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PUBLIC INPUT REGARDING COORDINATION OF POSITIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO BIAS-MOTIVATED ACTIONS AND OTHER EVENTS AFFECTING ALAMEDA AND THE NATION.
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The Social Service Human Relations Board works to create an environment which will
encourage and bring about mutual understanding, respect, and goodwill among groups of
people in the community and to improve social services in the community. (ATTACHMENT
A, SSHRB Summary of Charter an Ordinance Authority).
At its meeting of July 27, 2016, in response to concerns voiced by some Alameda residents
regarding the impact recent and ongoing racially and bias-motivated events across our nation
might have on our community, the Board authorized then Vice-President Williams to craft a
letter sharing the concerns it had received from members of the community and offering the
Board’s assistance in organizing and facilitating a community-wide dialogue. (ATTACHMENT B
An Open Letter to the Leaders in our Community)
In late August, the letter was sent to the media, Alameda groups advocating for non-
discrimination and social justice (Black Achievers Alliance, Alameda Unified School District’s
(AUSD) Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer / Questioning Roundtable, AUSD’s Encinal
High School Black Student Union, AUSD’s ALCANCE (Latino Roundtable, Alameda All Faiths
Coalition), and the Alameda Police Department (APD) and Police Officer’s Association (POA).
The letter was also published as a letter to the editor in both the SUN and the Alameda Journal.
Having received a number of positive responses to its Letter to the Editor, and in light of
community actions following the November Presidential election, including student and
community-wide protests and vigils, and racist graffiti at one of our elementary schools,
President Williams has called a special meeting of the Board. The purpose of the meeting is to
invite Alamedans to share their concerns, and acknowledge and celebrate recent community-
building events and activities such as the Unity Picnic hosted by AUSD’s Black Achievers
Alliance, and to make recommendations about future events or activities that may foster good will in the Alameda community.
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RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Board receive public comment, discuss how it can best work to “foster mutual understanding, respect, equality, and goodwill among community groups” as stated in its charter, and take actions as deemed appropriate.