** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **

From: Milele Chikasa Anana

You are needed at the last meeting of the Civil Rights Task Force meeting on
Wedensday, March 16.  It will be held at the US Bank (the glass building on
the Square) at 5 p.m.  Your presence is essential to getting the right
message to City Hall.

We expect that a vote on the recommended structure of the EOC and
Affirmative Action will take place at this meeting.  It looks like the vote
is six for and five against establishing the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
Our goal is to reverse this vote.  We have already converted some decision
makers after they took a closer look at what was really being proposed, and
after several people spoke up at three forums.

The Madison Times, UMOJA, the League of Women Voters, LUChA, the EOC and the
Affirmative Action Staff have taken a stand against the OCR after thoughtful
consideration.  The courageous voice of staff has been done at the peril of
jeopardizing their jobs or incurring executive wrath.  The Madison Times and
the League have asked hard questions throughout the process.  UMOJA's long
connection with grass roots people is the basis for its stand.

One thing is clear:  All the individuals and organizations who have critized
the Mayor's plan are not against change, but not for change for change's
sake.

You should be aware that the AA and EOC as they exist now will be
demolished.  The OCR has the promise of accomplishing very little.  In fact,
it was revealed at last week's meeting that the positions of AA Director and
the EOC Director would be eliminated.  Both agencies would lose other staff.
  There are several other things that will happen to weaken these two
agencies.

We need to make sure that this Task Force recommends a plan that will not
demolish these offices, but enhances their services and gets tangible
results.  Tangible results are more jobs for people of color and more timely
resolution of discrimination cases.  An OCR does not even begin to address
this.  It primarily eakens the agencies and replaces two voices with one
voice.

Demolishing the AA and EOC will not solve the four main problems:  1)
leadership  2) hiring people of color  3)  providing more resources for more
effective agency services and 4)  accountability.  For the past two to three
years, people of color have not been hired by City government (exept a few
in Metro, Police, and Fire), businesses are not being served, people of
color are being promoted and City managers are not being held accountable
for leveling the playing fields of their offices.  In addition, the caseload
of the EOC is overwhelming.

The offices need to be enhanced, not demolished.  Translator services are
needed, better recruitment, more promotion and retention, resources for Fair
Housing testing, more people of color working on all the street projects and
new construction taking place in the city right now.  These things can be
accomplished without demolishing or tearing up the offices and eliminating
positions.

Be there on Wednesday, March 16 at 5 p.m. so that a strong, united voice
against the Office of Civil Rights as proposed by the Mayor is a loud and
clear message.

This is a historic decision for our communities.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit:

        http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html

AAM Website:  http://www.africanassociation.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------