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Thank you for your interest in learning more about the African American Ambassadors Group (AAAG). Mayor Elorza began meeting regularly with the African American Ambassador Group on May 14 to discuss the disproportionate number of African Americans impacted by COVID-19. Due to the population of our capital city of Providence, the virus impacted people hard and there was a great concern of our most vulnerable residents.
The group has since evolved to meet weekly and discuss and advance a social justice agenda for the City of Providence. This group you will be joining grew rapidly in numbers in a very grassroots way. Community leaders and allies quickly came together to meet weekly via Zoom to find ways to brainstorm, collaborate, and try to find solutions to unresolved issues that have been plaguing our city for centuries.
Over the last few months, it is clear that there is so much more work to do!
Ambassadors have created eight sub-groups regarding the areas in our city that need our immediate attention. Joining the Ambassador Group, you will be joining one of the following subgroups: Arts and Culture, Education Reform, Food Insecurities, Housing Insecurity and Eviction Defense, Internal Policy Reform, Mental Wellness, Police Advisory, Truth-telling and Reconciliation and Youth Voice.
Group Operating Norms
- All members are required to fill out the engagement form and attest to agreement on guiding principles and group norms
- Due to the updated version of Zoom, the waiting room feature will be enabled. Members who have filled out the engagement form will be allowed into the meetings. A first and last name is required to be admitted into the Zoom call.
- Facilitators will redirect conversation to stay focused and stick to the agenda
- Everyone has joined this group because this is our passion. It’s a privilege to be in this space among fellow community members.
- One voice, one mic
- A timer will be used during open discussion (when the timer goes off the mic will be muted)
- If someone disregards guiding principles or norms, two warnings will be verbally given. If someone does not realign feedback, this will lead to being muted by the meeting facilitators. Similarly, if someone disregards principles and norms in the chat, they will be provided two warnings. If disregard continues, someone will be removed from the Zoom meeting and the Restorative Justice Committee will be activated.
- Restorative Justice Committee is comprised of members of the AAAG. Committee members will meet individually with anyone who does not adhere to guiding principles or norms through a restorative conversation. If members do not feel an issue can be resolved, they may vote to remove a community member from attending future meetings until adherence can be met.
- Step up and step back – give other members opportunities to speak their minds
- Provide space for the quieter voices on the call
- Assume good intentions
- Tension is not always a bad thing and sometimes leads to growth. Tensions will be addressed immediately and will create teachable moments.
- Challenge the idea and not the person – no personal attacks (per guiding principles)
- Be respectful to other views
- Come prepared with evidence, data and solutions
- People have emotions, but we need to be respectful
Group Guiding Principles:
- Attack the Issue not the Person
- Bring your community with you
- State views and ask genuine questions
- Share all relevant information
- Use specific examples and agree on what important words mean
- Explain reasoning and intent
- Focus on interests, not positions
- Test assumptions and inferences
- Jointly design next steps
- Discuss undiscussable issues
- Maintain confidentiality.
- Collaborate internally and externally
- Be decisive and bold
- Maintain transparency
- Be accountable to each other and to our communities
- Members of the AAAG, when expressing their concerns, will refrain from speaking on behalf of the group or individual group members without the express consent of the group or group member
Our AAAG Members
Alejandra De Paz, City Staff
Alexandrea M Gonzalez - Gather Together United as 1 (GTUA1)
Andi Wheeler - City of Providence Staff
Angela Ankoma - United Way RI
Anjel Newman - AS220
Ann Salzarulo - Community Wellness & University of Rhode Island
Annette Alves - Federal Hill House
Anthony Carrion – Dean of Students, Nowell Leadership Academy
Beverly Mills - The Heart Speaks All
Bishop Jeffery A. Williams - The King’s Cathedral - Providence
BJ Murray - Brooklyn Coffee and Tea House
Bret Jacob - City of Providence staff member
Brooke Waldron - Indigenous Community member
Candace Harper - West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation
Catherine Garcia - MET School (Youth Voce)
Cedric Huntley – Executive Director, Nonviolence Institute
Celeste Johnson – Community member
Charon Rose - Office of General Treasurer Seth Magaziner
Chase Baptista – Providence Public School District
Corey Brown – Providence Police Officer, Community Mentor, WE GOT NEXT
Cris Potter – Founder, Red Rooster Solutions
Crisolita Figueiredo – Community and Political Activist
Damont Combs- Mr. Orange Live
Dana Gillson - City Staff
Dannie Ritchie - MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine Brown University ;Founder, Managing Partner of Community Health Innovations of Rhode Island
Danny Bullock - Praise Tabernacle Church
Deborah Harris – D.A.R.E
Desmond Ranglin - JARI
DJ Rukiz – The Juice 88.9 online radio
Dr. Adama Brown-Hathaway - UWRI
Dr. Dannie Ritchie - MD, MPH Founder, Community Health Innovations of Rhode Island
Dr. Hume Johnson -CEO and Brand Strategy Partner at Hume Johnson Consulting LLC,RWU
Dr. Thomas E. Keefe - RMCAD, the Black and Keefe Education Group, and This Day in Genocide
Dwayne Boo Hackney - It's on US/ No More Murder
Edwin Sanchez - Community member
Eileen Hayes - Amos House
Elaina Scorpio - Tenant Network RI
Elise Swearingen - Project Manager, Community Advocate
Elizabeth Anusauskas - City of Providence Staff
Enrique Sanchez – BLM RI PAC, Reclaim RI, Prov DSA, Rhode Island Socialists, PSL RI
Gabe Mernoff - ASC Youth - Youth Voice
Georgina Sarpong – Co-owner,Abundance Farms, Black Lives Biz
Gerald Carbone - Freelance writer
Gina Fisher-Cook - State of RI Traffic Tribunal, Community Advocate
Gonzalo Cuervo - Providence Cultural Equity Initiative, board member; Latino Policy Institute at RWU, board member
Grace Diaz - State Representative
Hannah Kahn - City of Providence staff
Harold Metts - State Representative
Howard Jenkins - Bethel AME Church
Isabella James Indelliciati - Gen Z: We Want To Live - Youth Voice
Jacob Brier - Historian
Jacqueline McKinney - Mashapaug Nahaganset Tribe
Jake Stanton - Southside Community Land Trust
James Monteiro - Reentry Campus Program
James Vincent - NAACP
Jamiere Wilson - Artist
Janice Falconer - Impact RI
Jaychele Schenck - Gen Z: We Want To Live - Youth Voice
Jazandra Barros - Southside Community Land Trust, Race and Environmental Justice Committee
Jennifer Hopgood - Family Nurse Practitioner & adjunct professor at Simmons University
Jeremy Costa
Jessica Aguirre - Community Member
Jessica Brown - RI School of Design, Jessica Brown Designs
Jill Van Leesten - Amos House
Jim Vincent - NAACP
Jose Rodriguez - College Unbound
Joseph Bruce – Artist
Josh Avila - City of Providence Staff Member
Joshua Avila - City Staff
Juan Wilson - Youth Empowerment Society, YESpvd.org, JJUANtheBRAND™
Judy Kaye - Judith Kaye Training & Consulting
Julius Kolawole - African Alliance
Julius Searight - West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation
Justin Lester - Congdon Street Baptist Church
Justin Russillo - Realtor at Phipps Realty, Community Advocate
k. funmilayo aileru- studio artist and freelance designer
Kadeem Leslie - City of Providence staff member
Kathleen Egersheim – Awakening Church
Katie Jones - RIDE
Kalia Coutis - Parent Support Network of RI
Keith Lancaster - Hope Rhode, NAACP, UpriseRI, RIBBA
Keith Stokes – Rhode Island Black Heritage Society/1696 Heritage Group
Kendra Ault – College Unbound
Kenia Richards – Clinical Therapist, Community member
Kenya Fullen - Dept of human services
Kie Hamrick – Community member
Kristin Knudson-Groh - Center for Reconcilition/Episcopal Diocese of RI
Kyle Bennett - United Way RI
LaJuan Allen - City of Providence staff member
Lanre Ajakaiye - Team Providence Travel Boys, The official RIYBA travel team for the City of Providence, R.I.S.E Women's Leadership Conference
Larry Warner - Co-chair, RI Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity, Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives, United Way of Rhode Island
Latifat Odetunde - Youth Advocate
Laurie Moise - City of Providence staff member
Leah Williams Metts - Community member
Lisa Pina-Warren - Nonviolence Institute
Lizzie Araujo - City of Providence staff member
Louis Fosu - URI Professor
Marco McWilliams -Founder PBSS, Center for Reconciliation, the Swearer Center Brown University, College Unbound
Marijoan Bull
Marques B. Jones - Judah Multicultural Church
Mary Beth Meehan - Photographer, Writer and Educator
Maryann Fonseca - Thundermist Health Center
Maryann Matthews - Executive Officer, MultiCultural Innovation Center
Meko Lincoln - Amos House
Melissa Husband - Office of Secretary of State RI
Melody Thompson - Worship Arts Restoration
Monah Rhodes - West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation
Monsurat Ottun - City of Providence staff member
Morris Akinfolarin - OASIS INTERNATIONAL
Narfretta Connor - Community Member
Nicole da Cruz - Rhode Island School of Design
Nicole Purcell - Community Member
Nicole Tingle - NAACP Providence
Nirva Lafortune - Providence City Council
Nkolika Etell Onye, DC - Board Member, OASIS African Cultural Center; Vice President, Nigerian Community of Rhode Island; PRO, Mgbako Anambra of Rhode Island; Principal, Gilbert Stuart Middle School
Obed Papp - City of Providence staff member
Olayinka Oredugba - City of Providence staff member
Pamela Hughes – Mount Hope Cowboys
Paul Williams - Bethel AME Church
Paula M. Smith - Imago Relationships Providence
Phillip Miller - CCRI
Pilar McCloud - ASC Youth
PJ Fox - Community Activist
Rachel Newman Greene - City of Providence staff member
Rafini
Ray Rickman - Stages of Freedom
Ray Watson - Providence Cultural Equity Initiative and Providence Human Relations Commission
Regina Clement – Delta Sigma Theta-Prov Alum
Roberto Gonzalez - Steambox RI
Rochanda Delves- Community member
Rodney Davis - College Unbound
Rosedelma Seraphin - Bethel AME Church
Rudolph Moseley - Bread of Life International Worship Center
Sade Lee – Community membe
Sal Monteiro - Nonviolence Institute
Sandra Miller - Co- founder Shekinah Family Worship Center-Founder of "Daughters of Naomi" Mentoring Network
Sanniya Blake - Community member - Youth voice
Shane Lee - Bread of Life International Worship Center
Sharon Morris – Omni Development Corporation
Shawndell Burney-Speaks - African American Ambassador Group Organizer
Shemika Moore - Community member
Sherri Bevel - Nonviolence Institute
Sherrod Jones - Judah Multicultural Worship Center
Shirley Hood - Destiny Productions
Sonia Thomas – Dunamis Synergy, West Elmwood Housing Development Corp
Stephanie Gyamfi-Darkwah - African Alliance of RI, EduLeaders of Color, College Leadership of RI, Youth\Young Adult assisant leader(Church of Pentecost(Pentecostal International Worship Center), NCAACP, WeAreSis(of RI)
Stephen A Robinson - SAR-Global, Inc.
Susan Gorelick - CC4ES
Takina Lee - Corporate Prayer New England
Taritha Hill-Cooper – Simply Mom, Inc
Tarshire Battle - Roots 2Empower, CEO
Teresa Guaba Community member
Terrell Osbourne - MusicOne
Terri Wright- DARE
Theresa Agonia - City of Providence Staff
Theresa Guzmán Stokes – Rhode Island Black Heritage Society/1696 Heritage Group
Thomas E. Keefe - RMCAD, the Black and Keefe Education Group, and This Day in Genocide
Traci Picard - Public Historian
Tracy Miller
Tyla Morin - MET School- Youth Voice
Ty'Relle Stephens - Community Member- Youth Voice
Valerie Tutson - RI Black Storytellers
Vatic Kuumba – REJC
Wanda Brown - College Unbound
Wayne Montague – WINN Residential
Wendy Ingram - The Art Connection in Rhode Island
Whitney Terrill - Brown University
Willie Borkai - Community Member
Yejide Muhammad - The Black Hub in Pawtucket
Zuli Vidal- Community Activist