/17)
Councilman Ed Brady to Germain: "To hear you speak from your heart like you did, I hear you ... it doesn't mean you can't hear a rebuttal back, too." He added: "These are difficult conversations. That's why we're having them ... Let's get that conversation 9-0." (10/17)
@Nicole4Cranston: "I'm constantly trying to educate myself on this topic ... I see both sides of what everyone's trying to do." She added: "It's not up to white people to be comfortable with factual history and prejudice that Black people are facing." (11/17)
Reilly then withdrew his amendments. "I did not mean any disrespect to the Black community or to Councilwoman Germain ... I thought this would be a more positive approach to bring more people in." (12/17)
One passage from Reilly's amendments was ultimately adopted, through a motion from Vargas that Germain supported. It's the portion about the need to "provide an environment for critical conversations to continue in order to ensure that we combat racism ..." (13/17)
In the end, all the council members were added as cosponsors. Germain, who is originally from Haiti, said: "All of you can be there. We've got work to do, I'm telling you, brothers and sisters ... I come from a really different path ... and I want to share that with you." (14/17)
Renzulli said after the meeting began in the "wrong direction," the fact the council "worked together to make the resolution even better, I think, was pretty important." She spoke of finding ways to bring the discussion into the city's schools, which Germain endorsed. (15/17)
@ChrisPaplauskas concluded, to Germain: "We had some powerful discussion tonight ... I might not have walked in your shoes, but I stand with you." (16/17)
This thread is condensed considerably from the roughly 90-minute council meeting, but wanted to share for those who weren't tuned in. As always, I'll have a full story in next week's Cranston Herald. (17/17)
