* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. CAN BE, UH, PASSED [00:00:01] OVER, I THINK. UH, SO [Human Relations Commission on May 15, 2025.] THE NEXT ORDER WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE APRIL 17TH, UH, MEETING MINUTES. GIVE YOU ONE SECOND TO GO OVER THE, UH, MINUTES, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE. AND I TAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. WE APPROVE THE MINUTES. SECOND. CAN WE TAKE THE ROLL? COMMISSIONER IHI. AYE. COMMISSIONER KELLER. AYE. AND THEN, UM, VICE CHAIR GOODMAN. AYE. CHAIR Z. AYE. AND THEN COMMISSIONERS. EHLER AND ROBINSON WEREN'T HERE AT THE LAST MEETING, SO THEY'LL HAVE TO ABSTAIN. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE APPROVED THOSE MINUTES. UH, LET'S TURN TO THE ACTIVITY REPORT AND SUMMARY OF CASES WITH, UH, MR. SPANA, UH, FRED SPANA, UH, CONTRACT INVESTIGATOR FOR THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION. UH, VERY BRIEF REPORT. WE, AS WE STILL ONLY HAVE THE ONE CASE THAT WE HAD ACTIVE, UH, LAST MONTH, HAD MY REPORT LAST MONTH. IT'S A DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AND EMPLOYMENT RESULTING IN TERMINATION. THE, UH, BOTH SIDES, AS I MENTIONED LAST MONTH, HAVE ATTORNEYS, UH, LAST MONTH. I WAS VERY HOPEFUL THAT THEY'D REACH A SETTLEMENT PRETTY QUICKLY. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. UH, BUT THEY'RE STILL WORKING TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT. I'M A LITTLE BIT WORRIED BECAUSE WE'VE LOST MOMENTUM, BUT THEY ARE STILL WORKING TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT AS OF THIS MOMENT. IF, IF THEY CAN'T AGREE IN A SETTLEMENT, THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TO THE INVESTIGATION PHASE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? VERY WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS SO WE CAN MOVE RIGHT AWAY TO NEW BUSINESS. UM, THE, UH, ELECTIONEERING IS OVER. WE HAVE, UH, HAVE TO ENTERTAIN THE, UH, NOMINATIONS FOR A, UH, CHAIR FOR THE NEXT YEAR. THE INTEREST IS, UH, REALLY HIGH. I CAN TELL , UH, I DON'T WANNA KEEP YOU HERE UNTIL WE GET SOMEBODY ELECTED, BUT IF I HAVE TO, UM, NO, THE, THE CHAIR'S, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES COULDN'T BE EASIER. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TALK A LOT AND, AND KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME. UH, GET STARTED. FOUR, GET DONE AT FIVE. SO, UH, IT'S NOT EXACTLY BACKBREAKING WORK. SO WE NEED A, A CHAIRMAN AND A VICE CHAIR. TAKE A NOMINATION FROM THE, UH, GROUP. PENNY, HOW LONG DO WE HAVE THE CHAMBER? UH, . WELL, I, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING. I JUST, OKAY. THERE YOU GO. THERE WE GO. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH. SO IS THAT LITERALLY ALL THAT'S REQUIRED? BECAUSE I AM NEW, I'M A NEWBIE. UM, REALLY, YOU JUST, UH, TRY TO KEEP ON THE AGENDA. IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, THEN THEORETICALLY PEOPLE LISTEN TO YOU MORE FOR, UH, NEW PROGRAMS AND SUCH. AND WITH, WITH PEOPLE LIKE PENNY AROUND, UH, THEY KEEP YOU, UH, UH, UH, AIMED AT THE RIGHT THING. SO REALLY, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES THAT JUST, UH, KEEP TRACK OF THE AGENDA AND TRY TO GET THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE. YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT, UH, IN THE RARE EVENT OF A HEARING THAT THE CHAIR APPOINTS THE HEARING OFFICER OR HEARING OFFICERS FROM AMONG THE MEMBERS, THAT THE ONLY OTHER THING I CAN THINK OF THAT, THAT IS A REQUIRED DUTY, AND THEY ARE VERY INTERESTING. THE HEARINGS AS, AS HE MENTIONED, WERE RARE. BUT, UH, IT'S VERY EDUCATIONAL [00:05:01] AND IS KIND OF A PAYOFF TO ALL THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH, WITH THE CHAPTER 28, UH, ALL THESE WEEKS AND MONTHS, UH, TO SEE IT PLAYED OUT. AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE GIVING SOMEBODY, UM, THEIR DAY IN COURT. SO IT'S KIND OF FULFILLING IN THAT SENSE. I GONNA BE CO-CHAIR. WELL, THERE'S A VICE. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A CO-CHAIR OR, OR HOW THAT WORKS, BUT, SO COMMISSIONER GOODMAN, DID YOU SAY YOU WERE WILLING TO BE THE CHAIR NO ONE ELSE WANTS. OKAY. AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROBINSON IS WILLING TO BE THE VICE CHAIR? YES. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. DO, DOES IT NEED TO BE A, A FORMAL MOTION? YES. FOR OR NOMINATION OR JUST THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE RAISED THEIR VOICE TO SOME EXTENT, TO, UH, TO WANT THAT. CAN WE DO BOTH OF THEM OR ONCE? YES, SURE. AS LONG AS, I THINK AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A MOTION. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE, UH, NOMINATE VIVIAN GOODMAN FOR CHAIR AND MRS. ROBINSON FOR VICE CHAIR. DO WE GO THROUGH THE ROLE THEN ON THAT? WELL, SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SECOND, AM I ALLOWED TO SECOND? YES. WELL, THEN I WILL. GOOD. GOOD. GREAT. OKAY. UM, COMMISSIONER IBRAHIM. AYE. COMMISSIONER KELLER? AYE. COMMISSIONER EER AYE. COMMISSIONER ROBINSON. AYE. VICE CHAIR GOODMAN, I, AYE. AND CHAIR KER. AYE. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A NEW CHAIR, UM, WHICH IS VIVIAN GOODMAN, AND OUR NEW VICE CHAIR IS TINA ROBINSON. AND THEN AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE, UM, DICK KER, WHO OUR CURRENT CHAIR, UM, FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT HE'S BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, I BELIEVE YOU'VE SAID IT'S SEVEN YEARS. AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK HIM VERY MUCH FOR BEING THE CHAIR. HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. AND THIS WILL BE DICK'S LAST MEETING BECAUSE HE'S, UM, RETIRING FROM THE COMMISSION. SO I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. UNFORTUNATELY. THANK YOU, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. , UH, I DON'T WANNA HOLD UP OUR SPEAKER AT ALL, SERIOUSLY, BUT I THINK THE FUTURE, THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. UH, PEOPLE LIKE JOYCE AND EVERYBODY ELSE, JOYCE HAS BEEN WITH ME LONGER, SO WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS. UH, SHE AND I, WELL, WE HAD THE INITIATIVE FOR THE ACTS OF KINDNESS. YES. AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE MARTIN LUTHER KINGS AND WE'VE HAD, UH, UH, A, UH, CHURCH SECURITY SEMINAR FROM A FEW YEARS AGO. SO BESIDES THE, THE HEARINGS, WE'VE REALLY DONE SOME GOOD. AND OF COURSE, REDOING CHAPTER 28, WHICH, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT THE REST OF THE WAY, . I WILL, SOMETHING THAT DID COME OUT FROM THE HEARING IS, I THINK AN ISSUE YOU MIGHT LOOK INTO IS ACCESSIBILITY TO LEGAL HELP FOR THE INDIGENT. BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A CASE THAT GOES THROUGH AND WE RULE IN FAVOR OF SOMEONE AND THEY DON'T HAVE FUNDS FOR AN ATTORNEY, UM, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REALIZE THEIR JUDGMENT IN THEIR FAVOR THROUGH THE COURTS. SO I HAVEN'T DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD AT LEAST MAKE KNOWLEDGE, UH, OF TO THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE COMING THROUGH OUR SYSTEM TO ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH. UM, I THINK ANOTHER THING IS PUBLICITY FOR WHAT WE DO. AND WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS THROUGH, UM, EVENTS SUCH AS, UH, JUNETEENTH AND THE PRIDE FEST, UH, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. BUT GETTING THE WORD OUT CAN'T HURT AS FAR AS AWARENESS. UM, I THINK IF WE CONQUER CHAPTER 28, WE MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO, UH, ASK SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES TO SEND REPRESENTATIVES SO WE CAN BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW THAT MAY DOVETAIL WITH OUR MISSION. UM, AND, UH, THE, THE THANKS TO PEOPLE SUCH AS PENNY AND FRED AND SHERRY AND ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IS DEEP AND HEARTFELT. WE, [00:10:01] I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. SO WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION AND WE WELCOME OUR VISITOR TODAY. UH, ALANA KHAN, HOPE I PRONOUNCE THAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH THE ILLINOIS COMMISSION ON DISCRIMINATION AND HATE CRIMES, TALKING ABOUT HER FAVORITE SUBJECT. , YOU'VE GOT IT. SO I HAVE TECHNOLOGY. UM, THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU TWO. UM, CHANGE IS GOOD IF YOU'VE CHOSEN IT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE FRED INVITING ME AND YOU ARE CREATING THE TIME TO LET ME SPEAK WITH YOU. UM, I AM ILAN KAHN. I AM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ILLINOIS COMMISSION ON DISCRIMINATION AND HATE CRIMES, UM, WHICH IS A GOVERNOR APPOINTED COMMISSION THAT'S HOUSED IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. AND, UM, THE COMMISSION'S BACKGROUND IS ACTUALLY, OH, I DO HAVE SLIDES. THE COMMISSION'S BACKGROUND IS INTERESTING, ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA GO BACK AND NOT SHOW YOU THAT SLIDE YET. UM, BECAUSE IT WAS STARTED IN 1999 AND THEN IN THE MID AUTHS, AS THEY, AS THE KIDS CALL IT, UM, FELL APART BECAUSE OF CONFLICT BETWEEN COMMISSIONERS, WHICH IS NOT TERRIBLY SURPRISING IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD NOW. UM, AND WAS REACTIVATED IN 2021 UNDER GOVERNOR PRITZKER AND WITH HIS NEWLY APPOINTED, UM, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. SO THEY REALLY WANTED TO REACTIVATE, THEY, THEY CALL IT THE HATE CRIMES COMMISSION. I LIKE TO SAY THE WHOLE NAME BECAUSE HATE IS NOT JUST ABOUT HATE CRIMES. UM, THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND IT REACTIVATED IN 2021. I WAS HIRED IN 2023. UM, AND ITS PURPOSE IS TO STRENGTHEN RESPONSES TO ACTS OF HATE IN ILLINOIS, INCLUDING SUPPORTING VICTIMS OF HATE AND ALSO WORKING TO PREVENT ACTS OF HATE. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL TEXT IN THAT, ON THAT SLIDE. UM, WE HAVE REALLY GREAT GOVERNOR SUPPORT. UM, WE HAVE A GOVERNOR WHO BELIEVES IN THIS, IN THIS WORK. THIS COMES FROM WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE INITIATIVE THAT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, THAT I, I GAVE YOU PACKETS WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF SWAG, WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT NOW, INCLUDING THIS PIN . UM, BUT WE ARE FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A STATE WHERE WE HAVE A GOVERNOR WHO VERY CLEARLY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST, UM, BIAS AND HATE. SO OUR GUIDING VALUES, UM, REALLY ARE, I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD PAIR THEM DOWN TO THREE BASIC THINGS THAT WE EACH HAVE A ROLE AND EVERY PERSON DESERVES, LIKE ABSOLUTELY DESERVES TO LIVE FREE FROM HATE, FEAR, AND VIOLENCE. AND WE EACH ALSO HAVE POWER TO BUILD THE KIND OF COMMUNITIES THAT WE DESERVE, FRANKLY. UM, THE SECOND IS THAT THE RISE OF HATE IS LINKED TO THE BROADER THREATS, UH, TO DEMOCRACY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ACTS OF HATE UNDERMINE THE MOST BASIC TENETS OF DEMOCRACY. UM, AND THAT A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY INCLUDES OUR BEING ABLE TO LIVE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT THAN WE ARE. UM, AND THAT IT ALSO REQUIRES THAT WE STAND UP AGAINST EXTREMISM AND THAT WE PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE OUR NEIGHBORS. THEY MIGHT BE FAR AWAY NEIGHBORS, BUT THEY'RE ALL OUR NEIGHBORS. AND THEN WE ALSO DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO DISAGREE WITH PEOPLE CONSTRUCTIVELY. IT'S BUILT INTO THE PROMISE OF THIS COUNTRY, I WOULD SAY. UM, AND THE THIRD VALUE IS THAT HATE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THERE'S BEEN, I WOULD SAY THERE'S BEEN INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, WHICH IS A, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD AND HATE SO WRIT LARGE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND TO BE A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE BECAUSE THOSE, WHEN THERE IS AN ACT OF HATE, EVEN IF IT IS A LEGAL ACT OF HATE, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT, UM, IT CAUSES HARM TO COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO EXPERIENCES THE ACT OF HATE, BUT TO ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. AND ALSO THOSE WHO COMMIT ACTS OF HATE ARE OFTEN, UM, ACTING FROM A HISTORY OF ADVERSE EVENTS, A LACK OF BELONGING, A A A SENSE OF ISOLATION, AND MAYBE ALSO FALLING PREY TO MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, ET CETERA. AND THOSE TWO ARE FEATURES OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO THE WHOLE FIELD OF HATE AND BIAS ACTUALLY HAS BEEN, UM, REALLY SHAPED BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH AND THINKING ABOUT PREVENTION. IT'S ALL, THERE'S ALSO, THERE ARE ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH MODELS, WHICH I CAN TALK ABOUT LATER. UM, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AS I, LIKE, I'M QUOTING MYSELF AS I LIKE TO SAY. UM, NOBODY LIVES IN THE STATE. EVERYBODY LIVES IN A COMMUNITY IN THE STATE. YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN HOMES, WE WORK IN PLACES. UH, WE GO TO SCHOOL IN PLACES. WE GO TO STORES TO GET FOOD IN ACTUAL PLACES. NOBODY LIVES IN THE STATE. [00:15:01] AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT HATE AND EXTREMISM ARE LOCAL ISSUES. EVEN IF SOMETHING'S COMING THROUGH THE INTERNET, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, IT'S STILL WHEN YOU HOPEFULLY TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER OR TURN OFF YOUR PHONE, YOU'RE STILL LIVING IN A COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE. SO THESE ARE REALLY LOCAL ISSUES, WHICH IS WHY I'M NOW, AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF ON THE JOB, REALLY FOCUSING ON MEETING WITH FOLKS IN COMMUNITIES SO THAT I CAN, NUMBER ONE, BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REAL ISSUES ARE, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING OUR WORK THE RIGHT WAY. AND ALSO BRINGING WHATEVER RESOURCES WE CAN ACCESS TO BEAR IN COMMUNITIES. SO THAT'S THE SECOND POINT THAT PREVENTION PREVENTING ACTS OF HATE, UM, IS ALSO LOCAL. ILLINOIS HAS AMONG THE STRONGEST HATE CRIMES LAWS AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS IN THE NATION. UM, WE ALSO ARE ONE OF THE FEW STATES THAT HAS A COMMISSION DEDICATED TO FIGHTING BIAS AND HATE AND TO DEVELOPING STATEWIDE APPROACHES TO COUNTERING AND PREVENTING HATE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I REALIZE THIS IS LIKE OPEN MEETINGS IS BEING RECORDED, BUT I'M GONNA BE CONVERSATIONAL. UM, I'M NEW IN THIS, LIKE MY CAREER WAS IN NON-PROFIT, UM, COMMUNITY LEVEL, COMMUNITY BUILDING, BRIDGE BUILDING, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE SORT OF BUILDING THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE NEW TO ME, BUT ALSO SORT OF NEW. AND SO I KEEP, UM, I KEEP SUGGESTING AT DIFFERENT CONFERENCES, NOT KEEP, I DID IT ONCE I PRESENT, I, I SUGGESTED A SESSION FOR STATEWIDE APPROACHES TO, TO COUNTERING, UH, BIAS AND HATE BECAUSE IT'S A NEW FIELD. IT WE ARE, UM, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE SOME STATES THAT ARE RIGHT AT THE FRONT LINE, PROBABLY CALIFORNIA AND A FEW OTHERS. AND WE'RE JUST LIKE A HALF STEP BEHIND. SO WE'RE, WE, WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF THAT WE ARE, UM, VERY MUCH AMONG THE LEAD STATES TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BUILD COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES. OH GOD, I SHOULD HAVE SET MY IPAD SO IT DIDN'T GO TO SLEEP. UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE DEVELOPED SOME RESOURCES THAT, UM, I'M HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU. UM, WE, EVERYTHING WE DO IS ABOUT SUPPORTING YOUR WORK AND THE WORK OF PEOPLE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. SO IN THAT SPIRIT, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE NEW RESOURCES. ONE OF THEM IS THAT WE JUST AS IN LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, WE'RE STILL, I WOULD SAY IN THE PROCESS WE JUST LAUNCHED A STATEWIDE STUDY OF HATE. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, UM, INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNMENT AND POLICY AFFAIRS. AND THERE ARE VARIOUS ACADEMICS WORKING ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT. BUT WE ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF GOOD DATA ABOUT HATE, AND NOT JUST HATE CRIMES, BUT ALSO THE WHOLE SPECTRUM. ALSO, WHAT PEOPLE USUALLY TALK ABOUT IS HATE INCIDENTS. UM, AND SO THAT SHOULD BE, WE JUST LAUNCHED IT AND THAT SHOULD BE PROBABLY 16 TO 18 MONTHS BEFORE WE HAVE A REPORT ON THAT. PART OF THAT, MY HOPE IS THAT PART, PART OF IT WILL BE, IT'LL BE A BASELINE AND IT'LL ALSO GIVE US THE TOOLS TO BEGIN REALLY BUILDING A HUB, A DATA HUB, SO THAT WE ARE ON, ON AN ONGOING BASIS, ARE TRACKING WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN THIS STATE. THE OTHER PROJECT IS HELP STOP HATE. SO WE, YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKETS, UM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. BUT THE COMMISSION SPENT WHEN IT WAS RELAUNCHED, REACTIVATED IN 2021. UM, THE COMMISSIONERS SPENT 14 MONTHS STUDYING, STUDIED BEST PRACTICES. WHAT, WHAT DOES A STATE NEED TO DO? AND THEY CAME UP WITH SEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS. THE TOP WAS TO CREATE A HELPLINE, A HATE. THEY CALLED IT THE HATE, CRIME AND BIAS INCIDENT HELPLINE. WE THEN GOT FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT HAS NOT BEEN TERMINATED. UM, SOME OTHER RELATED GRANTS HAVE BEEN TERMINATED, BUT NOT THIS ONE. AND THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO, UH, TO CREATE ANOTHER AVENUE TO REPORT ACTS OF HATE OUTSIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT WAS ACTUALLY A CONDITION THAT WE, WELL, TWO THINGS THAT ARE INTERESTING. WE WERE NOT REQUIRED TO CREATE A NEEDS ASSESSMENT BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUS. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR IT. SO THE DOJ DIDN'T REQUIRE A NEEDS ASSESSMENT. AND THE SECOND IS THAT IT IS A REQUIREMENT THAT IT NOT BE AFFILIATED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. UM, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE HOSTILE TOWARD LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE THE HEAD OF THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE IS ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A POLICE CHIEF. BUT THIS IS INTENTIONALLY, UM, INTENDED TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO, ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DON'T TRUST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WHO [00:20:01] WOULD NOT BE INCLINED TO REPORT IT, IS ESTIMATED. UM, THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY ESTIMATES THAT MORE THAN HALF OF ALL HATE CRIMES, AND THAT'S JUST CRIMES ARE, ARE NOT REPORTED. SO THERE'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH UNDERREPORTING. UM, SO LAST OCTOBER WE, UM, WE LAUNCHED THIS HELPLINE AND WE BRANDED IT, WE CALL IT HELP STOP HATE. AND IT, LIKE I SAID, PROVIDES SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED OR WITNESSED ACTS OF HATE. I REALLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. 'CAUSE THAT REALLY IS QUITE SMALL TEXT, ISN'T IT? IT'S HARD TO SEE. YEAH. MY EYES ARE COULDN'T TOLERATE THAT. YEAH. IT IS FREE, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL, AND PEOPLE CAN REPORT ANONYMOUSLY. THEY CAN REPORT ONLINE 24 7 IN SEVEN LANGUAGES, AND THEY CAN REPORT BY PHONE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 12 TO 9:00 PM UM, IN VIRTUALLY ANY LANGUAGE. AND WE HAVE CALL SPECIALISTS WHO ARE THERE, WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE. 'CAUSE IT'S AWFULLY EASY TO RETRAUMATIZE PEOPLE, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, IF YOU'RE NOT THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT. SO WE, WE REALLY, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF TRAINING AND THEY LISTEN, PROVIDE SUPPORT, HOPEFULLY HELP THE PERSON UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THAT THAT HAPPENED? WAS THAT A HATE CRIME? WAS THAT A BIAS MOTIVATED CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THIS BODY WOULD DEAL WITH? OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY LEGAL, AWFUL, BUT LAWFUL? IN WHICH CASE YOU HAVE ANOTHER SET OF RESOURCES YOU CAN ACCESS. AND THEY'LL THEN GIVE REFERRALS TO THE, TO RESOURCES. THE POWER IN THIS, THIS MODEL, IN THIS PROGRAM, THE, THE POWER STAYS WITH THE PERSON WHO REPORTS. WE, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD STATE LAW AMENDED THE HUMAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT AMENDED SO THAT THE INFORMATION THAT COMES TO THIS HELPLINE IS EXEMPT FROM FOIA SO THAT WE COULD REALLY PROMISE CONFI CONFIDENTIALITY TO PEOPLE TO WHO REPORT. SO I, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SORT OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT HATE. UM, IN A WAY IT'S A TRIGGER WORD HATE, BECAUSE WE USE HATE TO TALK ABOUT LIKE FOOD AND , YOU KNOW, AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS. I HATE MY JOB. I DON'T HATE MY JOB, UM, . BUT THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND HATE IS BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE. UM, AND BECAUSE OF YOUR IDENTITY IS PROBABLY MORE SPECIFIC. AND WE THINK OF IT REALLY IN THROUGH THERE, THERE BEING THREE, NO, I REALLY DIDN'T. THREE CATEGORIES OF ACTS OF HATE. THERE ARE HATE CRIMES, WHICH ARE, UM, THE EASIEST TO UNDERSTAND. 'CAUSE THERE'S LOOK AT STATE LAW AND IT TELLS YOU, UM, IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN BIAS AGAINST A CERTAIN IDENTITY, A REAL OR PERCEIVED IDENTITY. YOU COULD SEE SOMEBODY WITH A HEAD, A HEADSCARF AND THINK THAT THEY'RE MUSLIM WHEN THEY'RE REALLY SICK. AND IF YOU ATTACK THEM THINKING YOU'RE REAL OR PERCEIVED, IF YOU THINK SOMEBODY IS SOMETHING THAT COUNTS AS, AS IN THE ILLINOIS STATE LAW. UM, BUT I DIGRESS. IT IS A CERTAIN SET OF BIAS, MOTIVATIONS AND A CERTAIN SET OF CRIMES THAT'S VERY CLEAR IN ILLINOIS STATE LAW. AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE A STRONG LAW, UM, MEANING IT INCLUDES MORE CLASSES OF PEOPLE, MORE IDENTITIES, AND ALSO MORE CRIMES. THE SECOND CATEGORY IS WHAT WE CALL BIAS MOTIVATED CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. UH, ACTS THAT MAY NOT BE CRIMES, BUT THEY VIOLATE OUR CIVIL RIGHTS. SO DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT. IF SOMEBODY'S DENIED SERVICE IN A RESTAURANT BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK, 'CAUSE THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, MAYBE, UM, IF SOMEBODY'S DENIED A PROMOTION AT WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE LGBT, YOU, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU DO. AND THOSE ARE ALSO ACTIVE HATE. IF YOU ARE TARGETED BECAUSE OF YOUR IDENTITY, THAT IS ALSO AN ACT OF HATE. AND THEN THERE'S THE THIRD CATEGORY, WHICH I SAID IS, WHICH I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS THE MOST, UM, IN A WAY THE MOST DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. I STILL DON'T THINK IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND , BUT IT IS, IT INCLUDES THINGS THAT ARE LEGAL. LIKE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HATE SPEECH. HATE SPEECH IS NOT A LEGAL CATEGORY. LIKE IT JUST MEANS HATEFUL SPEECH. AND IT'S OFTEN COVERED BY OUR LOVELY CONSTITUTION, THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF OUR CONSTITUTION. YOU CAN STAND ON THE STREET AND YELL SLURS ALL DAY LONG. AND IT DOESN'T, THAT ISN'T A HATE CRIME UNLESS YOU'RE THREATENING OR INTIMIDATING SOMEBODY THAT IN THIS THAT CASE IT IS, BUT IT IS PROBABLY NOT A CRIME. BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE POWER, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE NEED TO ACCESS DIFFERENT TOOLS. NEVERTHELESS, THE CATEGORIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET, UM, HELP AND JUSTICE. AND SO THE COMMUNITIES CAN ACT TO TAKE ACTION. BUT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ALL ARE HARMFUL. THEY ALL CAUSE [00:25:01] UM, NOT JUST, THEY DON'T JUST HURT PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, BUT THEY ACTUALLY FRAY THE, THE, THE THREADS OF COMMUNITY. THEY ACTUALLY, THEY COMMUNICATE TO ENTIRE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY DON'T BELONG. THAT LEAVES CAN LEAD PEOPLE DISENFRANCHISED AND CAN LEAD TO MISTRUST AND CAN LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING, BY THE WAY, THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE. THE BARD CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HATE DID, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, OR WAS IT 20? NO, IT WAS 2023, DID A STUDY TO TRY TO CALCULATE HOW DO YOU QUANTIFY THE COST OF HATE? AND THEY HAVE THIS WHOLE REPORT THAT YOU CAN ACCESS, UM, THAT'S VERY ACADEMIC. IT'S ALL VERY LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU QUANTIFY IT? AND THEY SAID THAT ACTS OF HATE COST. ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE IT WAS HATE CRIMES, NOT JUST ACTS OF HATE CAUSE COST MORE THAN $3 BILLION A YEAR IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH WE CALCULATED TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ESTIMATED IN ILLINOIS. IT'S EXPENSIVE PEOPLE, THERE ARE HEALTH, THERE ARE HEALTH COSTS. I MEAN THAT WE KNOW ALSO THE, THERE ARE HEALTH COSTS THAT COULD BE COSTS TO PROPERTY COSTS OF, OF PUBLIC SERVICES LIKE POLICE AND FIRE, UM, VICTIM SERVICES, COST OF PRODUCTIVITY. PEOPLE CAN'T GO TO WORK SOMETIMES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE FOR REAL. IT CAUSES HARM AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE. SO IT'S, IT IS IN A COMMUNITY'S BEST INTEREST TO, TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND TO DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE. OOPS, THAT WAS FUNNY. UM, AS I SAID, ABOUT HALF OF ALL HATE CRIMES WE THINK ARE NOT REPORTED. AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT REPORTED, IT BECOMES NORMALIZED. EVEN. WE STARTED THIS CAMPAIGN, AND I AM MINDFUL THAT ONE OF THE VALUES OF THIS CAMPAIGN, OF THIS PUBLIC CAMPAIGN WHERE, UH, I'M JUMPING AHEAD 'CAUSE I'M GETTING EXCITED. BUT WE STARTED A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN THAT INCLUDES, UM, OUT OF HOME ADS, WHICH IS LIKE BILLBOARDS AND, UM, BUS ADS IN THE CHICAGO AREA AND BUS SHELTERS, BUT ALSO RADIO AND TV AND PRINT AND DIGITAL ADS ONLINE. UM, AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT VALUES OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO COMMUNICATE THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY. I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S IN, IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I ALSO THINK THAT WHEN COMMUNITY LEADERS SPEAK ABOUT, SPEAK OUT, WHEN THERE ARE ACTS OF HATE, IT COMMUNICATES WHAT KIND OF WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY WANT THEIR COMMUNITY TO BE. UM, SO IT IS A WAY TO NOT NORMALIZE, TO MARGINALIZE HATE. UM, WHEN PEOPLE REPORT HATE, THEY CAN ACCESS VITAL RESOURCES. THEY CAN BUILD AWARENESS, AND THEY CAN HELP MAKE THE STATE AND THE OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER AND MORE INCLUSIVE. AND LIKE I SAID, I'M BEING A BROKEN RECORD, BUT IT REPORTING ALLOWS US TO KNOW WHAT ARE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THEN ALLOWS A COMMUNITY TO TAKE ACTION. SWEEPING UNDER THE RUG IS NOT USUALLY GOOD FOR ANYBODY. SO, UM, I WANTED TO ALSO TALK, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO ME TO, TO TALK WITH YOU HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION. I'VE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT OUR PARTNERS IN THE WORK IS OFTEN HUMAN RELATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONS. WE, I MET FRED BECAUSE I WENT AND SPOKE WITH THE ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION. I STARTED TO, I WENT AND VISITED CHAMPAIGN URBANA AND MET WITH THE FOLKS WHO RUN THOSE COMMISSIONS. UM, AND REALLY BELIEVE THAT HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSIONS HAVE A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY. AND I KNOW THERE ARE DIFFERENT MODELS OF HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSIONS. SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE ORDINANCES LIKE DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES AND SOME DON'T. AND, UM, YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE WHO DO. AND I KNOW THAT, THAT DECATUR DOES. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. LIKE WE CAN BE YOUR RESOURCE. AND I'M REALLY HAPPY, UM, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, TO TALK WITH ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS THERE ABOUT, UM, HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. IF YOU WANNA BRING SOMEBODY IN, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO, TO FACILITATE THAT. UH, WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF CHAMPAIGN, WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO HERE, TO ORGANIZE A CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER, UM, THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. BUT IT'S GONNA BE THERE. OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE TWO TRACKS. ONE FOCUSED ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMISSIONERS AND THOSE WHO SERVE THEM, THOSE WHO WORK IN CITY GOVERNMENT TO, TO SERVE THEM. AND THE OTHER REALLY FOCUSED ON, ON HATE. AND NOW I'M THINKING, UM, THAT OUR FOCUS ON HATE WILL BE, UM, ON PREVENTION AND RESPONSE REALLY TO BREAK IT UP THAT WAY. AND MAYBE ALSO LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HOW DO YOU, HOW CAN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? [00:30:01] AND THEREFORE, WHAT CAN YOU IMPLEMENT IN YOUR COMMUNITIES? UM, SOME COMMISSIONS RUN CAMPAIGNS AND PROGRAMS TO CREATE MORE SOCIAL COHESION. UM, I THINK SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT AND THINK, OH, THAT'S SWEET, BUT NOT IMPORTANT. AND I WOULD SAY, ACTUALLY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, THAT COULD INCLUDE BRINGING TRAININGS TO YOUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE OUR, OUR, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS HAS A TRAINING INSTITUTE. THERE ARE A BUNCH OF TRAININGS THERE. THEY'RE DEVELOP, THEY ARE NOW DEVELOPING A SERIES OF KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS AND DEVELOPING A BYSTANDER TRAINING. AND WE ARE HIRING A, A TRAINER IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS THAT'S GONNA BE IN SPRINGFIELD. SO THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE IT. UM, IT COULD INCLUDE HOLDING COMMUNITY ROUND TABLES. IT COULD INCLUDE DEVELOPING STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY HALL AND COMMUNITY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND EXISTS HERE. UM, SO THAT YOU CAN WORK TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND ALSO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO INCIDENTS WITH RELATIONSHIPS ALREADY IN PLACE. AND IF IT'S HELPFUL, I ENCOURAGE YOU, I INVITE YOU TO TAKE HELP, STOP, HATE AND USE IT YOURSELVES. UM, WE CREATED IT SO THAT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT, UM, THAT WE GET TO BE, WHAT'S THAT CALLED WHEN YOU TAKE, HAVE PHOTOS AND PEOPLE CAN USE THEM FREELY. NEVERMIND. YOU CAN USE HUH. SOURCE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. OPEN SOURCE. SO, UM, WE CREATED THESE MATERIALS. I DON'T WANT THEM USED LIKE FOR HATEFUL PEOPLE, HATEFUL PURPOSES, HATEFUL ORGANIZATIONS. BUT WE VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE YOU TO CO-BRAND, PUT YOUR OWN LOGO ON IT, USE THEM, PUT UP ADS, CREATE WINDOW SIGNS. WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF MATERIAL. WE'RE CREATING A PARTNER KIT THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU. AND IF YOU WANNA USE ANY OF THE MATERIALS, PLEASE, LIKE THAT'S, WE, WE CREATED IT IN ORDER TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND HELPFUL. UM, AND I JUST WANNA SHARE ONE MORE THING AND I THEN I WANNA OPEN IT UP TO YOUR QUESTIONS. BUT THE HELPLINE, I'M MINDFUL THAT THE HELPLINE IS NOT THAT HELP STOP. HATE ISN'T EVERYTHING. LIKE IT'S ONE THING. UH, WE STARTED WITH THE MODEL OF, THEY CALL IT INR IN THE, LIKE THE PHONE, YOU KNOW, LIKE TWO ONE ONE, THEY CALL IT INR INFORMATION AND REFERRAL. UM, WITH THE IDEA THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A BEGINNING SERVICE, WE CAN PROVIDE PEOPLE REFERRALS TO RESOURCES. WE ARE MINDFUL, AWARE AND EXPLORING OPTIONS TO ALLOW, TO GIVE PEOPLE MORE BASICALLY TO WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE NEED SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE, THE, THEY CAN HAVE INFORMATION, THEY CAN HAVE, GET THE KIND OF JUSTICE THAT THEY NEED. THEY CAN ACT, THEY CAN HAVE THE SORT OF INDIVIDUAL CARE. UH, AND IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT MODELS. ONE OF OUR GOALS FOR THE YEAR IS TO LEARN MORE AND TO, TO THINK MORE, TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST USEFUL AND FEASIBLE. UM, THERE ARE MODELS OF CARE COORDINATION, WHICH ARE LIKE CASE MANAGERS BASICALLY, THAT ARE, UM, CASE MANAGERS THAT WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO REPORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY STICK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE HELP THEY NEED. THERE ARE MODELS OF VICTIM ADVOCATES, LIKE THE WORLD OF GUN VIOLENCE. THERE ARE VICTIM ADVOCATES. UM, AND WE ARE THINKING, DO WE, CAN WE FIND WAYS TO CREATE VICTIM ADVOCATE ROLES OR ADD THIS PIECE OF WORK ONTO EX YOU KNOW, INTO EXISTING POSI POSITIONS OR OFFICES. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER IDEA IS THAT THAT, UM, IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES. LIKE ARE THERE COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD ALLOCATE A PERSON OR PART OF A PERSON? AND WE'RE ALSO THINKING, HOW CAN WE, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN ACCESS FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT THAT? SO WE WANT, WE SEE OURSELVES AS YOUR PARTNERS, AS WE LEARN, AND WE GROW. LIKE WE'RE YOUNG. I VERY MUCH BELIEVE THAT A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS A LEARNING COMMUNITY. SO I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT, BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GROWING AND LEARNING. SO I, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, REBUTTALS? THERE ARE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS. UH, ONE, DO YOU SEE YOUR, UH, EMPHASIS BEING, UM, VICTIM RESPONSE OR PREVENTION OF HATE? UM, HELP STOP HATE IS, I WOULD SAY IT'S BOTH. IT IS ABOUT SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ACTS OF HATE. I THINK THERE IS A PREVENTION PART TO IT, BUT IN A, BUT REALLY THAT, IN A WAY THAT'S SECONDARY. I DO THINK THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED A PROPOSAL, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO [00:35:01] FUND AND IMPLEMENT IT. BUT THAT THE NEXT STEP, AND IT PROBABLY UNDER THE BANNER OF HELP STOP HATE, WOULD BE BRINGING TRAINING AND GUIDANCE TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND PROBABLY FUNDING TO HELP IMPLEMENT SOME PREVENTION WORK, BUT HELP THE, THE HELPLINE IS MUCH MORE ABOUT VICTIM SUPPORT AND RESPONSE. DO YOU CONSIDER THAT THERE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A STATEWIDE HELPLINE? OR WOULD INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES BE ENCOURAGED TO GET THEIR OWN? NO, I THINK IT'S STATEWIDE. I THINK IT'S STATEWIDE. IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS TO HAVE, UH, HAS ANYTHING TO ADD, THEN I WON'T HOG EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S JUST S MICROPHONE SO I CAN BE ON. ALRIGHT, GO FOR IT. GO AHEAD. NO, YOU GO AHEAD. WELL, I WAS, UH, WONDERING ABOUT A SCENARIO OF, UM, SOMEBODY WHO WOULD HAVE, UH, EXPERIENCED A, A HATE INCIDENT. UH, AND YOU WOULD IMAGINE THEY WOULD REPORT TO THE POLICE, OR MAYBE NOT, OR, OR WHAT, WHAT WOULD THEY BE MOST LIKE, ENCOURAGED TO DO WITH THE, UH, PROGRAM THAT YOU WANT TO SEE ESTABLISHED ALL OVER THE CHURCH, THE STATE? UM, SO WE, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION, BUT IF I DON'T, THEN INTERRUPT ME. UM, THE PEOPLE, WE HAVE A LIST OF RESOURCES, AND SO WE WILL, WE WILL, UM, PROVIDE REFERRALS TO AGENCIES THAT WOULD HELP THE PERSON BASED ON THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATION. SO IF SOMEBODY WAS DENIED HOUSING, UM, OR WE MIGHT GIVE THEM A CONNECTION TO A LEGAL AID IN THEIR AREA, OR MAYBE A HOUSING AGENCY. UM, IF SOMEBODY COMMUNICATES THAT THEY WANT TO TALK WITH A COUNSELOR, WE MIGHT FIND, UM, A, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM. WE, OUR LIST OF RESOURCES IS, IS FREE OR REDUCED. LIKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE SORT OF FOR-PROFIT EXPENSIVE SERVICES. UM, BUT THAT'S, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE ASKING? YES. I JUST WONDERED IF THE LIST OF RESOURCES WOULD BE, UH, LOCALIZED IF YOU'D HAVE, UM, PLACES IN ROCKFORD AND PEORIA AND UH, UM, MOUNT VERNON AND ALL OVER THE STATE THAT YOU HAVE BUY-IN FROM ALL OF THESE AREAS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEBODY, UH, WHERE THEY CAN BE PRACTICALLY HELPED RATHER THAN, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO, UH, CHICAGO TO GET SOME, UM, UH, ASSISTANCE. YEAH, THAT'S A VERY PERFECT QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE, UM, SO THERE ARE SOME NATIONAL RESOURCES, LIKE THERE ARE NATIONAL HELPLINES AND HOTLINES. THERE ARE SOME STATE RE STATEWIDE RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN ACCESS. UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE TELEHEALTH, THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF STATEWIDE RESOURCES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO REGIONAL AND LOCAL RESOURCES. AND THAT RESOURCE LIST IS GROWING ALL THE TIME. AND I WOULD ACTUALLY BE REALLY HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU THE LIST OF RESOURCES WE HAVE IN DECATUR. AND TO, TO GIVE YOU HAVE WE CREATED AN ONLINE FORM WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT THE, THE MOST ACTUALLY THE, THE RESOURCES THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR LIST. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENDING PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT PLACE ALSO. 'CAUSE I ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW BETTER THAN, THAN I, YOU KNOW, ON MY COMPUTER CAN FIGURE OUT. SO I, WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU WHERE THE RIGHT PLACES ARE. WHO ARE, WHO DOES, UM, VICTIM, VICTIM, UM, WHO PROVIDES VICTIM SERVICES, WHO PROVIDES ALL THESE DIFFERENT WE HAVE, WE HAVE CAT I'LL SEND YOU THE LINK. I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT ALONG THE WAY OUR GROUP WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A POSSIBLE REFERRAL. UH, AT LEAST THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, HOUSING OR EMPLOYMENT OR THAT SORT OF THING, RATHER THAN JUST SOMEBODY BEING, I WON'T SAY JUST SOMEBODY BEING BEATEN UP BECAUSE OF THEIR GROUP, BUT, UH, CONCEIVABLY WE COULD BE ANOTHER BENEFIT FOR THEM, UH, DOWN THE LINE. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE GENERALLY, IF SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY SAYS THAT THEY'VE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, WE GENERALLY SEND THEM TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE'RE PART, WE'RE A PROJECT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. UM, I THINK IT IS WORTH, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S HELPFUL. 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S WORTH SHARING THAT INFORMATION TOO, WHO, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IF WE HAD SOMEBODY, WE WOULD WANT A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR DECATUR THAT SOMEBODY FROM THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SOMEBODY FROM, UH, HERITAGE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SOMEBODY REPRESENTING THE CITY, AND PROBABLY PEOPLE I'M FORGETTING ABOUT AS, AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE YOU'D HAVE TO GET THE BUY-IN FROM BECAUSE THE COMMISSION ON ITS OWN WOULD BE LOOKING TO THE CITY, I WOULD THINK TO, YOU KNOW, HOW FAR CAN WE GO WITH THIS? SHOULD WE BE [00:40:01] PARTICIPATING? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? SO GETTING THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE, UH, IN A POSITION TO, UH, TO UH, DEAL WITH EACH OF THOSE BRANCHES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, PREVENTION AND, UH, RESPONSE WOULD BE AVAILABLE. AND ANY HELP WE COULD GET FROM, UH, THE STATE ORGANIZATION TO TRY TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE TOGETHER, I THINK WOULD BE, UH, BENEFICIAL. EXCELLENT. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE PEN. I LOVE IT. OH, GOOD. I LOVE IT. RIGHT. AND I JUST, I WOULD HOPE THAT MAYBE THE COMMISSION WHEN WE TAKE THIS UP, THAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE BUMPER STICKERS THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT AND ALSO, BUT, UM, WHEN DID YOU SAY THE CONFERENCES? UM, IN CHAMPAIGN, OCTOBER 21ST. OKAY. I MAYBE THAT STILL PLANNING, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN PUT ON OUR AGENDA MM-HMM . BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, TO ATTEND. AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING. I WAS GOING TO GIVE VIVIAN AND, AND TINA THEIR FIRST JOB, TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA. AND THEN, UH, JUST ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAVING SAYINGS IS WE SHOULD ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER. MM. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE CAN GET THAT OUT THERE MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT WILL HELP DISPEL OR WHATEVER. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I WILL SAY THAT I'VE HAD, UM, LIKE MY MIND IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, IT IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING AND CHANGING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME NOW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BIG CAMPAIGN IS VERY NICE. I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE GET ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING HELP STOP HATE, THAT MAY BE HELPFUL. AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH. AND, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO OUTREACH, AND WE HAVE TO DO OUTREACH TO, UM, I CONSIDER THEM SORT OF THE FRONTLINE, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH TARGETED POPULATIONS. SO IT'S CLERGY AND LIBRARIANS AND TEACHERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT NOW, IS HOW DO WE, UM, TRAIN AND SUPPORT THOSE WHO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN TARGETED BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTITY. AND THEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF, IF THEY HEAR SOMEBODY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN CHAMPAGNE AND SOMEBODY TOLD A STORY THAT THEY WERE SITTING WITH A CLIENT AND THE CLIENT TOLD THEM A STORY, AND THEY SAID, THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU EXPERIENCED A HATE CRIME. SO IF THESE, IF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE ACTS OF HATE CAN RECOGNIZE WHAT HAPPENED, THEY CAN ALSO EITHER SUPPORT THAT PERSON IN REPORTING OR GETTING THE HELP THEY NEED. THEY CAN ALSO, WITH THAT PERSON'S PERMISSION, THEY CAN REPORT IT THEMSELVES SO THAT WE KNOW, SO THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. UH, YEAH, I'VE BEEN MAKING SOME FURIOUS NOTES ALSO, UH, FOR OUR FUTURE OFFICERS, ? UH, NO, UH, ACTUALLY JUST TWO DAYS AGO, UH, THERESA AND PENNY AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION. UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR A, A HEARING, KNOW, THE COBWEBS WILL GROW ON THE CHAMBERS MM-HMM. BEFORE, BECAUSE THERE JUST ARE NOT THAT MANY HEARINGS. AND THAT'S SIMILAR TO, TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, MOST CASES EITHER GO AWAY OR ARE SETTLED, YOU KNOW, LONG BEFORE THE HEARING STAGE. UH, AND SEVERAL THINGS YOU'VE SAID, ALANA, ARE, ARE HELPFUL, I THINK. AND I JUST WANNA, I GUESS JUST PUT A POINT ON IT OR, OR UNDERLINE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD. UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE, THE, UH, HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSIONERS MEETING, CONFERENCE TRAINING, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND TO GET IDEAS FROM THEM. SO I'D HOPE THAT, THAT MOST OR ALL OF THE DECAT COMMISSIONERS COULD, UH, GO TO THAT. UH, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS. BUT I WAS REALLY EXCITED TOO ABOUT THE IDEA OF TRAINING THROUGH, THROUGH IDHR, THAT THE COMMISSION COULD CONCEIVABLY SPONSOR TRAININGS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY, SAY AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UH, IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF, UH, [00:45:01] YOU KNOW, DISCRIMINATION, HATE CRIMES. UH, IT'D BE NICE TO PUT A POS ON, YOU KNOW, JUSTICE ON TREATED PEOPLE FAIRLY ON EQUITY AND JUSTICE. UH, SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER AREA THAT THE COMMISSION COULD LOOK, LOOK FOR. UH, AND THE LAST ONE, UH, KIND OF TIES INTO SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER ABOUT LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR COMPLAINANTS. AND I WOULD, UH, KIND OF DRAW IT A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY AND SAY, ADVOCACY. YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND SEE ME AND THEY HAVE A, A COMPLAINT, UH, INVOLVING POTENTIAL DISCRIMINATION, THEY'RE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AT A DISADVANTAGE. IN MOST CASES, THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS. THEY HAVE NO RESOURCES WHATSOEVER. THEY'RE TRYING TO GET FOOD ON THEIR TABLE. THEY'RE TRYING TO, IN SOME CASES, SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. AND THEY'RE GOING UP AGAINST SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL CORPORATIONS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT BUT STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY IN MANY CASES. UH, AND THESE, AND I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT THEY'RE RIGHT, BUT I'M SAYING THAT THEY ARE MATCHED AGAINST LAWYERS WHO ARE GETTING 250, 300, $400 AN HOUR, AND OFTEN TEAMS OF LAWYERS. UH, AND SO, AND MY, I CANNOT BE THEIR ADVOCATE THAT THE INVESTIGATOR HAS TO BE IN A NEUTRAL POSITION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS. YOU KNOW, I CANNOT SAY, YOU SHOULD DO THIS, YOU SHOULD DO THAT. I, ALL I CAN SAY IS YOU HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU HAVE EVIDENCE OF THIS AND THIS AND THIS. BUT I CAN'T GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT. SO IF THERE WERE SOME WAY, IT WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE AN ATTORNEY IN MANY CASES, BUT, UH, TRAINED ADVOCATES WHO COULD HELP THEM PREPARE AND PRESENT THEIR CASES, THEY'D BE LESS DISADVANTAGED. UH, AND I, I'M PRETTY SURE, AND SOMEBODY CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THAT LEGAL ASSISTANCE, OUR, OUR LEGAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY IS LAND OF LINCOLN, BUT I KNOW CHICAGO ALSO. YES. UH, ILLEGAL SINCE I UNDERSTAND THEY CANNOT TAKE THESE CASES BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S, THEY, 'CAUSE LAWYERS COLLECT FEES IF THERE'S A JUDGMENT AND THEY CAN'T, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY CAN'T DO FEE GENERATION CASES. BUT I CAN, I CAN CHECK THAT OUT WITH, UH, THE, THE, UH, LAND OF LINCOLN PEOPLE TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP OR I DON'T KNOW. I, I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO DOMINATE THIS, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S AN IDEA THAT WE NEED TO, OR THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO PURSUE IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO, IF THAT LEVEL OF PLAYING FIELD AT LEAST MAKE IT LESS SKEWED. MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM . IT JUST SEEMED TO ME AS A COMMUNICATIONS, LIFELONG CAREER COMMUNICATIONS PERSON THAT AS CLEAR AS HELP STOP HATE IS AS A TITLE, SOME FINER POINT NEEDS TO BE PUT ON IT AS THE SUBHEAD IN THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS THAT, UH, WOULD, UH, NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE WITH HELP STOP HATE. BUT WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO FOR ME? HOW IS THIS HELPFUL? AND, AND I THINK THAT MESSAGE MAYBE GETS KIND OF DILUTED THE MORE YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HATE IS BAD. PEOPLE NEED HELP WHEN THEY'VE BEEN HATE, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN DIS UH, UH, DISADVANTAGED. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE'S A HELPLINE. I THINK SOME KIND OF A SPECIFIC COULD ONLY HELP IN GETTING ACROSS THE IDEA WITH MORE IMPACT. THAT'S JUST A RANDOM THOUGHT. OKAY. UM, AND JUST 'CAUSE I'M CURIOUS, WE HAVE A MINUTE LEFT. HAVE, HAVE ANY OF THE STUDIES INDICATE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN URBAN, UH, INCIDENTS AND RURAL? UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE, I'M SURE THERE ARE STUDIES THAT I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THEM. I KNOW THAT HATE LOOKS DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT PLACES. AND I THINK ACTUALLY THE WORD HATE CAN BE DIVISIVE. UM, BUT I KNOW THAT IT LOOKS DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHY I WANNA BE, I WANT US TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. THE TWO INCIDENTS THAT I GOT FROM THE, UH, THE INTERNET, UH, WERE REPORTED IN THE MEDIA. AND THEY BOTH HAD, UH, THEY BOTH HAD TO DO WITH, UM, UH, ORIENTATION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION THAT, UM, ONE WAS, UH, ABOUT, UH, SOMEBODY WITH, UH, TRANSPHOBIC, UH, REMARKS AND THE OTHER ABOUT HOMOPHOBIC. SO I JUST BRING THAT INTO PLAY, THAT THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE. UH, YOU IMAGINE THAT A LOT OF THE HATE IS BORN BY, UH, RACIAL, UH, DIFFERENCES. BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A WIDE RANGING SUBJECT. AND WE'RE SEEING, WE'RE SEEING, UM, [00:50:01] THAT LGBT PEOPLE ARE BEING TARGETED, IT SEEMS ALL OVER THE STATE. I MEAN, I SAY THAT WITH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW OF THE DATA IN FRONT OF ME. AND WE'RE VERY CAREFUL. WE'RE NOT READY TO RE RELEASE DATA 'CAUSE THERE SIMPLY ISN'T ENOUGH. AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE PROTECT PEOPLE'S, UM, CONFIDENTIALITY. BUT IT'S, BUT WE SEE THAT THAT IS, IT'S ONE OF THE, THAT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE BEING TARGETED 'CAUSE THEY ARE, OR THEY'RE PERCEIVED TO BE LGBT. YEAH. RACE, RELIGION AND UM, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY ARE THE TOP CATEGORIES AT THIS MOMENT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S MATCHED NATIONALLY. UH, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, I REALLY, UH, SERIOUSLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE AWARENESS OF THE CAMPAIGN AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT, LEARN FROM IT, AND, UH, IMPLEMENT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I ALSO BUILT A TRIP AROUND THIS INVITATION, . I CAME TUESDAY NIGHT. I'M STAYING TILL SATURDAY, BUT NOT JUST IN DECATUR. I WOULD SAY I HAD MEETINGS IN SPRINGFIELD AND THEN I'M GOING TO PEORIA. SO THIS WAS MY CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND IT WAS ALL SPARKED BY FRED'S INVITATION. SO THANK YOU. AND I'LL, I'LL, WHICH I MIGHT SAY YOU BEGGED FOR IT, THE MEETING . AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH, UM, WITH ANY OF YOU WITH AS A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALLY. SO YOU HAVE MY CARDS. THEY'RE IN THOSE FOLDERS TOO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, OTHER BUSINESS, UH, YOU WILL GET, UH, JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST OFF, UM, SUMMER VACATION . SO VIVIAN WILL HAVE A, A CHANCE TO WRITE HER, UH, PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS, FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEETING. UM, AND, UH, FRED WILL HAVE TIME TO DRUM UP SOME CASES. DRUM UP. YEAH. JUST, JUST GET 'EM OUT OF THE WOODWORK. UM, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALL THE HELP THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME. AND I GUESS WE'RE AT THE POINT OF ENTERTAINING MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. THAT'S GOOD. DOES SOMEONE WANNA MAKE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN? I . SECOND. TAKE THE ROLL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER ROBINSON. AYE. COMMISSIONER I, IBRAHIM AYE. COMMISSIONER KELLER? AYE. CHAIR KER AYE. VICE CHAIR GOODMAN AYE. AND CHAIR LER AYE. WE ARE ADJOURNED. I WAS, I'D BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS AT THE END OF MY TERM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.