Speaker 0: The ayes have it. The docket has passed. Congratulations, Madam Clerk, would you now please read docket 0773 Docket 0773.
Speaker 3: The Committee on Government Operations, to which is referred on June 16th, 2021. Docket number 0773. An ordinance creating a commission on Black Men and boys submits a report recommending the order ordinance ought to pass in a new draft.
Speaker 0: Thank you. The chair again recognizes Councilor Lydia Edwards, who is the chair of the Committee on Government Operations. Chair Edwards, the floor is yours.
Speaker 2: Thank you very much. I want to thank the lead sponsor of this commission councilor at large jewelry here for her leadership and pushing to make sure this conversation happened. As we know, this body voted for this commission in 20. 14. And pass this already. And so a counselor making a did and listening to the community. She upgraded this commission and made sure that we had a working session and a hearing or actually just a working session specifically on the language. There were some amendments looking at the organization and duties as well, and also making sure that LGBTQ members were involved in the commission and also recognized as their own pathway as part of the black men and the Commission on Black Men and Boys. It's very exciting to see us again, to create history and to push this forward, to make sure that the vital conversations about how the city moves in any community, but especially when dealing with black men and boys, is at the table front and center. So I am moving for this amended version to be. Passed by the committee or by my colleagues and of the IT sponsor has any comments.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilor Edwards, the chair now recognizes the At-Large Council from Dorchester Councilor McGee. And the floor is yours.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to counsel Edwards for chairing our hearing on this ordinance and, more importantly, for the commitment of moving it along as quickly as you did. So thank you for that. The work to create a commission on black men and boys in Boston started seven years ago. I'm in for context. It predates predated President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative. It passed the council in 2014 unanimously before being vetoed by Mayor Walsh. But the need for this commission has not gone away since it's been vetoed. Back in in 2014. Since then, we have continued to see disproportionately impacts of black men and boys in all sectors, from education to health and wellness to economic empowerment to violence. The need for this commission never went away, and neither did the advocates who have been pushing for this. Pointless. Tito Jackson Councilor. Former Councilor. Tito Jackson. Ron Bell. Thaddeus Miles. Corey Thomas. Canaan Harris. James Macmillan. Bishop DICKERSON. Matthew Parker. Lee Mays. Jason Boyd. Just to name a few, you will all have paved the way for this moment. And on behalf of the Boston City Council, I thank you for your commitment to this project and making space for our black men and boys. I want to say I want to talk a little bit about the process and how we got here, because it's always paved in lots of zigzags. In June of this year, we introduced this ordinance after seven years of no council action. Here we are three months later and we are prepared to pass it today. It looks like we meet the moment and answer the call to action. We all rise to that occasion. This ordinance is essentially the same thing that the council passed in 2014 with only a few key changes. First, we made revisions based on Mayor Walsh's veto back in 2014 to ensure that this ordinance is in compliance with our city charter. Second, we have given the Commission the ability to hold community conversations on topics that impact black men and boys. We spoke with the community and came to the agreement that this ordinance is doing everything possible to impact change on behalf of black men and boys in the city. We have the opportunity to make history. This ordinance matters because black men and boys matter. We have an obligation to step into the space and let people in and create space for people to step into their power. And let those as our colleague, a congresswoman. Now, Ayanna Pressley, says the people closest to the pain should be the people closest to the power. Thank you again to the advocates for getting us to this point. And I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this ordinance today.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilor. Any further discussion on docket 0773? Seeing None. Counselor Lydia Edwards as chair of the Committee of Government Operations, as well as Counselor Julie McCarthy is the lead sponsor. Seek acceptance of this committee report and passage of docket 0773 in a new draft passage. In a new draft. All those in favor please indicate by saying I oppose nay. The ayes have it. The docket is passed. Congratulations. Madam Clerk, would you now please read docket 0896 Docket 0896.
On the ordinance referred on June 16, 2021, Docket #0773, ordinance creating a Commission on Black Men and Boys, the committee submitted a report recommending the ordinance ought to pass in a new draft.
The report was accepted; the ordinance was passed in a new draft.