* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. BIG, UH, MY NAME [00:00:01] IS AURIA MURRAY THOMAS. I'M HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ESS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. WE HAVE OUR FABULOUS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, MME. COOPER HERE. SAY, HEY, MS. COOPER . AND OF COURSE WE HAVE EACH OF YOU OUR FABULOUS HONOREES. SO APPLAUSE FOR YOURSELVES. HELLO. YES, YES, YES. UM, BUT AS WE'RE WAITING TO OFFICIALLY START THE PROGRAM, WE WANNA WELCOME YOU TO WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER. IF YOU LOOK UP INTO THE CEILING, WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE CITY, EVERY SINGLE TOWN THAT MAKES UP THE GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX, UH, LITERALLY EMBEDDED INTO THE WALLS OF THIS HISTORIC CHAMBER. SO I ASK YOU, TRY TO FIND THE TOWN OR THE CITY IN ESSEX, WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND CALL IT OUT. SO WE CAN YOU SEE, NEWARK? WHERE'S BRICK CITY? WHERE? BRICK CITY. HEY, Y'ALL SEE IT? THAT'S RIGHT. AND NEWARK IS, YOU SEE ORANGE. YOU SEE THE ORANGES. NOW IF ANYBODY FROM THE ORANGES, DON'T BE MAD IF THEY DIDN'T SEPARATE EAST AND WEST AND SOUTH AND ORANGE. RIGHT. DON'T, DON'T GET UPSET. OKAY. BACK IN THE DAY, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THAT. IT WAS JUST THE ORANGES. OKAY. THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO. MONTCLAIR. Y'ALL SEE MONTCLAIR UP THERE? Y'ALL SEE MONTCLAIR? HEY, THERE WE GO. WOO, WOO WOO. OKAY, WHO CAN TELL US HOW MANY, THIS IS A LITTLE GUESS HOW MANY TOWNS AND CITIES ARE CURRENTLY IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX? COME ON. SOUTH ORANGE. COME ON. SOUTH ORANGE. THAT'S RIGHTS 21, RIGHT? RECALL CORRECTLY. OKAY. AMAZING. ANOTHER FUN FACT ABOUT THIS HISTORIC CHAMBER IS THAT TO PROTECT IT, BECAUSE OF COURSE, LIKE AS I SHARED IT, IS A HISTORIC, UH, CHAMBER. AND THE ART ITSELF, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, OF A VERY PARTICULAR AREA. WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S PRESERVED. SO IF YOU LOOK ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, YOU'LL SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THE PROTECTIVE FILM WAS A SMALL LITTLE SQUARE OF SLIGHTLY MORE CLEAR, YOU SEE RIGHT BEHIND US ON TOP OF THE ARCH. YEAH. REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE FILM TO PRESERVE, UM, THE ARC HERE. THAT'S WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE. RIGHT? BUT THAT WILL COST WHAT, HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS? ABOUT $20 MILLION. ABOUT 20 MILLION. THAT ON, LEMME GET A CHECK. . YEP. SO WELCOME TO THE PIECE. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND YEAH. THIS IS YOUR SPACE. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO WHAT GENERALLY HAPPENS, WE HAVE A FEW THINGS. SO WE HAVE THESE PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS, LIKE THE ONES WE'RE HAVING TODAY. UH, BUT TYPICALLY THE BUSINESS OF THE ESS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WHICH IS THE LEGISLATIVE ARM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAPPENS HERE. SO I, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER COOPER AND SEVEN OTHER MEMBERS SERVE ON THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THE COUNTY. SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT. IF YOU LIVE IN ANY PART OF ESS COUNTY, YOU'RE PAYING NOT ONLY MUNICIPAL TAXES RIGHT. BUT YOU'RE PAYING COUNTY TAXES TOO. AND I SHOUT TO, TO US, 'CAUSE WE DON'T BE RAISING THE TAXES, OKAY? WE KEEP NICE AND LOW HELL UP. PRAISE THE LORD. UM, BUT RIGHT? PART OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BENEFITS OF BEING A PART OF ESSEX COUNTY RIGHT? IS, YOU KNOW, HAVING A COUNTY GOVERNMENT HERE THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO YOUR NEEDS. AND WE MEET HERE MONTHLY. WE ARE ACTUALLY THE ONLY BRANCH OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT INTERFACES WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS. RIGHT. OUR EXECUTIVE BRANCH DOES NOT CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT FUNCTION. WE DO. UM, SO WE MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE TWICE A MONTH. TWICE A MONTH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JUNE. MM-HMM . UM, AND YEAH, WE HAVE COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT RIGHT HERE IN THESE CHAMBERS. YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE WE'RE MISSING? ADAM COOPER? NO, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT, UM, ANY COUNTY ROADS, THE STREETS OFTEN HEAR ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR COUNTY PARK PARKS ARE. YEAH. THAT'S LIKE A SIGNATURE THING THAT THIS ILLUSTRATION REALLY, REALLY DOES WELL. YEAH. YEAH. SO VISIT A PARK THAT'S NEAR YOU AND YOU REALLY CAN APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE DO HERE. YEAH. AND THE COUNTY MESSAGE. BUT THE MAJOR ROAD THAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE COUNTY, SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE, SPRINGFIELD AVENUE, PARK AVENUE, BLOOMFIELD KNOW EISENHOWER. THOSE ARE COUNTY ROAD THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF. SO IF YOU SEE A POTHOLE, SOMETHING WRONG, THEY'LL LIGHT OUT. CALL US. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . SO WE CAN GET AN ADDRESS. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. I WAS JUST IN WEEK WAKE PARK, UH, A DAY OR TWO AGO. RIGHT. AND WEEK WAKE PARK IS ACTUALLY THE MOST USED COUNTY PARK IN ESSEX. UM, LITERALLY LIKE THERE'S NO PARK USE AS MUCH AS WEAK WAY, UH, PARTLY BECAUSE OF ITS VASTNESS, BUT THEN ALSO BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT SPORTS COMPLEXES, ET CETERA THERE. UM, BUT AGAIN, WHEN SOMETHING IS ON HIGH DEMAND, RIGHT? THAT MEANS THAT IT NEEDS MORE UPKEEP AND ALL THOSE THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO WE TRY TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS WE CAN TO THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AFFECTING OUR CONSTITUENTS IN OUR PARKS, ON OUR ROADS, IN OUR COUNTY SCHOOLS, RIGHT? AS THIS COUNTY COLLEGE, DONALD PAYNE, TECH WEST, CALDWELL TECH, NOR TECH, THESE ARE ALL COUNTY SCHOOLS AS WELL. UM, AND DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT FALL, YOU KNOW, UNDER OUR [00:05:01] COUNTY GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE SENIOR PROGRAMS, SENIOR SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT. ELECTIONS. OH, AND ABSOLUTELY OUR ELECTIONS. TALK, TALK ABOUT OUR ELECTIONS, BROTHER ADAM. I JUST HOPE NO. TURTLEBACK ZOO. MALOS PARK. HELLO. WELCOME. WELCOME. BOATHOUSE. YEAH. BOATHOUSE, ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS. MM-HMM . YEAH. SO THIS IS OUR LITTLE CIVICS LESSON OF THE DAY. THIS WAS FUN. YEAH. WOO, WOO, WOO. UM, BUT AGAIN, I LIKE TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME YOU TO THE ESS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, L-G-B-T-Q PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION. WANT TO GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR YOURSELF. TIME, Y'ALL PRIDE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T FIND IT ROBBERY TO BE HERE ON A DAY LIKE THIS BECAUSE ROOMS LIKE THIS ARE A REVOLUTION. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE FACING FEDERAL RETRENCHMENT FROM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIMPLY GATHER AND CELEBRATE OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, OUR ADVOCATES, OUR TEACHERS, OUR PROFESSIONALS WHO MAKE UP THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE AN ESSEX COUNTY, THERE WOULDN'T BE A CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THERE WOULDN'T BE A NEWARK AND ESSEX AS WE KNOW IT IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT INCLUDES OUR QUEER FOLKS AND OUR L-G-B-T-Q MEMBERS. AND SO WE ARE HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO HAVE YOU ALL THE ROYALTY WITH US TODAY. OUR HONOREES BROTHER APPLAUSE, OUR HONOREES, Y'ALL, WHO YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT JUST MORE SO IN A MOMENT, WE HAVE BROTHER EDDIE NICHOLAS IN THE BUILDING WITH US. Y'ALL THE LEGEND, THE GOAT . ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN FROM MY HOMETOWN, THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, WE HAVE THE CITY OF NEWARK, L-G-B-T-Q CONCERNS, ADVISORY COMMISSION, WHO IS HERE WITH US AS OUR SECOND HONOREE. AND THEN OF COURSE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, THE VILLAGE, THE FAMILY MEMBERS, THE FRIENDS, THE COLLEAGUES IN THE VINEYARD, UH, MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PROTECTED AND UPLIFTED. AND SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE FROM ME THROUGHOUT, BUT I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW SPECIAL GUESTS WHO ARE WITH US. WE HAVE THE MAYOR OF MONTCLAIR, WHO IS WITH US, EVERYONE. MAYOR BASKERVILLE. UH, WE HAVE OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER COOPER, WHO YOU'VE MET AS WELL. BUT MAYOR, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST JOINING US JUST TO OFFER A FEW SPECIAL REMARKS FOR OUR GUESTS, PLEASE ROUND APPLAUSE FOR HER. SHE MAKES HER WAY TO THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. OH, SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU. AND I AM SO, SO VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO THE, UM, THE, WHAT ARE YOU NOW THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DARION MURRAY THOMAS. I GOT WRITE THAT TIME AND THANK YOU FOR OFFERING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, JUST CONGRATULATE YOU ALL AND LET YOU KNOW HOW, HOW, UM, IMPORTANT IT IS FOR ME TO BE HERE. YOU KNOW, IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG, LIKE JUNE 11TH, 1999, THAT WE WERE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING, UM, LGBTQIA PLUS A MONTH. AND NOW WE'VE COME A LONG WAY. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, NOT JUST DURING TIMES OF CELEBRATION WHEN WE COME HERE AND WE HONOR WELL, WELL DESERVING PEOPLE SUCH AS A LIFETIME FRIEND OF MINE, EDDIE NICHOLAS, WHO I'VE KNOWN SINCE HE WAS YO BIG. I MEAN, I THINK I KNEW HIM WHEN HE WAS IN HIS MOTHER'S THUMB. DID I KNOW HIM THEN? DIDN'T I KNOW HIM THEN? WHEN GRASSROOTS, I'VE KNOWN HIM A LONG TIME. AND, UM, SO WHEN I SAW THAT HE WAS BEING HONORED HERE, AND I SAW THAT THE, UM, BROADWAY ICON, BRANDY MASSEY WAS GOING TO BE SINGING HERE TONIGHT, AND ALL OF YOU, I WANTED TO COME AND IN MONTCLAIR WE'RE DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS OF WELCOMING EVERYBODY. AND IN PARTICULAR, I'VE BEEN, UM, IN ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN MONTCLAIR SINCE 2008. AND WHEN I WAS THERE, I STARTED LOOKING AROUND AND I REALIZED IT WAS PRETTY SAD BECAUSE FOR AS MUCH AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY AND WELCOMING EVERYBODY AND ALL THOSE THINGS, WE HAD NO ONE THAT WAS OPENLY GAY. ANYBODY THAT OPENLY WAS REPRESENTING THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY ON OUR COMMISSIONS, ON OUR COMMITTEES, ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS. ESPECIALLY THINGS LIKE CIVIL RIGHTS. IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN, LATINOS, JEWISH PEOPLE, AND YOU HAVE NOBODY ON THE COMMISSION THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST PEOPLE THAT ARE OUTWARDLY SAYING, YES, WE ARE WITH THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, AND WE, WE BELONG AND WE HAVE A VOICE. AND SO OF COURSE THEN THAT BECAME SOMETHING THAT [00:10:01] WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND SO I MADE SURE FROM THAT TIME ON IN MONTCLAIR THAT OUR COMMITTEES AND C COMMISSIONS AND EVERYBODY HAD REPRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, FROM ALL OF THE COMMITTEES, INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT ARE WITH THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY. AND NOW WHEN YOU GO TO MONTCLAIR, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST A SAYING, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST SAYING, WE WELCOME THAT AND IT'S SPREAD ALL OVER. WE HAVE OUT MONTCLAIR, WHICH MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN MONTCLAIR, LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR OUT MONTCLAIR, AND THEY WILL BE HAVING THE PRIDE FEST AGAIN. UM, I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE OCTOBER 11TH. UM, BUT, UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THAT BRINGS THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE THING IS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO GET TO A PLACE, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE WE, WE KNOW THAT WE ALL BELONG AS ONE. RIGHT? AND IDEALLY IN THE WORLD, HOWEVER MANY YEARS IT TAKES, WE, WE WON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THESE TYPES OF WONDERFUL THINGS. ALTHOUGH THEY'RE IMPORTANT, THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT. BUT I WANNA GET IT TO THE, TO THE POINT IN TIME WHERE WE ALL JUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE BELONG AS ONE AND WE UPHOLD TOGETHER AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND UPLIFT EVERYBODY ONE-ON-ONE. UM, BUT I KNOW I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO SAY HI, BUT I WANTED TO . BUT YEAH, I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT SOME THINGS. AND SO I'M CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU FOR KNOWING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO, TO ALL OF YOU TO BE HERE, JUST AS I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND, UM, SO YEAH. HAVE A GOOD EVENING AND I KNOW THAT I WILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY COMMISSIONER. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU FITTINGLY MENTIONED CIVIL RIGHTS AND I'M LIKE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THE RIGHTS WE HAD IF IT WASN'T FOR BROTHER BAYARD RUSTIN. RIGHT. UM, WHO WAS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON. AND WHO MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID, OH, HE'S A MENTOR FOR ME. RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, A PIONEER OF BEING OUT AND AND QUEER AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER EASY TO BE. BUT AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND YOU SAID THAT OUT FEST IS IN OCTOBER. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. I LIKE TO SAY DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN FEBRUARY, BUT I'M BLACK ALL YEAR ROUND . HELLO. AND SO I'M SURE FOLK GONNA BE OUT IN OCTOBER. 'CAUSE WE CELEBRATE PRIDE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY ALL YEAR LONG COMING OUT. OH, PERFECT. PER, OH, LOOK AT GOD. OKAY, LISTEN, COME ON ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THAT Y'ALL. AMEN. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR VERONA COUNCILWOMAN, MS. CHRISTINE MCGRATH, WHO WILL STAND SO WE CAN SEE YOU. AND SHE WILL SOON BE JOINING US HERE ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. IF ALL GOES WELL IN NOVEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE RECLAIMING, WE CLAIMING IT. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU. UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LOVE FOR US TO WELCOME THE HONORABLE, THE TALENTED, THE GORGEOUS, THE EXTREMELY, UH, MAGNIFICENT, UH, MUSICAL PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FROM NONE OTHER THAN AS OUR MAYOR ALREADY CELEBRATED MISS BRANDY SHAVON MASSEY, TO BRING US A WORD OF SONG OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE RIGHT. THE [00:15:54] BROADWAY BRANDY, EVERYONE. THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE. OH MY GOODNESS. THANK YOU BRANDY, FOR THAT WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE. I WOULD, UH, NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE REVEREND CATHERINE ROYO, WHO WILL RENDER OUR OPENING PRAYER AS SHE JOINS ME HERE AT THE PODIUM. I KNOW SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL WORD OF PRAYER. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SING LIKE BRANDY. YOU, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN JOIN US WITH SOME SONG AND PRAYER. YOU WOULDN . BUT LISTEN, SHE'S FABULOUS IN ALL THE WAYS THAT COUNT. LET ME TELL YOU A AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR, OUR WONDERFUL REVEREND CATHERINE. YOU CAN JOIN ME AS I TALK TO THE CROWD ABOUT YOU. REVEREND CATHERINE IS A PRIEST IN THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEWARK, IN THE CURATE OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN VERONA. SHE'S A GRADUATE OF DREW THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WITH A MASTER OF DIVINITY. OH, FELLOW SEMINARIAN. YAY. I WENT TO UNION. YEAH. AND PTS YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK. YEAH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. . SHE IS ALSO SERVED AS A CHAPLAIN AT ST. BARNABAS HOSPITAL. SHE SERVED AS A SEMINARIAN AND TRANSITIONAL DEACON AT HOLY SPIRIT BEFORE ACCEPTING THE ROLE OF CURATE. PLEASE WELCOME REVEREND CATHERINE. THANK YOU. I'M GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS PRAYER TONIGHT. CREATOR OF LIFE. YOU ARE CALLED BY MANY NAMES, BUT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN, YOU KNOW, YOUR UNIVERSAL NAME IS LOVE. WE PRAY FOR OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY TONIGHT AS WE HONOR THEIR GIFTS TO THE WORLD DURING PRIDE MONTH. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THEY FIND THE STRENGTH TO PUBLICLY EXPRESS THE TRUTH THAT ALL ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF DIVINE LOVE, HELP THEM AND THEIR ALLIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WE CELEBRATE THIS EVENING TO REMAIN RESILIENT DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. AND WHEN SOME WOULD THREATEN THEIR FREEDOM TO BE WHO YOU INTENDED THEM TO BE. WE ASK YOUR ABIDING CARE AND PRESENCE TO OUR TRANS BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE PARTICULARLY UNDER ATTACK BY BOTH POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. HELP US PLEASE TO STAND UNITED AND STRONG AND SEND THE MESSAGE THAT ESSEX COUNTY IS A WELCOMING COMMUNITY. AMEN. THANK YOU, REVEREND CATHERINE, HOW MANY OF US KNOW IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, A HIGHER POWER CREATOR, THAT ALL OF US ARE BEAUTIFULLY, WONDERFULLY, AND FEARFULLY MADE AND GOD MADE US AS WE ARE ON PURPOSE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ANCHORING US IN THAT BEAUTIFUL PRAYER THAT AFFIRMS ALL OF US AS WE ARE, AS GOD MADE US TO BE. TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, WE GOT SOME SPECIAL FOLK IN THE HOUSE. IN THE HOUSE. SAY, I'M LOOKING YOU, LOOKING AT SOMEONE SPECIAL. TELL 'EM. 'CAUSE Y'ALL ALL ARE. HELLO, YOU GUYS ARE ALL VIP GUESTS WHO ARE WITH US. UH, I'D LIKE TO ON THAT NOTE, ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW OTHER VIP GUESTS WHO ARE WITH US TODAY. WE HAVE THE OUT CLEAR CO-FOUNDER, CO-FOUNDER, MISS MADELINE GALE, AN ICON WHO I WAS ABLE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH RECENTLY. IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. WE HAVE, UH, MY DEAR FRIEND AND PARTNER IN THE WORK. UH, BEFORE I SERVED ON THE ES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, I WAS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND I SERVED ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WITH [00:20:01] OUR FABULOUS, UH, REGINALD BLED. SO I BELIEVE YOU'LL HEAR FROM LATER THIS EVENING COMING UP OF REGGIE BEFORE WE EVEN HEAR FROM HIM. UM, BUT, BUT REGGIE AND I SERVED ON THE BOARD WHEN, UH, GARDEN STATE EQUALITY LEGISLATION WAS JUST INTRODUCED AT THE STATE. AND SO WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, CURRICULUM, LOCAL POLICIES THAT MADE SURE THAT WOULD HAPPEN AT THE STATE LEVEL, ACTUALLY FELL INTO OUR KIDS' CLASSROOM SO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE COULD OPEN UP A MATH TEXTBOOK AND SEE THAT IT WASN'T JUST JOHNNY AND SARAH AT HOME, MAKING KIDS MAKING PIES FOR THE KIDS AND HOW MANY SLICES OF PIES THEY HAD. BUT IT COULD BE JOHN AND, AND KEITH, RIGHT? AND SO IT, YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE THE TYPE OF PUSHBACK THAT WE GOT FROM DIFFERENT THINGS JUST TO INCLUDE SO MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. BUT THIS NEXT, UH, HONOREE WHO I'M GONNA ACTUALLY ASK TO BRING A FEW WORDS, IS DOING SO MUCH WORK, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR BABIES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN SCHOOL LIKE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS, OR THEY'RE BIG BABIES LIKE US, GROWN FOLK KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOVED, THAT THEY'RE CARED FOR, AND THEY'RE SEEN BY THEIR GOVERNMENT. AND SO MY, MY FRIEND AND PARTNER AND COLLEAGUE IN THIS WORK GARDEN STATE EQUALITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRIELLE WINSLOW MAG, IF YOU WOULD JUST JOIN US. WE LOVE YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR A FEW REMARKS. THAT'S, THAT'S CRAZY. . HEY, Y'ALL, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS Y'ALL, SO, UH, FORGIVE ME, BUT A HAPPY BRIDE. UM, I'M SO GRATEFUL TO BE HERE WITH Y'ALL IN ESSEX COUNTY. THIS IS WHERE I'M FROM. THIS IS WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED. UM, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE AKIA GUNN, THE PERSON THAT I SPEAK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, UM, HER LIFE WAS LOST BLOCKS AWAY FROM HERE. AND DUE TO THAT, WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE THE HONOREES WHO ARE GONNA BE HONORED HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE GOT US. WE CAN'T WAIT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO COME SAVE US. WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MAN TO MAKE POLICIES OR MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO PUSH US FORWARD. BUT WE NEED TO MAKE COALITIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE US FOR THINGS THAT ARE BY US, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO GAL GALVANIZE US TOWARDS LIVED EQUALITY. SO I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE. I'M SO HAPPY TO BLESS YOU ALL WITH, UM, HONORS. AND THERE'S NO BETTER WAY THAN TO END PRIDE MONTH THAN WITH ALL OF YOU. AND TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE NOT JUST BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, BUT BLACK AND BROWN QUEER PEOPLE ARE SEEN, LOVED AND AFFIRMED. SO THANK YOU. AND TO THAT NOTE, WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL YOUR FOLKS IN THEIR ALLIES ARE SEEN, HEARD, AFFIRMED, AND INVESTED IN. HELLO. 'CAUSE WE NEED THE DOLLARS, RIGHT? WE NEED THE DOLLARS, WE NEED THE FUNDING. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THOSE RESOURCES, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, IT'S OUR TIME IN THE PROGRAM TO CELEBRATE OUR HONOREES. EVERYONE. WOO, WOO WOO, WOO, WOO. UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WANNA TELL YOU THAT THIS EVENING, EACH OF OUR HONOREES, UH, WILL BE RECEIVING THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? RIGHT. WE HAVE OUR COUNTY LEVEL, WHICH IS OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTY IN THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, HERE IN THE CITY OF NEWARK, ONE OF THE NATION'S, THE THIRD OLDEST CITY IN THE NATION, THE LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE. WE ARE MARKING YOU GUYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTY AS BEING TRAILBLAZERS, AS BEING WAY MAKERS, AS BEING GAME CHANGERS. SO THAT WAY YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN THEY LOOK IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AND THEY SAY, WELL, WHAT DID MY GRANDMOTHER, MY AUNTIE, MY ANCESTOR, WHOMEVER, WHATEVER, WHAT, WHAT DID THEY DO? THE HISTORY WILL SAY THAT THEY WERE AND ARE PURE EXCELLENCE THAT THEY REPRESENTED FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO WE ARE EXCITED TO NOT ONLY ANCHOR YOU IN OUR COUNTY HISTORY, BUT TO ANCHOR YOU IN THE FEDERAL RECORD AS WELL. SO THAT WAY IN THE CONGRESSIONAL HALLS, YOUR NAME WILL COME UP FOR WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE. AND SO, WITH THAT SAID, IT'S MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO SHARE THAT NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE IN OUR COUNTY COMMENDATIONS, BUT YOU'LL ALSO BE RECEIVING COUNTY COM OR FEDERAL COMMENDATIONS FROM TWO CONGRESSWOMEN CONGRESSWOMAN LAMONICA MACGYVER OF OUR GRAY CITY OF NOR SHOUT OUT TO LAVAN Y'ALL AND CONGRESSWOMAN ANNA ALIYAH MEJIA OF BLOOMFIELD, AGAIN GOING IN THE RECORD FOR EXCELLENCE, GRACE, COURAGE AND SERVICE. IT'S MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BRING UP COMMISSIONER COOPER TO INTRODUCE OUR FABULOUS FIRST HONOREE, ROUND OF FOSTER COMMISSIONER COOPER, EVERYONE, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING, HAPPY [00:25:01] PRIDE. I LOVE WHEN WE COME OUT TO CELEBRATE OUR COUNTY RESIDENTS AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CELEBRATE OUR DIFFERENCES BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE WE HAVE SOME CRAZIES THAT DON'T WANT US TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY, BUT THAT DIVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER AND MAKE US UNIQUE. IT MAKE US TOLERANT. AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU AND THE HONOREES AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU DO, BECAUSE HERE AT HOME IN ESSEX COUNTY, WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT. WE WELCOME EVERYBODY, AND I LOVE YOU ALL FOR THAT. MY KIDS GET TO GROW UP IN A SPACE WHERE YOU COULD BE PURPLE WITH RAINBOW HAIR AND AIN'T NOBODY GONNA THINK TWICE ABOUT IT. AND I SAY AMEN TO THAT. SO I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRINGING UP MY FRIEND EDDIE NICHOLAS. MR. NICHOLAS, PLEASE COME UP. SO LET ME BRAG ON MR. NICHOLAS FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO, EDDIE NICHOLAS GRADUATED FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1985. HE IS A NOTED MC HOST, EARLY CHILDCARE EDUCATOR, INTERVIEWER, JOURNALIST, AND A MAN ABOUT TOM KNOWN FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ARTS. NOW, IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO ANY OF THE MUSIC PROGRAMS, ANY OF THE ARTS PROGRAMS, HOUSE FESTIVALS YOU'VE HELD, HEARD THIS SILKY WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL VOICE ON THAT MICROPHONE MOVING YOU THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. EDDIE WORKS THROUGHOUT SES COUNTY AND HIS HOMETOWN OF MONTCLAIR IN MANY LOCAL EVENTS, LENDING HIS VOICE AND TALENTS FOR MANY CAUSES, WHICH NEAR AND DEAR TO HIM FOR ANTI-BULLYING, L-G-B-T-Q, PRIDE AND ALSO FUNDRAISING EVENTS. SO HE'S ALWAYS FOR HIRE TO HELP YOU RAISE SOME MONEY IF YOU EVER NEED IT. EDDIE HAS BEEN THE LONG STANDING HOST OF THE LINCOLN PARK HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL, AND HE'S ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE WEAK WAY PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL IN NEWARK. AND THAT'S BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR HOW MANY YEARS? 15. 15 YEARS. SO MARK YOUR CALENDAR, THAT SHOULD BE COMING UP THIS SEPTEMBER. SO IF YOU WANNA DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY AND BURN OFF SOME CALORIES, COME DANCE WITH MR. EDDIE. EDDIE HAS APPEARED AT MONTCLAIR PRIDE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND HE'S GRACED THE STAGE IN 2023, 2024. AND IN 2025, HE WAS ONE OF THE HOSTS OF MONTCLAIR PRIDE, ALONG WITH HARMONICA SUNBEAM AND DOMINIQUE JACKSON. IT IS FOR ALL THESE REASONS AND MANY MORE WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING MR. NICHOLAS FOR ALL OF HIS INCREDIBLE WORK THAT HE'S DONE, NOT JUST FOR PRIDE, BUT FOR ANY COMMUNITY AND PERSON HERE IN NEED. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE WANNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOME REMARKS. LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR HIM. WELL, NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS FIRST TOLD, I SAID, WELL, WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I DO ? SO I HAD TO THINK BECAUSE MY DIRECTOR TOLD ME, SHE SAID, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING A PHONE CALL. I SAID, A PHONE CALL. THEN I RAN INTO MS. POTE, SHE'S PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, I BELIEVE. SHE SAID, EDDIE, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING A CALL OR A EMAIL. SO I'M LIKE, WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AMINA? TOYER. SHE SAID, EDDIE, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING A CALL. SO I'M LIKE, GETTING A CALL FOR WHAT? WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I DO? ? SO I GOT THE EMAIL, AND WHEN I READ THE EMAIL, I WAS SO HONORED AND HUMBLED BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING WHAT YOU DO. MM-HMM . UM, I WAS LIKE, I DIDN'T MARCH ANY GAY PARADES. I DIDN'T GO AROUND RAISING ANY BANNERS. I WASN'T SCREAMING TO THE TOP OF MY LUNGS ADVOCATING FOR THIS RIGHT. OR ANYBODY'S RIGHTS BECAUSE I'M FOR EVERYBODY'S RIGHTS. BUT THEN I REALIZE EVERY STAGE THAT I STEP ON, I AM A ROLE MODEL FOR PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE LIKE US, AS WORTHY YOUNG PEOPLE LOOK AT US AND THEY REALIZE I CAN DO THE SAME THING TOO. AND SO WITH THAT, I AM SO HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION. YOU KNOW, I DO A LOT, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER COOPER, THANK YOU, BECAUSE YOU SUPPORTED WHEN I WANTED TO DO THEATER IN THE PARK, AND THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING ON OUR SECOND YEAR. THAT'S RIGHT. SO I PRIDE MYSELF IN BEING ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THAT AS WELL. LINCOLN PARK, IT SEEMS LIKE I'VE BEEN THERE FOREVER. I STILL TRY TO REMAIN YOUNG. I STILL TRY TO BE VAIN AS THEY CALL US. GORGEOUS. BECAUSE YOU GOTTA BE SOMETHING. SO WHEN I STEP ON THESE STAGES, I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW [00:30:02] YOU CAN KIND OF GUESS IF I'M QUEER, BUT IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW THAT I AM. AND IF YOU GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT, THEN THAT'S ON YOU. BECAUSE I AM WHO I AM AS THAT SONG SAYS, I'M MY OWN CREATION AND I'M GONNA SEE LA KAJA FOR THIS FRIDAY. SO I'LL BE ABLE TO RELATE TO THAT SONG. UM, I'M NOW BOARD MEMBER OF AL MONTCLAIR AND I'M EXTREMELY PROUD FOR THAT. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WITHOUT HER SUPPORT, WE WOULD NOT BE DOING OCTOBER 11TH NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY. SO MAYOR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR CHAMPIONING THAT AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THE FIRST ONE TO SAY IT EVEN BEFORE WE SAID IT, . SO WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE LOVE YOU, THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US. AND I SAY THIS TO ANYBODY, IT'S ABOUT WORKING WITH YOUR MUNICIPALITIES. IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO FIND WE COMMON GROUND IS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU PUT IN POWER ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY DO. AND WHEN IT COMES TO TRANS, RIGHT, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RIGHTS, L-G-B-T-Q, YOU KNOW, THEY KEEP ADDING LETTERS TO THAT NOW, SO YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GET IT RIGHT. BUT AGAIN, I'M SO HONORED. AND THEN TO SIT HERE AND QUEEN, QUEEN, I'VE KNOWN QUEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WE'VE SHARED STORIES. SHE WAS RUNNING AROUND FOR DOING THE PHOTOGRAPHY, THEN SHE HAD HER BABY. SHE'S TEACHING CHILDREN. SHE DONE ALL THE ART THINGS. SO IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE RECOGNIZED ALONG WITH HER AND HER ORGANIZATION. SO I'M GONNA BE QUIET BECAUSE WE WANT THIS TO GO ON AND I GOT A PARTY TO GO TO AFTERWARDS, BUT YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA SEE BIG FRIEDA TONIGHT. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S LIKE THE ICING ON THE CAKE. UM, I THINK MY FAMILY, YOU KNOW, MY MULTIFAMILY, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL OF YOU, YOU ALL ARE FAMILY. UM, I'M HONORED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAKE SURE YOU COME AND VISIT MONTCLAIR. I'M ALSO PART OF THE MONT CULTURAL ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE TOWNSHIP. WE WELCOME YOU AGAIN. MY NAME IS EDDIE NICHOLAS, I WILL SEE YOU IN THE PARKS. THANK YOU. A BLESS TWO LAST ONE. IT'S ALL OVER, SIR. GOODIES. GOODIES. YOU KNOW, WE LOVE GOODIES. THANK YOU. GIVE ANOTHER APPLAUSE FOR HIM AND ALL HIS GORGEOUSNESS. ALL RIGHT. MONTCLAIR IS IN THE BUILDING. YOU ALL? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, EDDIE, FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS AND OF CERTAINLY FOR YOUR SERVICE. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO REINTRODUCE OUR TALENTED MUSICIAN. I'VE, I'VE BRANDED HER BROADWAY BRANDY AS JANELLE. UH, THAT'S 'CAUSE SHE'S GOT RECEIPTS TO BACK THAT UP AS I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IN A MOMENT. UH, SO BRITTANY, WON'T YOU JOIN US, MS. MASSEY UP HERE FOR YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION, AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER. COME ON ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR HOW Y'ALL YES. HA. FROM A LONG LINE OF GOSPEL SINGERS, BRANDY SHAVON MASSEY BECAME THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO EXPLORE MUSIC OUTSIDE OF THEIR GOSPEL ROOTS IN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE SANG WITH THE CINCINNATI POPS ORCHESTRA AS A SOLO VOCALIST AND ALONGSIDE THE LEGENDARY MALE TME. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? MM-HMM . OKAY. TME. SHE STUDIED MUSICAL THEATER AT THE AMERICAN MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC ACADEMY IN NEW YORK CITY, PERFORMING WITH THE LIKES OF MARY J BLIGE. AND COME ON MARY, COME ON MARY AND OPERA SINGER JESSE NORMAN. HELLO. BRANDY HAS STARRED IN BROADWAY LEADING ROLES, INCLUDING SEALY AND NETTY IN THE COLOR PURPLE ALPHABET IN WICKED. YEAH. THE RADIO AND CAROLINE, OR CHANGE NALA IN THE LION KING. COME ON IN THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN AS LUCY AND JEKYLL AND HYDE. YEAH, WE CAN CLAP UP FOR ALL THAT ABSOLUTELY ROYALTY RIGHT HERE. REGIONALLY. SHE WAS PERFORMED AS MARY AND JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR DOROTHY AND THE WIZ AND RELL AND DREAM GIRLS. COME ON. SHE, YES. OH MY GOODNESS. SHE ALSO HAS HAD ROLES ON TELEVISION SHOWS LIKE GREY'S ANATOMY AND MEDIUM. [00:35:01] SO IT WAS GIVING BROADWAY AND BROADCAST. HELLO BRANDY. Y'ALL SEE WHAT I DID THERE? ALLITERATION. I REALLY LOVE THE ENGLISH CLASS WHILE TOURING. SHE RESIDES IN MONTCLAIR WHILE TOURING AROUND THE WORLD AND TEACHING SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, AND PRIVATE LESSONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. BRANDY, WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU WITH US TONIGHT. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR YOU AS YOU GIVE US A BEAUTIFUL WORD. THANK YOU THAT, NO THANK YOU. THAT'S BRANDY. EVERYONE. BRANDY, IF I MAY NEXT TIME, LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT I TAUGHT YOU ALL THAT . REMEMBER, REMEMBER BACK IN THE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU DON'T GOTTA TELL. LIKE, BECAUSE IT WAS BACK IN THE DAY. THIS, I PUT IT IN THE BIO, JUST, JUST A SMALL CITATION. LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT I WAS THE COACH. I WAS THE VOCAL COACH QUEEN. IT WAS ME. THE ASTERISK JUST ALL I NEED IS THE ASTERISK. I DON'T EVEN NEED A FULL LINE. JUST A LITTLE NOTE. BRANDY MASSEY, EVERYONE BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. IT'S MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BRING UP OUR NEXT HONOREE WHO EPITOMIZES WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND HELP A COMMUNITY DO THE SAME. WILL MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES OF THE NEWARK L-G-B-T-Q CONCERNS ADVISORY COMMISSION. PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE PODIUM AS I TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM. MAKE SOME NOISE, Y'ALL. I DUNNO IF YOU KNOW, BUT WE'RE IN NEWARK. THIS OUR HOME TURF. YOU GOTTA MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE NEWARK COMMISSION IN THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK. WE'RE TALKING QUEEN LATIFAH, WE'RE TALKING RODNEY GILBERT. WE'RE TALKING A WHOLE LOT OF LGBTQ PLUS HISTORY RIGHT HERE IN THIS GREAT CITY. AND THIS COMMISSION IS A PART OF THAT LINEAGE. UM, BEFORE I GET INTO THE OFFICIAL, THE OFFICIAL, UH, RECORD ABOUT THEM, I JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR PRESIDENT, MS. QUEEN MOORE. UM, SOMEONE WHO I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS. LOOK AT QUEEN. PRIOR TO SHE AND I EVER HAVING ANY OF THESE FANCY OLD TITLES, WE WERE JUST DOING OUR WORK WITH OUR BABIES, UM, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND IN FACT, YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT I WAS ABLE TO BRING IN TO WORK WITH MY MENTEES AT. SHE WINS, UH, HELPING THEM FIND THEIR VOICE THROUGH POETRY, THROUGH ART. UM, I'VE NEVER SEEN OUR KIDS COME MORE ALIVE THAN IT IS THROUGH THE ARTS. AND YOU'VE BEEN A VEHICLE AND A VESSEL FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO KNOW THEMSELVES. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, AND COLORS. YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAME TO, SHE WINS FIRST WHEN THEIR PRONOUNS WERE [00:40:01] SHE HER AND LEFT AS THEY THEM, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO AS THEY GREW UP, DISCOVERED DIFFERENT PARTS OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR IDENTITY. AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU'VE BEEN TO ME AS MY MENTOR AND BIG SISTER AND WHO YOU ARE TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND FRANKLY, THAT CALIBER OF SERVICE, THAT CALIBER OF CARE IS WHAT EXISTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMISSION. AUDREY SIN I, WE GO WAY BACK FROM EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? YOU AND I, WE'VE BEEN NOT GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER QUITE A BIT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 'CAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS IN THE WORK. YOU ARE ALWAYS IN THE VINEYARD. AND I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME WE DON'T TALK ABOUT. BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE HANGING OUT TONIGHT BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU DO THE WORK. UM, AND AGAIN, SO LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL COLLECTIVE OF PEOPLE HERE IN OUR GREAT CITY. MY GREAT CITY OF NEWARK THAT DOES THE WORK, NOT JUST FOR OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THEM, BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO THE NEWARK LGBTQ PLUS CONCERNS ADVISORY COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2014 UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THEN MAYOR, NOW, US SENATOR CORY BOOKER. IT WAS CREATED TO SERVE AS AN OFFICIAL ADVISORY BODY TO THE CITY OF NEWARK ON MATTERS AFFECTING L-G-B-T-L-G-B-T-Q-I-A RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T LIFT UP THE NAME AS MY, MY DEAR FRIEND BRIELLE MENTIONED OF ZAKIYA GUM. A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL, 15 A CHILD, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE OF MISOGYNY, BECAUSE OF HOMOPHOBIA, WHOSE LIFE, HER LIFE ENDED TRAGICALLY JUST TRYING TO BE A YOUNG PERSON AND BE HUMAN. RIGHT. AND SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND FOLKS LIKE THE COMMISSION HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, ADVOCATING FOR, FOR YEARS. THE SHAWNEE BARAKA CENTER IS NAMED AFTER SHAWNEE BARAKA. UH, SHE WAS AN EDUCATOR AND A BASKETBALL COACH. SHE TAUGHT MY COUSIN THAT MY MOM RAISED RIGHT? I REMEMBER SEEING MS. BARAKA AS A CHILD RIGHT IN, IN BERG. AND SO AGAIN, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT WE DO IF IT DIDN'T REFLECT ALL THE COLORS AND BEAUTY OF OUR TAKI COMMUNITY. AND THIS BODY HAS BEEN CONCERNED WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE LIFT UP THEIR VOICES, THEIR CONCERNS, AND ADVISE OUR CITY SINCE 2025, THE COMMISSION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHAIRWOMAN JENNIFER, WHO I JUST LEARNED YOUR REAL NAME LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO. . I THOUGHT YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE SAID QUEEN IN PREPARATION. I WAS LIKE, GIRL IS THIS IS, WHAT IS YOUR I WAS LIKE, IT'S NOT QUEEN. I WAS LIKE, WHO'S JENNIFER? SHE'S LIKE, GIRL, IT'S JENNIFER. OKAY. SO JENNIFER QUEEN MOORE. HELLO. UH, UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, THE COMMISSION HAS EXPANDED NEWARK'S INTERNATIONAL PRIDE MONTH PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL PRIDE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING THERE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. THE SCENT OF SWEET PRIDE PROFESSIONAL MIXER AND THE ANNUAL PRIDE IN BLANC, WHICH IS COMING UP RIGHT? HELLO THIS SATURDAY. OKAY, Y'ALL BETTER BE THERE. GET WHITE OUTFIT. GET THE WHITE OUTFIT. YOU'RE ALREADY READY. BROADWAY, YOU'RE ALREADY READY. AND YOU'RE READY TOO. AND YOU READY? YOU READY? ISH. RIGHT? READY? AND YOU HALF READY. SO Y'ALL ALREADY JUST GET YOUR TICKET. JUST BE THERE. COME ON. JUST A LITTLE LAUNDRY. UM, SO AGAIN, RAISING FUNDS TO SUPPORT THIS INCREDIBLE WORK. THE COMMISSION LEADERSHIP HAS PARTICIPATED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH FOLKS LIKE OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, SARAH MCBRIDE AND ANNA ALIYAH MEJIA, WHILE ADVOCATING FOR LGBTQIA PLUS RIGHTS EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, EQUITY, VISIBILITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. AND I BELIEVE CONGRESSWOMAN MACGYVER AS WELL TOO, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE COMMISSION SUPPORTS AFFIRMING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS, CULTURAL PROGRAMMING, EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMANCES, PUBLIC ART, POETRY, FILM, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES. AS NEWARK CONTINUES TO GROW AS ONE OF NEW JERSEY'S MOST INCLUSIVE CITIES, THE COMMISSION REMAINS COMMITTED TO ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, PARTNERSHIP, VISIBILITY, AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU BRING TO OUR COMMUNITIES. ONE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE COMMISSION EVERYONE. SEE YOU LORD. JASON, WAS THAT DRAMATIC? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GET ON YOUR TIPPY TOES. I WAS ABOUT TO . GOOD EVENING, Y'ALL. GOOD EVENING. NO, THIS IS PRIDE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. SO AS YOU'VE HEARD, MY NAME IS COMMISSIONER JENNIFER . NOW Y'ALL KNOW MY REAL NAME. JENNIFER QUEEN MOORE. AND WITH THAT NAME DOES NOT COME A TITLE. IT BECOMES A CALL OF ACTION. AND I'M STANDING HERE WITH SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE. I MAY LEAD THE COMMISSION, BUT I DON'T OWN IT AND I DON'T RUN IT BY MYSELF. I JUST CALLED AUDRE AT FOUR IN THE MORNING THE OTHER MORNING TO DISCUSS A CAKE. UM, I HAVE COMMISSIONER BUNKY TO MY LEFT. Y'ALL MAKE SOME NOISE FOR COMMISSIONER JASON BUNKY. HE IS THE CHAIR OF THE FILM AND TELEVISION COMMITTEE ON THE COMMISSION. AND THEN I HAVE OUR SECRETARY, MADAM SECRETARY, RIGHT HERE, MS. AUDRA [00:45:01] TORRES. ANY EMAIL OR LISTSERV THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED THAT HAS COME FROM AUDRIS? AND THEN WE HAVE OUR NEWEST, NEWEST, NEWEST COMMISSIONER. VERY, YES. VERY NEW REGINALD WEBER JR. AND THEN FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE EITHER STUCK IN TRAFFIC OR ON THEIR WAY HERE, COMMISSIONER SU SUE STEWART, MY GODMOTHER. THEN WE HAVE COMMISSIONER TIANA SANTOS AND COMMISSIONER TAQUAN WILLIAMS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS WORK, UM, I THINK ABOUT INCLUSIVITY, NOT ONLY JUST FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T REPRESENT THE BODY OF WHO WE ARE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCLUSIVITY WITHIN THE GAY AND QUEER COMMUNITY. A LOT OF TIMES WE SHUT OURSELVES OUT BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET ON THE SAME PAGE. AND I THINK THIS COMMISSION HAS DONE A VERY ACTIVE DUTY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE GAP AND BECOME MORE TOGETHER. INCLUSIVITY STARTS IN-HOUSE. WE CAN'T EXPECT FOLKS OUT IN THE OUTSIDE TO INCLUDE US IF WE'RE NOT INCLUDING OURSELVES. AND I WANNA APPLAUD THE COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY REALLY WORK HARD BY MY SIDE AT THESE EVENTS IN THEIR HOMES OFF THE CLOCK. WE DON'T GET PAID, BUT WE GET PAID IN DIVIDENDS IN THIS LIFE THROUGH THIS WORK. THERE'S NO MONETARY VALUE TO WHAT WE DO. UM, BUT THERE IS A SPIRITUAL VALUE. THERE IS A COLLECTIVENESS AND, AND GROWTH. WE LEARN SO MUCH. WE'RE ABLE TO WALK THE WALK. 'CAUSE WE TALK, THE TALK, WE SHOW UP. WE'RE THE LAST ONES TO LEAVE. UM, WE'RE THE FIR WE'RE NOT THE FIRST ONES TO GET THERE. 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LATE. LET'S BE VERY CLEAR. I'LL JUST BE PUTTING ON HER LASHES. JASON BE TIGHTENING UP HIS TURBAN. REGINALD WOULD BE COMING FROM THE CITY. SUZU WOULD BE PRODUCING A SHOW. TIANA WOULD BE DECORATING SOMEBODY'S STAGE. MBI. HE, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S PRINTING OUT SOMEONE'S PROCLAMATIONS. WE ALL HAVE DAY JOBS, BUT THIS JOB IS A LIFE JOB. AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME, SOME GOOD ONES. I WANNA ONE OF Y'ALL WANNA SAY SOMETHING. NO, YOU GOT IT. Y'ALL ARE TERRIBLE. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. ALRIGHT. I'M NERVOUS. SO SO SOME OF OUR, OUR, OUR PARTNERS WHO HAVE NOT QUESTIONED THE ABILITY TO SHOW UP FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2014, THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR MOVING IN TO THIS, THIS POSITION. I'M A CLASSROOM TEACHER IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A FULL-TIME EDUCATOR. AND IF IT WORKS ON MY STUDENTS, IT CAN WORK ON ADULTS. SAY THAT WITH ME. IF IT WORKS ON YOUR STUDENTS, IT CAN WORK ON ADULTS. THANK YOU. AND EVERYTHING THAT WE PRACTICE, WE ACTUALLY DO. SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, N-J-C-R-I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR EMMI SHAKUR. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO VICTORIA WALKER, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND EDUCATION DISTRICT. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHO'S PARTNERED WITH THE COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE NEEDS FOR STUDENTS ARE, ARE MET IN THE CLASSROOM, IN THE BOOKS, IN THE TEXT, IN THE CURRICULUM. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO NEWARK SYMPHONY HALL. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO GARDEN STATE EQUALITY. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UM, OUT MONTCLAIR. MADELINE NEVER SEEMS TO FAIL AT PUTTING ME IN A GROUP CHAT WITH PEOPLE THAT I NEED TO KNOW. AND I HONOR THAT 'CAUSE SHE KNOWS I HATE GROUP CHATS WITH PASSION . BUT SHE'S LIKE, YOU NEED TO KNOW LOUISE WALIN. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS ONE. YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT ONE. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP FOR US. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN THE WORK THAT WE DO IN OUR INFANCY BECAUSE WE'RE GIANTS. SO I WILL SEE Y'ALL. WE WILL SEE Y'ALL ON SATURDAY. ON SATURDAY. WHERE WE GONNA BE? Y'ALL AT NEWARK SYMPHONY HALL. UHHUH . NOW THEY WANNA TALK. GO AHEAD. UHHUH , WE INVITE YOU ALL THIS SATURDAY FROM 12 TO 4:00 PM FOR OUR SECOND ANNUAL COMMEMORATE FUNDRAISER. IT IS OUR PRIDE AND BLANC. IT IS A PREMIER NEWARK PRIDE EVENT. WE HAVE TONS OF ENTERTAINMENT. WE ARE HONORING SOME OF THE BEST TALENT AND ALLIES IN OUR CITY. UH, YOU WANT ME TO DROP ONE OR TWO? ALL OF THEM. SUPERINTENDENT ROGER LEON, UM, SENATOR RUIZ RUIZ. UM, I CAN'T TELL HIM THAT SOME OF 'EM ARE SURPRISES, SO WE CAN'T TELL IT. BUT YOU NEED TO BE THERE. SO, UM, AUDRIS AND JASON ARE GONNA TAKE THE LEAD. UM, WE HAVE THREE TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY THAT ARE COMPLIMENTARY FOR THE GALA. IT IS A ALL WHITE AFFAIR. IT IS NOT AN ALL WHITE PARTY. WE ARE A LIVING VIGIL, A LIVING BODY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE LOST THROUGH VIOLENCE, THROUGH ANY EPIDEMIC THAT IS, THAT IS CHARGING AND TAKING OVER OUR LIVES. SATURDAY WE GET TOGETHER, WE DE AND BLANC. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A DE BLANC, YOU GONNA BE IN ONE IN NEWARK. RIGHT? AND IT'S AT THE HISTORICAL NEWARK SYMPHONY HALL. SHOUT OUT TO SYMPHONY HALL THAT HOSTED US. THEY SAID, WE DON'T HAVE A PRIDE EVENT. SO WHAT CAN WE DO? HOST US AGAIN. AND THEY DID. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE Y'ALL. LET'S GET TOGETHER. LET'S WEAR ALL WHITE NOT CREAM. LET'S BE VERY CLEAR. VERY, I'M AN ART TEACHER, OKAY? DON'T COME UP IN THERE WITH NO CREAM ON. OKAY? OKAY. AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, WE LOVE YOU. WE THANK YOU. THIS IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE. I'M EXCITED. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO MY BABY [00:50:01] SISTER. YOU THE TALLEST SISTER. I'M THE SHORTER SISTER . BUT I, I, I ADMIRE YOU SO MUCH. YOUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY IS JUST AS STRONG AS YOU THINK MY WORK IS. SO EVERY TIME I SEE A POST THAT YOU'RE DOING, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ON THAT BOARD. SO THANK YOU. THANKS EVERYONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMISSION OF NEWARK, Y'ALL. THAT'S RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ON SATURDAY. I'LL BE HAVE HOSTING A WELLNESS RETREAT WITH SOME YOUNG PEOPLE, SO I WON'T BE THERE. BUT IF I WASN'T, I WOULD BE THERE IN WHITE, NOT CREAM. AND I DID SPONSOR A TICKET. YOU'RE RIGHT. FOR A YOUNG PERSON. ABSOLUTELY. SO I'M THERE IN SPIRIT AS LONG AS A YOUNG PERSON. THERE WE ARE ALL THERE. AMEN. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY, SO WE ARE NEARING THE ENDS OF OUR PROGRAM, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE ENDS OF THE CELEBRATION. WE WILL HAVE REFRESHMENTS. ACTUALLY NO, WE GOT FOOD. FOOD, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT DINNER. YEAH, WE'VE GOT DINNER. WE CAME CORRECT, UH, THIS EVENING FOR YOU. WE ALSO WILL INVITE, UH, OUR GUEST, HONOREES, FAMILIES, ET CETERA, TO STAY AFTER FOR A FEW MOMENTS FOR SOME PHOTOS FROM NONE OTHER THAN THE LLOYD ON THE . UH, YES. SHOULD I TOP IT UP FOR HIM? AS HE SAYS, PUT A LITTLE EXTRA CHEESE ON IT AND THE PICTURE SMILE A LITTLE BIT. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE UP MS. MASSEY FOR ONE MORE SONG AS WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE OUR EVENING. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANNA SAY SOMETHING. I'M A PART OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. I DIDN'T SAY THAT. IT'S NOT IN MY BIO. I ALSO WORK WITH THE KIDS AT COVENANT HOUSE HERE IN NEWARK. UM, SO I TEACH THEM POETRY THROUGH SONG. AND I ALSO SERVED, UM, FOR A LITTLE WHILE BRIEFLY ON THE MONTCLAIR BOARD OUT MONTCLAIR. SO YES, I'M FAMILY . AND, UM, GOING BACK TO WHAT THE VICE PRESIDENT SAID, UM, CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUST BEING INCLUSIVE, UM, HAS BEEN SO FAR OFF FOR MANY YEARS AND NOW COMING TOGETHER, UM, I THOUGHT OF THIS NEXT SONG, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DONE. THE WORK IS NOT DONE. AND, AND, AND WE'RE STILL MOVING AND WE'RE STILL MARCHING DIFFERENT, JUST IN DIFFERENT FORMS. SO WHEN I THOUGHT OF A SONG TO SING TONIGHT, UM, I THOUGHT THIS ONE WAS FITTING AS BLACK AS MY BRIGHT SHOWING ME BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I I [00:55:17] A STRUGGLE SUNDAY REY EVERYONE. OH MY GOODNESS. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE. OH MY GOODNESS. WHAT'D THEY SAY? THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH ARE OPEN. WE ARE TAKING COLLECTION. IS THERE ONE? IS THERE ONE? HEY, THAT'S THE COLLECTION PLATE. THAT WAS SO POWERFUL. AND AGAIN, I FEEL AS A TEACHER TO HAVE MY STUDENT TO REACH THESE LEVELS OF ALL THE YEARS THAT I SPENT COUNSELING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU BRANDY MASSEY. EVERYONE, THERE'S A ROAD AND I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING. IT'S MY PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO BRING UP SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN SUCH A CHAMPION FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND FRANKLY ALL COMMUNITIES, UH, IN HER GREAT TOWN OF VERONA AND CERTAINLY HERE IN THE GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING WHAT MORE YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY. BEFORE WE HAVE OUR BENEDICTION FROM REVEREND CATHERINE. SO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MCGRATH, WON'T YOU JOIN US FOR A FEW REMARKS AS WE PREPARE TO CLOSE OUR PROGRAM. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS FOR INVITING ME UP. I JUST, UM, AND TO COMMISSIONER COOPER AND TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS CEREMONY. UM, I HAD TO COME TONIGHT. IT WAS A LONG DAY. I'M SURE YOU ALL HAD LONG DAYS TOO, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MY FRIEND CATHERINE ROLLO WAS GOING TO BE HERE TODAY. SO IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AS WELL. UM, I REALLY CAN'T, UM, EXPRESS INTO WORDS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ME TO BE HERE. IT'S PERSONAL, RIGHT? AND I AM EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. UM, AND I WANTED TO COME TONIGHT TO LEARN TO LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION. I LOVE HOW YOU SAID I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN. WE ALL HAVE DAY JOBS, BUT THIS IS OUR LIFE JOB. AND THAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME. AND I APPRECIATE THE HOURS AND THE BURDEN THAT YOU PUT ON YOURSELVES FOR NO PAY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THAT NEXT GENERATION HAS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN BUILD ON THAT HAS A REFERENCE POINT THAT'S POSITIVE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CURRENT CLIMATE WHERE EVERYTHING IS NEGATIVE. AND TO MR. MASSEY, [01:00:01] I LOVED HOW YOU BROUGHT IT FORWARD ABOUT HOLDING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. OH, I'M SORRY, . MR. NICHOLS. SEE, I WROTE NOTES. I'M GET, I'M LEARNING MR. NICHOLS, HOW YOU TALKED ABOUT HOLDING ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THAT'S WHY THE COMMISSIONERS DO THIS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOT BACK DOWN AT THIS MOMENT. SO THANK YOU ALL. I CELEBRATE ALL OF YOU AND TO ALL OF THE FAMILIES, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE HONOREES. THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. MCGRATH. AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF, UH, OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, ESSEX COUNTY WAS THE FIRST COUNTY IN THE STATE, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, TO ESTABLISH A OFFICE OF LGBTQ PLUS AFFAIRS. RIGHT? WE WERE ONE. ABSOLUTELY. SO REALLY PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS. UH, WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTIES AND I WAS, I BELIEVE I WAS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO, I THINK I WAS THE COMMISSIONER, TO INTRODUCE THE COMMENDATION. AND OF COURSE IT WAS SUPPORTED BY ACCLIMATION TO RECOGNIZE NATIONAL TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, RIGHT? AND SO, YEAH, THAT WAS ME. YOU RIGHT, A DOREEN. IT WAS, LET ME GIVE MYSELF SOME CREDIT, BUT NOT ME. BUT BECAUSE OF THE TRANS LEADERS AND FOLKS WHO WERE IN THE VINEYARD AND CAME HERE AND SAID, NO, OUR VOICES AND OUR STORIES NEED TO BE HEARD. AND SO WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THAT WORK, AND CERTAINLY YOU, MS. MCGRATH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'LL BE DOING WITH THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING ALL OF US. WE ARE REMINDED THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES WITHOUT FEAR OF DISCRIMINATION OR PREJUDICE. AND TO SIMPLY HAVE PRIDE IN WHO THEY ARE. WE RECOGNIZE OF COURSE, THAT EVEN WITH THE GREAT PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, THERE ARE STILL GOALS TO ACHIEVE. THERE ARE STILL BATTLES TO WIN, BUT EVENTS LIKE THIS HELP US SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS AND AWARENESS THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. LET US CONTINUE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND ACCEPTANCE FOR ALL, FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION, FOR OUR ELDERS, FOR ALL OF US TODAY, AND USE OUR RIGHT NOW TO GET READY FOR OUR NEXT. SO ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER BOARD, WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US AFTER OUR CLOSING PRAYER FROM REVEREND CATHERINE AND ROOM 5 0 1, THE BLOE WATSON CONFERENCE ROOM FOR SOME REFRESHMENTS AND CELEBRATIONS. THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR HONOREES, EDDIE NICHOLS, EVERYONE, THE GOAT, THE LEGENDS, WHO HAS TO SEE BIG FREEDA TONIGHT. SO LET US SPEED THIS UP SO YOU COULD GO BE WITH THE QUEEN OF NOLA AND OF COURSE THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMISSION AND THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK, MY CITY, MY PEOPLE, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU AND OF COURSE YOU ARE FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR BEING WITH US. REVEREND CATHERINE, WON'T YOU JOIN US? UH, MS. BRANDY, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT HE WHO SINGS ONCE, SHE WHO SINGS ONCE PRAISE TWICE. I AM SURE THAT GOD IS VERY ATTENTIVE TO WHAT YOU HAD TO, TO OFFER TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT BLESSING. I APPRECIATE IT. I REALLY DO. LET US PRAY. HOLY ONE. WE OFFER OUR THANKS TO THOSE WHO WERE HONORED THIS EVENING. MAY THEIR EFFORTS INSPIRE OTHERS TO JOIN THE FIGHT FOR SAFETY, FREEDOM FOR OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN. GIVE US ALL THE STRENGTH TO DO THIS WORK OF LOVE. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EVERYONE. PLEASE JOIN US. WE HAVE, OF COURSE, OUR DEPUTY CLERK, MS. MAKE HAPPEN TODAY. ADAM, THE GOAT. WE GOT KYLE, UM, AND THEN THE REMAINING OF OUR, OUR MAD SHERIFF, PLEASE, MY SHERIFF. Y'ALL TELL US YOUR LAST NAME AGAIN. OFFICER MARTINEZ, SHERIFF MARTINEZ, Y'ALL WHO HELPS, KEEPS US SAFE. UM, AND OF COURSE MY LEGISLATIVE AID, WHO'S ALSO MY MOM. HEY MOM. DANA MURRAY, WHO'S HERE WITH US AND ALL THE COUNTY STAFF HERE WITH US, LLOYD ON THE CAMERA. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU. JOIN US. WELCOME. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR BEING WITH US THIS EVENING. YES. IF SAY FOR SOME PHOTOS, YOU WANT SOME PHOTOS WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS WELL. OKAY. HONOREES. HONOREES. IF YOU COULD SHOW. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.