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Jobs Corps Students Share

Instances Of Discrimination

Mayor Gary Herzig talks with Oneonta Job Corps student Iyana Pierre at Operation Safe Spaces Oneonta Thursday evening at SUNY Oneonta’s Center for Multicultural Experiences. The event was a chance for students to open dialogues with city leaders, including Acting Police Chief Douglas Brenner, Common Council members, the local NAACP chapter, the city Commission on Community Relations & Human Rights, and businesspeople on issues of feeling safe and empowerment. “I have been followed in Walmart.” said Pierre. “I have had places refuse to deliver pizza to us because we are at Job Corps. and other students I have talked to have experienced the same thing.” Fellow student Asaskia Thomas said, “We don;t know who to talk to about these things, so we go to another person of color and talk among ourselves. We even have clubs to empower us because we feel powerless.”  Local NAACP President Lee Fisher said, “We can talk among ourselves all we want, but taking action is the most important. We are all in this together. We have to feel it and know it and come together to get things done.” Herzig added “We’re not going to say there is no racism here, but we work very hard to counteract that by helping you and giving you a resource network.” (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)

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