Global BIPOC Advisory Board

Date:
Sunday, September 19th 2020
Time:
9:00 PM (GMT+3) 2:00 PM (EDT) 11:00 AM (PDT) 7:00 PM (BST)
Meeting Length:
1 Hour

Meeting 1 Minutes

MeFi Staff:
Travelingthyme (facilitator), cortex, restless_nomad, LobsterMitten, Eyebrows McGee
Board Members:
aielen, brainwane, Brandon Blatcher, hurdy gurdy girl, lucidium, UNKUL

  1. Confidentiality and Privacy

    Setting expectations around participant confidentiality and information released to the public. Do you feel comfortable with it being public that you are a board member?
    • All board members are comfortable with being identified by their MeFi usernames in meeting minutes and other notes.
    • Brainwane suggests that moving forward, board members take care to specify when their identities should be omitted from public notes in the interest of privacy.
    • Board members have no objections

  2. Introductions

    Introduce yourselves in whatever way feels best. Name, Pronouns, anything else you'd like to share. Going by your MeFi name is great.

  3. Setting Expectations

    Sharing our expectations and hopes for participation both on the board and on MetaFilter.
    • Thyme
      • Hopes to actively listen and consistently work to be an effective facilitator. Will use the input from meetings to work with staff and board to identify problems, solutions and timelines for implementation. Will remain transparent about staff progress and capacity.
    • Brandon Blatcher
      • Views initial meeting as the first step in identifying problems, proposing solutions and renaming the board.
    • Brainwane
      • Expectation that paid staff will listen and consult with board before making policy decisions
      • Agendas and meeting will be shared ahead of time and for future reference
      • BW hopes that as a board member, their experiences on and off site contribute to useful decision-making.
      • Find creative approaches to address conflict-laden, divisive topics
      • Expects that filter will be effective in preventing use of slurs and that flags will be acknowledged through action by mods
      • For participation, BW hopes that demeaning language based on ethnicity will be stopped through social and technological measures and that MeFites will practice self-awareness and seek guidance if unsure about their role in being exoticizing/demeaning
    • hurdy gurdy girl
      • HGG hopes that the board will be able to respond to some of the concerns brought up in POC threads and that MeFites can feel the site is a welcoming space with the backing and support of mods and members.
    • cortex
      • Expectation for his own participation in the board is to be present, listen and respond when needed while making space to discuss the ideas/wants/needs of the group.
      • Wants to help folks feel heard and reassured that the mod team is aligned with the goals that have been discussed over the years.
    • lucidium
      • L wants to help and ensure people feel heard, and for concerns to be discussed before being brought to metatalk threads.
    • UNKUL
      • UNKUL wants to be more active in the online communities he's a part of. He would like to work on making the MeFi space more equitable for Black, Indigenous and People of color.
    • aielen
      • Hopes that we can address the issues brought up in BIPOC threads and find concrete solutions to heal and (re)build community.
    • LobsterMitten
      • Hopeful this can be a better process for working together and rebuilding.
    • Other Notes: BW would like the group to talk about the differing meanings of the word "community" as it affects the expectations people have of MeFi.

  4. Ground Rules and Board Structure

    1. Board Structure
      8 members are actively participating. As the roster grows, we will be able to rotate members. Honoraria is set at $50 per member until we can push further on fundraising efforts to increase the honoraria amount.
    2. Ground rules - Discussion
      1. Community agreements
        • Brainwane: Don't share links/access to the meeting space with people who are not on board in order to maintain members' privacy.
        • BW: We should try to actively listen and converse in meetings despite moments of tension/frustration from on-site interactions.
        • Brandon Blatcher: We need clarification around what parts of the meeting will be public and how the meetings will be summarized?
          A: Meeting minutes will be composed of summaries of major discussions/decisions for each agenda item.
        • Agenda Items below have been tabled for the next meeting:
          ii. Moderator participation and items 5-8.
        • Meeting length has been extended from 60 minutes to 90 Minutes.
        • Other Notes: Lucidium: We should consider a target board size/quorum.
      2. Moderator participation
        • TABLED

  5. Role of the advisory board

    Determining the function of the board and its priorities.
    Roles of the board could range from setting big-picture priorities for the site, advice on microaggressions policy, setting and monitoring progress measures, determining development priorities such as flag button redesign, and more
    • TABLED

  6. Decision-Making Process

    Determining the most effective ways to make decisions as a group and selecting a consistent process that works for everyone.
    • TABLED

  7. Renaming of Board - Ideas

    Exploring options that are not US-centric and aligned with board values.
    • TABLED

  8. Possible discussion items for next meeting

    • TABLED
    • Renaming of board
    • Privacy policy
    • Progress measures
    • Reducing microaggressions
    • Slur filter feedback
    • Flag button redesign
    • Reviewing policy decisions
    • Improving feedback and communication methods
    • Increasing transparency and consistency in moderating
    • User Survey
    Additional discussion items for next meeting:
    • A discussion about differing meanings of the word "community"
    • Determining a target board size and quorum