Legislator Andrew Dennison's chair, center, sits empty as he did not attend the Cayuga County Legislature meeting in person but opted to hear complaints during the public session about his recent racially charged comments via videoconferencing.
Kevin Rivoli, The Citizen
HTCJP chair, William Berry, Jr., vice-chair, Gilda Brower, secretary, Kathleen Barnard, and board members, Dr. Lucien Lombardo, and Dr. Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson were present during the public to be heard segment of the Cayuga County Legislature meeting held last evening to condemn Legislator Andrew Dennison’s racist letter to the editor, published in The Citizen Newspaper on June 26, 2020. (Cayuga County legislator faces backlash over racist letter to The Citizen)
Public condemns Cayuga County legislator's Black Lives Matter comments
Mary Catalfamo, The Citizen Newspaper 07/01/2020
Dr. Lucien Lombardo’s presentation to the Cayuga County Legislature, June 30, 2020:
I am here speaking to you today because the words of one member of this legislature are trying to undo or at least make more difficult the work of making Cayuga County and Auburn a fairer and more peaceful place for all of its citizens to grow, live and work!”
How can mere words to that? They do it by reinforcing prejudices; pandering to historical stereotypes and images, humiliating groups of people, attempting to prevent the empowerment of marginalized people, appealing to a past that never was and ignoring the reality of that past and its manifestations in the present. Pitting groups of people against one another; not supporting but violating black and brown people’s inherent human dignity! Such words add to the social toxicity of the world adults in our community create for our children.
I returned to Auburn and Cayuga County 7 years ago when I retired after nearly 40 years in Virginia. Before I went to Virginia I worked as a teacher in Auburn Correctional Facility in the late 1960’s an early 1970’s.
In the prison I learned the importance of working hard to understand people and circumstances that were different from mine. I was a young white person from small town central NY and my students were primarily Black and Hispanic, young and middle aged from New York’s inner cities (or Ghettos as they were called then).
If I were going to be an effective teacher, I felt I needed to understand the world from which my students came. Central to my learning was the importance of respecting the experiences of the men I taught, not calling them names, not resorting to stereotypes as a means of understanding; understanding their complaints, trying to find ways of empowering them in an institution and world so often structured to disempower and humiliate them because of their race and ethnicity.
From my perspective this meant supporting and not violating their human dignity! This meant using my privilege and power to help empower them with what I could teach and how I related to them as people.
When I returned to Auburn, I was amazed at the Symposium on Harriet Tubman that the Harriet Tubman Boosters organized at the community college. I saw the diverse programming at the Auburn Public Theater. I got involved with Celebrate Diverse Auburn, the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace, the Southern Cayuga Anne Frank Tree Project and provided programs for the Cayuga County Museum. I saw that Auburn and Cayuga County were pro-actively working to recognize and build support for the human dignity of all citizens regardless of color and ethnicity, sexual orientation and economic position: making Cayuga County and Auburn a fairer and more peaceful place for all of its citizens to grow, live and work!”
It is incumbent upon all county leaders to take advantage of these programs to educate themselves and their constituents and not appeal to the lowest common denominator.
When a member of the county leadership undermines these efforts, it is also incumbent on the other members of the leadership to hold that member accountable!
HTCJP chair, bill berry’s presentation to the Cayuga County Legislature, June 30, 2020:
At critical times, usually not expected, every community faces its watershed moment. This dilemma is not predicted, nor planned but its occurrence always defines and crystalizes what a community stands for, what a community believes in, what a community values and how it articulates its respect for human dignity for all members of that community.
Cayuga County and this elected body now have a watershed moment thrust upon it through the actions of one of its members. As we approach the conflicting thinking in what July 4th means particularly in a time of health and racial pandemics, as elected officials you need to understand, internalize and fully embrace the contributions made by a race of people who look like me. You need to understand and be knowledgeable about the historical legacy of people who look like me; people who were systematically denied basic American rights. We are a people who were forced to contribute to the welfare, privilege, and protection of your ancestors, you, and your family’s pursuit of life, liberty, freedom and happiness.
Now there is a member of this legislative body who has squandered and debased the liberating spirit of Juneteenth as well as this Saturday’s Independence Day. Legislators, you can change that profound negativity and send a strong signal to all residents what this body will not tolerate, condone, or embrace.
Your silence, inaction or less then forceful condemnation of your colleague will also send a strong signal to this community especially people who look like me.
Through the actions of one of your members, you are now mired in having to decide between ugly and derisive words by a colleague who publicly stated his archaic racist ideas or your duty to represent the best interests, hopes, aspirations of everyone who calls Cayuga County home.
Do not get caught up in misrepresentations of free speech. Hateful words whether spoken or put in writing by any Cayuga County legislator has the explicit purpose to denigrate, demoralize and demonize an entire segment of Cayuga County residents based on their race. That behavior cannot stand. Your colleague has now positioned this legislative body to take significant action and impose long-standing consequences.
As an elected official, each of you are held to a higher standard. Your constituents accord you respect based on your position. Just remember, respect is not a one-way street.
Conduct by your colleague that is undeniably hateful can never be legitimized or accepted by any other elected official who is privileged to sit in a seat in this chamber. Your colleague has embarrassed this body and now compels each of you to come to grips with how you want to see this county progress. Just know, a public or private apology is no longer enough. That pacifier has been rejected.
Now, you must determine how you want to resolve your watershed moment. I trust you will not abandon what is best for your family, your neighbors, and embrace the expanding spirit of equity for all residents and the tenets of anti-racist behavior that is beginning to permeate every area of Cayuga County. This watershed is the moment for your profile in courage and commitment to the best interests of the entire community.
Thank you.
William Berry, Jr. – Auburn resident, South Street Historic District
Chair, Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace
View the June 30th Cayuga County Special Legislative Meeting
https://youtu.be/wqQT_CeEZyE