North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
January 20, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) The Forum (Fargo), I have a dream… Entries 2) 3rd Annual Building Racially Inclusive Communities Conference, May 6-8, Fargo 3) YWCA Women of the Year 2004 Nominations Being Accepted
Newspaper Articles 4) Knight Ridder Newspapers, Court hears arguments in disabilities suit 5) The Forum (Fargo), ‘Part of me loves it here’ 6) The Forum (Fargo), Color on the prairie: Black predate Lewis and Clark in North Dakota 7) The Forum (Fargo), Recruiting diversity: ‘Best kept secret in black America’ 8) The Forum (Fargo), Racing to success on business front 9) The Forum (Fargo), N.D. considers reporting change 10) Grand Forks Herald, Doreen Yellow Bird Column: A story of triumph: The Spirit Lake Dakota 11) The Forum (Fargo), F-M celebrates civil rights movement 12) The Forum (Fargo), Church votes to leave ELCA 13) The Forum (Fargo), President of tribal college resigns 14) The Jamestown Sun, He helps others 15) Bismarck City Administration Proclamation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 16) Information from the North Dakota Progressive Coalition
Events 17) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Kickoff Annual Meeting, January 24, Minot
Reminders 18) UND (Grand Forks) Forums Focus on American Indian Experience 19) WOMENomics Forum, January 17, Bismarck 20) Area Conference Explores “Common Sense” Housing, February 11, Fargo 21) American Association of Retired Persons of North Dakota, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Public Meetings, January and February, Statewide 22) Maryvale Spiritual Life Center Peace Retreat, January 31, Valley City 23) “Just Fair”: Talking GLBT With Others Training, January 31, Moorhead 24) Principles of Community Organizing Training, April 24-27, 2004, Fargo 25) Sisters of the Presentation at Sacred Heart Convent Presents “Peace Studies” 2003 Series (Various Locations in ND and MN)
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) The Forum (Fargo), I have a dream… Entries
Gerry Even is a board member for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
Gerry
Even, 37, Fargo
I have a dream that each of us evaluates our thoughts not by what we were taught, or what we’ve been told, but by what we believe to be right and just.
I have a dream that each of us advocates that every person has a contribution to make, and an ob-ligation to make that contribution, for the benefit of us all.
I have a dream that the expression of a dissenting opinion will be recognized as more valuable than the view of the majority. It is through the expression of ideas that we come to grow as ind-ividuals and as a society. That growth may solidify the status quo, or it may bring evolution or revolution. But in any case, that growth is as essential to our lives as the air we breathe.
I have a dream where we cease to tolerate differences. Tolerance can harbor contempt. Instead we seek to understand, respect, and value differences and the people they represent.
I have a dream that each of us consciously and continuously looks at ourselves in a virtual mir-ror and asks “Is this how I want to be treated if the roles were reversed?” If the answer is no, we immediately adjust and make amends for our actions.
View online article here
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2.) 3rd Annual Building Racially Inclusive Communities Conference, May 6-8, Fargo
Join educators, policy makers, social service practitioners, community activists, and concerned citizens from around the Upper Midwest to learn about regional efforts to combat racism and to share resources and information on effective anti-racism strategies.
Conference topics include: Conference topics include: Conference topics include:
•Anti Anti Anti-Racism Training and Assessment Tools Racism Training and Assessment Tools Racism Training and Assessment Tools •Human Rights and Racial Justice Human Rights and Racial Justice Human Rights and Racial Justice •Outreach to Immigrant and Refugee Communities Outreach to Immigrant and Refugee Communities Outreach to Immigrant and Refugee Communities •Regional “Best Practices” in Anti Regional “Best Practices” in Anti Regional “Best Practices” in Anti-Racism Work Racism Work Racism Work •Youth Youth Youth-led Anti led Anti led Anti-Racism Projects Racism Projects Racism Projects •Art as a Tool for Anti Art as a Tool for Anti Art as a Tool for Anti-Racism Efforts Racism Efforts Racism Efforts •Faith Faith Faith-Based Anti Based Anti Based Anti-Racism Initiatives Racism Initiatives Racism Initiatives
For more information, or if you are interested in presenting a workshop or panel, contact Char Voight at the Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice, 612.626.9496 or
View the PDF version of the flyer here
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3.) YWCA Women of the Year 2004 Nominations Being Accepted
The YWCA is now accepting Women of the Year
nominations in the following categories:
View the Nomination form here
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
4.) Knight Ridder Newspapers, Court hears arguments in disabilities suit
Court hears
arguments in disabilities suit
Posted: 1/13/2004 Grand Forks Herald
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could void a key provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as advocates for people with disabilities worried that the justices' previous rulings - as well as their own ADA practices - don't bode well for their cause.
Marca Bristo, a former chair of the National Council on Disability who uses a wheelchair, remembers being told to wheel herself off to the side of the nation's highest court during a 2001 hearing. John Stanton, a deaf lawyer who doesn't know sign language, was told that his real-time transcription device wasn't allowed in the austere, marble-lined courtroom. Jeff Rosen, legal counsel at the National Council on Disability, was hassled by court marshals, who said his sign-language interpreter might distract the justices.
"They have a segregationist attitude in their courtroom," said Rosen, who chose not to attend Tuesday's hearing because he said he didn't want to confront the situation again. "Together with their opinions, which have continuously narrowed the ADA since it was passed, I think it shows that they really don't understand these issues."
The court has a policy to accommodate anyone with a disability who needs to participate in or wants to watch court proceedings, said spokeswoman Kathy Arberg, and it's permitted everything from guide dogs to interpreters. The building is equipped with listening systems for the hearing-impaired, and has wheelchairs available for those who need them.
As a long-standing constitutional protection, however, the federal courts are exempt from laws passed by Congress, including the ADA.
At Tuesday's hearing, several observers with disabilities filled the courtroom with wheelchairs and other devices to assist themselves; no one was shuffled off to the side or crowded into the back of the courtroom.
But Rosen said at least one deaf guest was told initially that she couldn't bring her transcription device, and got it approved only after a lawyer called the court's marshals.
"If it were someone else, who didn't have access to a lawyer to advocate for them, they might get squashed," he said. "That's not fair."
Tuesday's case presented the justices with an opportunity to rule on whether states can be sued when they fail to provide access to government buildings for people with disabilities.
<snip>
View full article here
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5.) The Forum (Fargo), ‘Part of me loves it here’
‘Part of me
loves it here’
Weldon Bryant had never seen the black man before, yet the encounter called for a celebration.
Bryant, driving home from MeritCare Hospital where he worked as a maxillofacial technician, honked his horn. It was the first time he had seen another black person since moving to Fargo more than two months earlier.
“I was just so happy to see him,” said Bryant, a Texas native who moved here from Houston.
That was 1979, a year before the U.S. Census Bureau reported the black population in Fargo-Moorhead amounted to 256 people, about a quarter of 1 percent of the entire population.
Since then, the metro area has grown by more than a third, but the approximately 1,000 black residents comprise about 1 percent of Fargo’s population.
<snip>
View full article here
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6.) The Forum (Fargo), Color on the prairie: Black predate Lewis and Clark in North Dakota
Color on the
prairie: Blacks predate Lewis and Clark in North Dakota
Eastern North Dakota’s Scandinavians and western North Dakota’s Germans from Russia may get more historical notice.
But North Dakota’s blacks have been here longer.
In fact, black people have been part of the area since long before widespread white settlement.
Pierre Bonga, a black man, was a member of Alexander Henry’s brigade at the Pembina trading post at the dawn of the 19th century. According to Henry’s diary, Bonga and his wife had a girl on March 12, 1802, making her the first black person born in what would become North Dakota.
The Bonga family was in North Dakota two years before the Lewis and Clark expedition, which included York, Meriwether Lewis’ black servant.
Some early black explorers who opened the West first made their mark in the upper Missouri River area.
<snip>
View full article here
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7.) The Forum (Fargo), Recruiting diversity: ‘Best kept secret in black America’
Recruiting
diversity: ‘Best kept secret in black America’
Most of the time, Thomas Jefferson doesn’t think about being a black man in a mostly white culture.
But sometimes, when the Fargo insurance agent sits at a community or business meeting, he’ll look around the room and get a feeling most of the region’s residents of Scandinavian and German heritage never experience.
“It’s like being a fly in buttermilk,” he said, as the realization hits that he is the only black man there.
For a black man or woman who needs to be surrounded by black culture, North Dakota or northwestern Minnesota can be a tough place to live, he said.
But for the self-reliant, there are opportunities, he said.
In Fargo-Moorhead, he’s found friends, good work and a safe place to send his daughter to get an education.
But, he’d still like to see a few more black faces.
<snip>
View full article here
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8.) The Forum (Fargo), Racing to success on business front
Racing to
success on business front
Building a stronger black community will make Fargo-Moorhead stronger, local businessmen say.
Recruiting black doctors, lawyers and accountants, starting a black business group, even just getting stores to stock hair and skin care products used by blacks, will help change how blacks think of the region, members of the black community say.
Peter Limvere, business sales manager at Fargo’s Sprint office, sees opportunity in the growing minority population. Racially diverse businesses help put black customers at ease, he said.
The Sprint store employs three black workers, including Limvere.
“I think that’s why a lot of our black customers stay with us,” he said. “They know if they come in (and) they’ve got some problems, they don’t feel bad about telling you. It’s a lot easier to talk to somebody of the same color that you’re familiar with and not be judged.”
In the eight years he’s lived in Fargo, Limvere has seen more black professionals rise through the ranks, but many of them don’t know each other, he said. A networking group of professionals would nurture the growth that’s started, he said.
<snip>
View full article here
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9.) The Forum (Fargo), N.D. considers reporting change
North Dakota Human Rights Director, Cheryl Bergian, is quoted in the following article.
N.D. considers
reporting change
North Dakota officials will consider changing the reporting system for charities to provide a clearer picture of how nonprofits spend money.
Secretary of State Al Jaeger said his office will review comments from nonprofit organizations that have complained that the state’s forms can provide a distorted portrait of the way charities spend money.
<snip>
The financial reporting forms for charities became an issue after The Forum ran a series Dec. 21-23, “Giving Wisely,” with charts highlighting spending for state and local charities.
Some nonprofits complained that North Dakota’s reporting form understates their allocations for services, because it calls for salaries and other compensation to be listed separately.
Thus, some charity administrators said, the sum reported for program services reflects only out-of-pocket expenditures, and not the salaries of people who provide the services.
“That’s the fundamental problem of the secretary of state’s report,” said Cheryl Bergian, Fargo, director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. “That’s the objection.”
The coalition’s report for 2002, the year it was formed, indicates it spent 17 percent of total expenditures on program services. However, that didn’t include any of the 59 percent spent on salaries.
Similarly, the state’s report indicates the YWCA of Fargo-Moorhead devoted 16 percent of its expenses on program services. But according to its federal form, which counts salaries, the allocation for services is almost 86 percent.
<snip>
View full article here
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10.) Grand Forks Herald, Doreen Yellow Bird Column: A story of triumph: The Spirit Lake Dakota
Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: A story of triumph: The Spirit Lake Dakota Grand Forks Herald – 1/10/2004
Several years ago, after I had made a presentation at a conference, I fielded a question from a reporter in the audience that stunned me:
"How can I cover stories on the Spirit Lake reservation without being attacked or raped?" she said.
I must admit, I bristle at this kind of comment, and it took me a few seconds to be understanding. I bristle because I've lived on the reservation and feel as safe or safer there than I do in Grand Forks. But I do understand, because I know that on the surface, the crime rate at Spirit Lake (as on many reservations) is high.
Here's what many people don't understand: Crime committed at Spirit Lake generally is alcohol-related and domestic in nature, meaning it takes place among families or acquaintances. Very rarely is it random violence of the sort you might find on Washington, D.C.'s streets.
Second, before you pass judgment even on that fraction of the population who are alcoholic, you should travel the same path as the Dakota.
The Dakota - the Spirit Lake people - had the misfortune to be in front of the first European settlers in what now is Minnesota. The U.S. government soon realized that when it appropriated "Indian" lands for itself, the Native people didn't always move on.
<snip>
View online article here
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11.) The Forum (Fargo), F-M celebrates civil rights movement
F-M celebrates civil rights movement
Fargo-Moorhead will honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Fargo Theatre.
The one-hour recognition of King’s legacy will feature historic film excerpts from the civil rights movement, a performance by the Trollwood Performing Art School’s Martin Luther King Day Celebration Choir and the presentation of three Fargo Human Relations awards.
The following awards will be presented:
- Organization award -- Sisters of the Presentation
- Individual award -- Larry Peterson, North Dakota State University professor
- Youth award -- Paul Yatskis, NDSU student
The event, free to the public, also will kick off the city’s annual Stuff-the-Bus campaign, a two-week collection drive to gather needed items for area homeless and emergency shelters.
Volunteers will collect donations Jan. 29 and stuff them into a city bus for delivery. Last year, a city bus was carried more than 3½ tons of supplies.
The Fargo Human Relations Commission organizes the Dr. Martin Luther King Day event to continue the tradition of annually celebrating his life, work, and vision.
For more information, please contact Dan Mahli, Fargo office of planning and development, at dmmahli@ci.fargo.nd.us or (701) 476-4144.
<snip>
View online article here
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12.) The Forum (Fargo), Church votes to leave ELCA
Church votes to leave ELCA
Atonement Lutheran Church took a step away from the fold on Sunday.
Members of the south Fargo church passed a preliminary vote to secede from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The motion needed a two-thirds majority and passed with 256 votes for and 44 votes against the resolution. One person abstained from voting and the ballot was counted as a no vote.
“I’m hopeful and I think humbled by the sense of unity and spirit in the church,” said the Rev. Dale Wolf after the vote.
At issue is the ELCA’s movement toward the Episcopal Church. Wolf, the church’s senior pastor, also stressed concern for the “authority of Scripture and the role the Bible plays in life.” Wolf downplayed the ELCA’s debate on gay marriages and clergy in the church as a factor in the vote.
“This is not an issue of who is welcome in the church,” he said. “The issue is what are the standards of our pastors.”
<snip>
Not all in attendance were pleased with the outcome.
Bishop Rick Foss of the ELCA’s Eastern North Dakota Synod sat in on the meeting. He had hoped the motion wouldn’t pass.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” Foss said later.
<snip>
View full article here
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13.) The Forum (Fargo), President of tribal college resigns
President of tribal college resigns
White Earth Tribal and Community College President Helen Klassen -- who was fired and then reinstated last spring -- has resigned.
Klassen said she’s stepping down to pursue her teaching career at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
She becomes president emeritus of the two-year community college and will coordinate its self-study report for accreditation.
Her resignation was neither sudden nor unexpected, Klassen said.
She said she’s been discussing the school’s future with tribal and college officials for months.
“All parties involved are pleased” with the outcome of those discussions, she said.
Klassen helped found the college in 1997.
<snip>
View full article here
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14.) The Jamestown Sun, He helps others
He helps others
The Jamestown Sun
–1/16/2004 The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year works two full-time jobs: one as an accountant and one as a volunteer in numerous organizations, mostly related to helping those with special needs.
Jim Boatman, 52, is a Lisbon, N.D., native who arrived in Jamestown in 1971 and stayed. He was recognized Thursday by the chamber for his contributions to the community.
“I learned volunteering at a very early age from my mom and dad,” he said, in accepting the award. Parents Charles and Neva Boatman were in the audience, along with wife Linda and children Mark and Becky.
Boatman graduated from Lisbon High School in 1969 and studied accounting for two years at North Dakota State College of Science of Wahpeton. He then worked for the Bill and Betty Taft accounting agency for a couple of years.
After leaving the Taft accounting firm he worked briefly for Thompson Motorhome Sales and then began working for his current employer, Harold J. Rene & Associates, as a licensed public accountant.
In nominating Boatman for the honor, Nick Scherbenske, owner of Scherbenske and Son, wrote in part, “... Jim’s services are wide-reaching and benefit many of the residents of the community. Many of Jim’s achievements are intangible in nature, such as his ability to inspire others through his actions, and be the type of person who selflessly offers his time to make the community a better place for its residents.”
<snip>
View full article here
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15.) Bismarck City Administration Proclamation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
View the PDF version of the proclamation here
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16.) Information from the North Dakota Progressive Coalition
The ND Progressive Coalition is referring people to information on the positions of the presidential candidates on a number of issues.
View the information here and here.
********************************************* Events *********************************************
17.) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Kickoff Annual Meeting, January 24, Minot
Join the Progressives in making the changes you want to have happen in 2004. ********************************************* *********************************************
18.) UND (Grand Forks) Forums Focus on American Indian Experience
Beginning in
January and leading up to the 35th annual University of North Dakota Indian
Association powwow in April, UND has scheduled a series of book discussions and
forums on the topic of "Exploring the American Indian Experience."
The
schedule:
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19.) WOMENomics Forum, January 17, Bismarck
The WOMENomics Forum will be held in the Hauer Theatre, Harold Schafer Leadership Center at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, January 17 at 10:00 a.m.
For more information, contact: kosteen@zkslaw.com or click Does the thought of leadership challenge you for a flyer.
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20.) Area Conference Explores “Common Sense” Housing, February 11, Fargo
FARGO -- Dr. Avi Friedman, architect and director of the Affordable Homes Program at McGill University's School of Architecture in Montreal is keynote speaker for the Opening Doors to Common Sense Housing Conference February 11 at the Fargo Civic Auditorium. Dr. Friedman is an exciting and entertaining presenter who has been involved in creating new and unique responses to the lack of housing for working people in Canada for many years. He has authored or co-authored four books and numerous articles on subjects ranging from prefabrication and construction technology to suburban planning and space management.
The conference will also feature presentations by Warren Hanson, President of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, Don Faulkner of the Northern Plains Center for Rural and Community Design and others.
The conference will begin with registration at 7:30 to 8:30 and end with a 3:30 p.m. wrap up session featuring area projects that are working. Other sessions will feature ideas on in-fill housing, energy efficiency, sustainable housing, building strategies, cooperative housing, land trusts, finances, codes and planning and a builder's open forum. Several breakout sessions will allow attendees to participate in sessions targeted to their particular area of interest.
This conference will be especially helpful to community leaders, city and county planners, pastors and church groups, neighborhood associations, developers, home builders, and anyone who is interested in making housing more available to all persons in our communities. Conference registration is $30.00 which includes lunch.
The primary sponsor of the conference is the Bremer organization. Other sponsors are Fannie Mae, Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead, City of Fargo, City of Moorhead, Northern Plains Center for Rural and Community Design, Lakes and Prairies CAP, Otter Tail-Wadena CAC, Western Area City/County Co-op, Southeast ND Community Action Agency.
For more information contact Howard Barlow at Bremer Bank, 1444 45th Street SW, Fargo, ND 58102, Phone 701-492-2633 or email hcbarlow@bremer.com.
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21.) American Association of Retired Persons of North Dakota, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Public Meetings, January and February, Statewide
AARP NORTH DAKOTA will be holding a series of Public Meetings to provide general information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit. If you would be interested in more information, please look for a meeting in your area.
Grand Forks: January 28 7 PM, Best Western Townhouse Fargo: January 29 7 PM, Ramada Inn Williston: February 4 7 PM, El Rancho Minot: February 5 7 PM, Holiday Inn Riverside Carrington: February 10 7 PM, Chieftain Inn Dickinson: February 12 7 PM, Hospitality Inn
For more information contact the AARP at (701) 221-2274 or ndaarp@aarp.org.
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22.) Maryvale Spiritual Life Center Peace Retreat, January 31, Valley City
VALLEY CITY, ND - The Maryvale Spiritual Life Center will hold a retreat for men and women titled, "The Call for Peace in Violent Times", from 9:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. January 31 at 11550 River Road, Valley City.
Leading the retreat, which is for men and women, will be Sr. Yvonne Nelson, director of Presentation Peace Studies in Fargo.
A suggested donation of $20.00 will be accepted.
For more
information contact the Maryvale Spiritual Life Center at
(701) 845-2864
or
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23.) “Just Fair”: Talking GLBT With Others Training, January 31, Moorhead
From civil marriage and gay and lesbian adoption, to human rights, equal
employment and school-based youth concerns, discussions about the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities are happening. They occur with some
regularity in most organizations, communities, and families. Unfortunately, the
discussions can easily turn sour and rancorous, leaving people on all sides of
the issue feeling hurt, angry, frustrated and scared.
Contact: Robert Uebel, Pride Collective & Community Center by phone at (218) 287-8034 or by e-mail at webmaster@pridecollective.com Cost: $15.00, includes lunch and snacks Date: Saturday, January 31, 2004 Time: 9am-5pm Location: Pride Collective & Community Center, located in the PEPP building, 116 12th St. S., Moorhead, MN
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24.) Principles of Community Organizing Training, April 24-27, 2004, Fargo
The Dakota Resource Council invites you or anyone you know would be interested to attend the Principles of Community Organizing (POCO) training, which will be held in Fargo on April 24 - 27, 2004. Please register online at http://www.worc.org/development/pocotraining.html.
Also more information on the POCO training can be viewed at the above link or by contacting the Fargo Dakota Resource Council (DRC) office at 701-298-8685.
The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) will be presenting the POCO training. The Dakota Resource Council is a member of WORC.
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25.) Sisters of the Presentation at Sacred Heart Convent Presents “Peace Studies” 2003 Series (Various Locations in ND and MN)
Presentation Peace Studies has an excellent series of forum speakers for the coming year. Please mark your calendars and more information will be forthcoming this fall!
Jan. 23, 2004 - "What Is a Peace Church?" Dr. Gerald Schlabach, St. Thomas U., St. Paul Feb. 27, 2004 - "What Does My Faith Call Me to in Violent Times?" Panel of three: B'hai, Quaker, Muslim Mar. 26, 2004 - "Jesus against Christianity" Dr. Jack Nelsonp-:Pallmeyer, St. Thomas U., St. Paul April 30 & May 1, 2003 - "Receding Violence, Reseeding the Earth - Harmony in the Web of Life" Helen Prejean and Marya Grathwohl
View additional information here
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***Member Reminder*** Please keep us in mind for your group or church social action/social justice meetings! We’d be happy to provide a presentation at a meeting or provide newsletter articles for your organizations.
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Do you have a Program, Announcement, Update or Resource that you would like shared on our weekly PAUR report? If so, please send an email to AndreaDeegan@NDHRC.org and we will do our best to accommodate you.
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, North Dakota 58107-1961 Phone: (701) 239-9323 Fax: (701) 478-4452 Email: humanrights@ndhrc.org
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