Reso. No. 0564-24: Supporting the African American Male Wellness Educational Initiatives & Events

During a July General Session, Resolution No. 564-24 was presented by Damika Withers, Chief Economic Equity and Inclusion Officer for Franklin County. The resolution authorizes a $450,000 grant to the African American Male Wellness Agency (AAMWA) to support their educational and wellness initiatives aimed at improving the health outcomes of African American men in Franklin County.

This clip also features the recognition of Commissioner John O’Grady as a Health Hero by AAMWA, honoring his dedication to promoting health equity and mental wellness.

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Resolution number 564 24.

Resolution authorizing a grant agreement with the National African American Male

Wellness Agency to support the African American wellness educational initiatives

and events in the amount of 450, 000.

Good

morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioners and County Administration.

D'Amico Withers, Chief Economic Equity and Inclusion Officer in the Office

of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The mission of the African American Male Wellness Agency is to increase the life

expectancy of African American men in physical health, mental health, financial

health, fatherhood, and research.

The African American Male Wellness Agency seeks to improve health outcomes

affecting African American men who live across Franklin County and

surrounding communities by engaging African American men and their families.

The African American Male Wellness Agency contributes significantly to improving

the overall health and well being of Franklin County residents through their

year round health awareness initiatives.

This grant agreement will cover the Real Men Real Talk conference being

held next Thursday on July 18th, Cooking with Dads, and the HIV Awareness Day.

The African American Male Wellness Agency supports the importance of their parental

relationship and offer programming that encourages the parent child

relationship as well as addresses the mental wellness of African American men.

The Real Men, Real Talk program will host monthly conversations that

will provide services to 400 African American men over a 12 month period,

focusing on mental health and opioid addiction with a collaborative approach

with local faith based organizations.

Barbers, mental health specialists, and drug counselors.

This resolution supports the Rise Together Poverty Blueprint, goal number

nine, reducing the overall incidence and racial disparities in occurrences

of preventable diseases and trauma, and improving the health of those

living with chronic mental, physical, and behavioral health conditions

among those struggling financially.

Here are what meets a day.

It is, uh, founder John Gregory of the National African American Male Wellness

Agency, President Kenny Hampton, Senior Vice President Perry Gregory,

um, Jonathan Bitley is back there, and other representatives from the

African American Male Wellness Agency.

Good morning, Commissioner, Carly.

Good morning, Commissioner Boyce.

Good morning, Commissioner Brady.

Good morning, administration.

It's an honor to be here again to have an opportunity to celebrate the

partnership that we have in place.

Mr.

Gregory and I, we had the pleasure of traveling all over this country.

And what I will say, he and I had a conversation this morning, and

we wanted to really just highlight the fact that we do have the best.

Commissioners in the entire country the work that we're able to do here in this

county Across this county with this partnership is truly the model We've

been able to partner with you we've been able to go out to the community and

provide impact to holistically support african american men in their families

and some of the things that Were just listed and so every year we have an

opportunity to celebrate and to honor you Uh, individuals who are working

very closely with us in this work.

Uh, back in 2022, we had commissioner boy service, our honorary chair for our black

men's wellness day, known as, as the walk.

Um, we also had in 2023 commissioner Crawley service, our uplift, her honorary

chair, our women's initiative, uh, 2024, we've been able to celebrate.

And, um, just recently had an incredible event where our 2024

uplift, her honorary chair, DCA Bivens.

Um, was able to help us provide screenings for hundreds of women, thousands

of folks came out for that event.

But this year we're, we're excited because we get an opportunity, uh, to celebrate

and to honor commissioner John O'Grady and to officially introduce you as one of our

health heroes for 2024 with the African.

There

was some comments that you made, um, several months ago when we were here.

That really stuck out to us and, uh, it did not fall on deaf ears, but

you said, you know what, you know, I'm a white man and I don't, I don't

really know a whole lot about the things that, you know, is plaguing the

community, but I'm going to do my part.

And so we can't thank you enough on behalf of the entire organization for

the work that you're doing, uh, a part of the most, uh, impactful and the

best, uh, board of commissioners in this entire county and our founder, uh, Mr.

John Gregory.

You know what I see the correct world in the world.

But at this time I would like to introduce our CEO and president of the

national center for urban solutions.

Mr.

John Gregory.

Um, thanks.

Um, commissioner Brady, we, um, there's a big committee got together

and said, you know, who deserves this?

And we all said that, you know, this fight would not be, um, One, unless all

of us collectively do this together.

And so it doesn't matter whether you're black or white, it

matters where your heart is.

And we know where your heart is at.

Your heart is in helping the black community rise to the occasion.

So we thank you.

I'm also standing here to talk about Real Men Real Talk.

Um, what you will see is that, um, Black young men between the ages of 16 to 24

has the highest incidence of suicide.

Black men over the age of 40 have the highest incidence of overdose of opiates.

We just met with the coroner's office and had a long conversation with the coroner.

This data is not from me, this is from the coroner.

And what we know is that the incidence of black young men and black men

committing suicide is extremely high.

We know that our own personal experience over the last 90 days,

we've probably known four young black men who have committed suicide.

And so, but we also know that talk therapy is really great.

And so before I go on, I do have a Mr.

Wynn, um, who is here with us, who could tell you about his experience in

participating in our real men, real talk.

Thank you, Mr.

Gregory to the board of commissioners and the administration

for the Franklin County.

My name is Roderick Nguyen.

I moved here about four years ago, four years this November,

my wife and I, and I met Mr.

Gregory, uh, locally, and he invited me to come out to this Real Men Real Talk.

Um, so I'm originally born and raised in Michigan, Flint, Michigan,

and we moved here and I met Mr.

Gregory and some of his staff and I went to the first meeting and I was blown

away because I've never seen a platform where men of color And not only men

of color, but men in general in that community can come together and have a

conversation about not having a father, about living with a drug addicted mom

or a parent living in a disparage place.

And they come together and they give them an opportunity to

actually have a conversation.

They don't present anything else to them, just have a conversation.

And many of the struggle for us, especially black

men to be able to express.

their feelings and their emotions.

Mr Grady and his staff, Mr Mr Gregor and his staff has allowed them to come into a

place and not judge them but allow them to have an opportunity to speak and to share.

And some of the statistics that we know when I moved here, I'm trying to look at

to see what Franklin County was about.

And I've seen that, you know, out of every 100, 000 residents, 166 of

them are headed to incarceration.

Many of those youth are stuck in circle view right now.

And I'm working with him to do that.

And out of that particular meeting with real men, real talk, we

have birthed a program which is called brother to brother.

And in that we're also going into the prison ministry because Mr Mr Gregory

has opened up our understanding to see.

And when we celebrated 20 years of african american wellness on last year,

it was, I've never seen it in such a way.

And so my, my two cents to this is this, it's not really how you change

an individual, but it's how you make that individual feel valued.

And so hopefully I'll be going into Circleville at the end of this month.

But real men, real talk coming up is always an opportunity and it is

across this country that they're making it available to youth in this

community, in every community worldwide.

So for the opportunity, Mr Gregory, for standing with you and

partnering with you and your staff.

And I look forward to many years to come.

So, um, we will be going into Whitehall, Reynoldsburg.

We're also going into the, um, county jails, start Real Men Real Talk there.

Um, so the funding that you give us, um, really it's, it goes directly into

having an impact in our communities.

And how do we get these guys to come?

Well, we pass out cards, we knock on doors, we go to churches.

We go to barbershops, we go to basketball courts, we go to bars, and we talk to men.

And you would not believe the number of men that show up and, and,

and really just open up and talk.

And, and actually I was at, um, the barbershop the other day.

I do go to barbershop even though I don't have here.

Um, um, a woman came up to me and she said, Mr.

Gregory, um, I just want to tell you that my husband does nothing.

He doesn't go nowhere.

He has, he said that real man, real talk.

He does not miss a day of going to participate.

We have a social media page.

There's a closed page where men can come in and log in and have conversations.

Um, you will be glad to know that next week, um, Eric Robeson, uh, R

and B singer has a song out this year.

Our campaign was masked off R and B singer.

Um, Eric Rosen has created a song called Mask and he is going to put that song

into full production and release it next week in which across this country

that started in Columbus, Ohio, we're having black men take their mask off.

And if you could see the stuff that they write on their mask

and right inside their mask, it would bring you to complete tears.

Um, we were in Detroit two weeks ago, Kenny and I, and

we met with a group of others.

Detroit's a hard place.

And brothers stood up and talked about they had never, they had never

experienced an event where they looked eye in eye with another black man and

that they, and some of them talked about the fear that they had the only time

they ever looked in the eye and eye of a black man when it was time to fight.

And so when we talk about reducing crime, when we talk about, um,

reducing violence, we have to talk about where does it all start?

And it starts with mental wellness.

And so if we get men mentally well, particularly black men, then we

can begin to change our community.

All of you all know, I started out in a community called Uzi Alley, and

it was in that community that, um, we were able to reduce crime by 80%.

And change that community because we are able to change the lives

of the people in that community.

So I just want to thank you for this opportunity to continue this work.

To continue to change men's lives.

Um, um, um, your staff came out last week.

We had a graduation.

I just wanted to share this before I end.

Um, so I bought a program you did fund.

And, um, I wanted to talk about the success.

Our doula program.

Um, but I also want to talk about how your work, when you fund

grassroots programs, how they impact.

There's a young lady here, um, by the name of, um, Destiny.

Destiny, you still here?

Yep.

Come here.

This is Destiny.

Destiny, when she came to us, she was on public assistance.

She came as a wet worker.

And she got off of public assistance, we got her job, we gave

her a job, and she was employed.

And then, guess what, Destiny went and became a doula certified, I don't know if

I'm saying that word right, um, and, and,

and this year, now Destiny does our, um, just because of funding you gave us

last year, we were able to get certified through the state of Ohio, we're the only.

Organization started by the State Career Colleges to do a doula training.

Destiny now is our doula certification trainer, and, and Vivian and them

came out last week and they saw a lot of our women, about 17 of them,

graduate from the doula training, which is very critical, particularly

in black female maternal health.

Destiny, tell them about your experience.

Okay.

Um, greetings everybody.

Um, my name is Destiny Daniels.

So a little bit about me is I did come through, um, this organization originally

through the web program, um, and was employed with them for three years.

And during that time I did, uh, get training as a doula and then

left the organization for roughly, uh, five years and now returned.

With the doula program, writing the curriculum and now teaching the

curriculum, and it's absolutely amazing to come full circle, leaving them to enter

into birth work and then returning to help teach with our first cohort of students.

We have all of them.

completed the program passed with flying colors and have

already started to attend births.

So we've had a mother daughter duo who graduated and have recently

attended a successful home birth.

We've had, um, another student who has attended a induction and is

actually scheduled to attend another induction later this week and a

scheduled C section the following week.

So we already have one student who's on their way to, um, getting their.

Full certifying births, um, sorry, and we are already, um, completing

our second cohort of students.

They are taking finals this week.

And so, um, the ball is rolling.

We're making a lot of contacts within the community and we've, um, been in

conversations with companies such as Celebrate One, Moby Nurses, to get

our doulas hired and, um, On their way to completing their certifying birth.

So I'm grateful for being here.

Thank you

So I just want to thank you for the work that you do it does make

impact it does make a difference And so when you turn on good morning america

in about three weeks and you see Real men real talk on good morning america

know that it started in franklin county

Let me just make sure you say that

You're good

Yeah, please Commissioner Crowley.

Uh, thank you for being here today.

Um, and thank you for the work that you all continue to do.

Um, obviously the doula space is near and dear to my heart, but

also the mental health space.

Um, Some of you may know, I did a, um, we did a talk, DEI did a talk, what, two

years ago, um, where we were talking about mental health and I, um, talked about how

I'm a two time suicide attempt survivor.

First time I attempted suicide was 19.

The second time was 25 after I had given, um, birth to my twin girls,

which was a very traumatic pregnancy.

Not understanding at that point in time I was dealing with, um, um,

depression, postpartum depression.

Um, I have a history of, um, depression due to my upbringing coming up in

Youngstown, having parents that, um, struggle with addiction for 21

years of my life and, um, and all the things that come with that.

And so it wasn't until, and I, I would not talk about it.

Um, I would not talk about depression.

I wouldn't talk about being a survivor of addiction.

Um, or having to suicide attempts because of the stigma, because of the shame,

because I didn't want to be judged because, um, I felt like people wouldn't

understand the life that I came from and really just couldn't even empathize.

And it wasn't until, and I tell this story all the time, it wasn't

until I started running for office.

No, before I started running for office, I was getting my signatures, collecting

my signatures, to get on the ballot.

And that's how I met Jessica Roach.

She was at driving park, um, with a table letting people know about the services

that they provided and some how I just went up and picked up a flyer and it was

talking about, um, uh, coming to an event or they were having services for people

who experienced traumatic pregnancies.

And then she reached out and invited me to one.

And in that circle, she wasn't even there.

And I know me, I had only been living here, not even Not even three years.

Um, I'm an extreme introvert and I wasn't going to go.

And she called me to make sure that I would attend.

So I went, I didn't share in that group.

But what I got to, um, do is be in community with people who had

a lived experience just like I did and make it seem like it was okay.

Even though I had suffered from depression, had a traumatic

pregnancy complications that were horrendous, that I wasn't alone.

And then I was able to get my voice.

to talk about my story and to share.

And so I talk about all the time how I come to this work

from my own lived experience.

Um, I don't talk about things in theory.

I talk about things that I know.

Um, and so Um, that is how I got my why and why I started

running for office talking about maternal mortality and morbidity.

And in Ohio, if you are aware, when it comes to maternal mortality,

the leading cause of death among pregnant women and postpartum women

is mental health issues, um, broad.

So substance use, but depression, anxiety, suicide, all of that.

Um, and this Minority Mental Health Month, and I was getting ready to post

about me being at Nationwide Children's Hospital a couple weeks ago, sitting with

Charlita Tavares and, um, Stephanie Kunze, talking about my experience trying to

break the stigma, right, but also letting people know that I am in my early 40s

and live a full, productive life, and me sharing my story, um, out loud has come

with, you know, me being having anxiety about that, not wanting to be judged.

But also, I know that if I could save one person's life, whether

it's talking about my pregnancy or talking about being a suicide

attempt survivor and living a full, healthy life, then it's all worth it.

I have had men come up to me and say, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

your story.

I'm from Youngstown or, you know, I'm, I come from a similar background

and I feel like, you know, nobody understands, but you sharing your

story lets me know that I'm not alone.

Um, I say all the time that I'm more transparent than I

ever been, um, about my life.

If you know me, I'm very guarded.

Um, but in order to do this work, I didn't want to be a hypocrite.

I didn't want to talk about why we needed, um, more investment in mental health

services, whether at the state when I was there or here, um, from a place of

not even willing to disclose myself.

I just want to say.

Um, always going to be my full authentic self and I am appreciative for you all

in providing a platform to individuals, um, or I like to say our neighbors

so they can be in community with one another and know that it's okay to not

be okay, but it's also not okay to stay there that, um, you know, that there

are help, there is help, there are resources, um, and you are never alone.

So I appreciate all that you all are doing in the doula space.

You know, that's my thing.

Continuing to work in the legislature, um, and with the governor's administration

to get Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, um, you know, into law.

I know we're, we continue to work on that.

Kevin Pangrace, our government affairs director has been my right hand on that.

for what you're doing there.

Cause it will make a difference, um, in the lives of women here, um, in

Franklin County and across the state.

Most importantly for black women who continue to die at almost three

times the rate of white women.

Um, and almost 60 percent of those deaths are deemed to be preventable.

Um, so we have work to do, but glad that you all are a partner.

Thank you.

Michelle Grady.

Commissioner O'Grady: Um, Mr.

Gregory Perry and John, I appreciate the honor.

Um, everybody with the African American male wellness walk or wellness agency.

I'm sorry.

Um, Um, you know, it, it's, uh, it was unexpected for sure.

Um, you know, and all I can say is, uh, I was raised right.

Had some great parents who, uh, taught me to, uh, recognize, um,

you know, uh, the right thing to do.

Recognize, uh, sometimes recognize injustice, recognize, uh, um,

what needed to be done and do something about it and not, not be

afraid to do something about it.

And, uh, thank my colleagues for being, uh, fantastic, uh, partners and, and, uh,

examples of, uh, uh, folks to work with and folks to, uh, uh, follow their lead

and, uh, thank you guys for the work that you do and, uh, the example that you set.

Uh, it's easy to do this work when you have great people to do this work with.

And, um, I here in Franklin County.

We have an administrative team.

We have, I have great partners.

I have great examples in the community.

Um, it is easy for me to be an advocate in this community.

It is easy for me to be an advocate when I have a great folks in the community.

I see a river now offshore in the back, back there.

I have a great examples.

We have great examples in all of Franklin County.

Uh, and so it's easy for me to do this and it's easy for me to.

Uh, do the work that I do when we have D'Amico Withers

doing the work that she does.

Um, it's easy for me to do this when I was raised the way that I was raised.

And, uh, you know, I was the youngest of 12 kids.

I had to be a fighter.

You know, and so being a tough SOB is easy for me to be.

And so, this, this was easy for me.

And so I appreciate the honor.

I really do.

I'll close this out by one, just taking a second to acknowledge

my colleagues, um, Commissioner Crawley.

Um, I think it takes for, first of all, one of my favorite attributes

about you is your transparency and openness, um, for what it's worth.

Um, I, I, I think it takes a lot of courage to, uh, to be that way.

And I aspire.

Commissioner.

to have that kind of courage like you do.

And I appreciate you in your words have more impact than you think

on other people, even myself.

Okay.

So I just wanted to acknowledge that and thank you for your leadership.

I didn't know what a doula was until you came around.

So thank you for that.

I really did.

You don't know what a doula is?

Let me tell you.

And so it's easy to support.

And so she has been our doula educator, uh, and champion, uh, for sure,

among many other things, uh, here.

So thank you for that.

And to commissioner Grady, um, I do want to say that, um, you know,

he is being sincere as it comes in authentic as it comes right now.

Um, his father, Peto Grady was longtime chairman of the Democratic

Party when I started in politics and every day, not every day, but once a

month, maybe would take me to lunch.

Just a little kid from the neighborhood and talk to me about politics and

being in politics and, and, um, uh, the conversations we had at the Levick tower.

You know, uh, the press club.

Yeah, was, I mean, he was just taking me and I was nobody and I was just a

kid and I don't know what he saw in me, but he took the time to spend quite

a bit of time before I even knew you.

Um, and knew the connection, uh, he took, uh, the time and

spent a lot of time with me then.

And I'll never forget that and I, I do believe he's instilled those into you.

The other part I'll say is that Commissioner O'Grady is truly a healthcare

advocate and, and you know, uh, myself, I was struggling to take blood pressure

medication and I was telling him and Commissioner Crawley about it one day

and Commissioner O'Grady in true SOB fashion that he does turn to me and

said, Stop being stupid, take the damn medicine, you know, and we were right up

here and, um, and, and, and he went on to explain, uh, his own journey and pathway.

This is why we're like in session here and we're talking about

it and he was dead serious, uh, about it and on my ASS about it.

And Commissioner Crowley co signed with him on it, and, and so I take

blood pressure medication to this day.

Um, you know, don't like it, I absolutely hate it, but I, I, but I do think often

about your, your nudging me, um, when I don't want to take it, or I think

about relatives who are no longer with me and the difficulties they've had.

Um, and then finally, I say, Commissioner Grady, it, it is more meaningful.

In the broader case of advocacy for those who are at the bottom rung of this

healthcare conversation, when a white guy stands up, it makes that kind of advocacy.

Um,

and quite frankly, um, your advocacy, probably makes a broader, bigger

difference than anything I could do or commissioner Crawley could do.

So I wanted to acknowledge that I was last night, I, um, went for a run trying to

train with this marathon, Lord have mercy.

Uh, and went for a long run in the heat.

And, um, after I said I can get some protein and so I went to

dinner and went to North star and over in short North and there was

nobody there's the bar was pretty.

So I sat there.

And, um, I had a salad and a piece of fish, that's it.

And, um, at the end of the bar, I could hear this, there

was a white couple talking.

And they were just maybe three or four seats down, so I could

hear their whole conversation.

Not that I was listening, but I was.

And, and but their whole conversation was about the African American Bonus Agency.

And they were talking about all that they've learned about

screenings for black men.

And the lady just kept over and over.

I really felt like she wanted me to hear what she was saying,

but, but we're glad you did here.

Right, right.

She just kept saying, and black men is she had every statistic down and she said

that she had gone to the, to the walk.

I think she said she just ran just because she was running in it, running, but she

did the homework that could have learned and she could not believe the statistics.

And she said, even more so, she couldn't believe the, uh, So the number

of people from that street screening that came out and were identified with

high blood pressure, high cholesterol, whatever, and she went on and on and on.

And the guy that was with her, he was giving feedback to say, yeah, my,

wherever he worked, he was saying that we've been doing things specifically

around it because we see the numbers too.

And they had this whole conversation.

And so Commissioner O'Grady, I got to tell you from the couple that I listened

to last night to your advocacy and work, um, I really believe the needle is moving.

It's moving slightly, um, in the direction of our favor.

Um, but we have a ways to go.

And that is the purpose of this grant.

That's the purpose of the grind that you all do, whether you're in Detroit,

Houston, or wherever you travel to promote this cause, because it's, you know, it's,

it's not enough to do it here in Franklin County and central high in Columbus,

because that's our community, our town, it has to be a national conversation.

It has to be a national strategy and approach and commitment.

And I know this personally, that culturally.

Black families often grow up and it's not about, you know, um, um, my wife

grew up in a very middle class home, two parents, uh, doctor's appointments,

um, and she would go to the doctor.

She's very diligent about doctor's appointments, about

screenings and different things.

Me, I didn't grow up in that environment.

So just culturally, you know, going to the doctor on a regular

basis and not as just an emergency.

When I grew up, you only went to the doctor when it was emergency

when your hand was falling off or something, you know?

And, and that is, that is a poverty oriented, um, uh, mind

construct, but it also poverty is connected to racism and race.

And, uh, unfortunately all the statistics say that it's not me just saying that.

And so my point is, my point is this, I know there are some who say,

why black men, you know, why, why are we talking about black people?

And, and, and there is, I don't care where you pull your statistics from.

They will consistently show that not only are black men the bottom rung in a

healthcare standpoint and black women, um, but culturally, um, it is, um,

something that we have to overcome, um, from diet to, uh, screenings to mental

health, All of these things and I just talked to a mental health provider the

day and they said that I said is it just me or is the mental health at its height

now I feel like I feel everybody is stressed I feel like a different level

and the mental health provider said 100 percent that it is spiking at a point

to where and to commissioner O'Grady and commissioner Carlis point you know

mental health is health care you know it's a it's We have historically haven't

had the parity from a, um, insurance standpoint that we need to have, but

it's, it, the effect is very similar.

You know, you have mental health issues and they can create physical health

issues, uh, high blood pressure, uh, diabetes, because, because you might eat

from what you're saying, you might eat from stress, you might drink from stress,

you might take medication for sure.

I mean, all of those things create the kind of spiral.

And when you're, you look at the unemployment rates, the housing rates,

the education rates, all those things are connected that drive substance abuse,

mental health and different things.

And so you have a race that's still struggling to come out from the bottom.

And so, uh, I only say that because I know there are people out there who listen to

us making these appropriations and whatnot and say, Oh, you're just doing that

because you got two black commissioners.

That's why I want to emphasize Commissioner Grady is just, he understands

this just as much and that's why I shared the personal story because it's authentic

and sincere and, um, and it's learned, you know, it's something that he's gotten

to a point where he said, we've got to address this and Commissioner, uh, Brown

was the same way when she was here.

She, she, um, understood it.

And so we invested in it.

Um, and so, um, you know, this is, this is, um, the easier part

of our job, the easier decision.

We have many tough decisions.

This is not one of them.

So, yeah.

I know you said you were gonna wrap up.

I do wanna talk about the jail real quick because you are so much of a champion

about, you know, really addressing the disparities in our criminal

justice system or in our jails that.

we are responsible for in black men being there as well as the J.

I.

C.

Which are youth are in.

But when you talk about going into the jail, it is so necessary.

And I think we are one of the leading.

I mean, we lead in a lot of spaces, and I'm proud about that.

But one thing that we lead in for the county, and we have 3066 counties in

this country is one that has, like, long acting injectables for those

who have, um, chronic and serious Pervasive mental health, um, illnesses.

But that is not enough.

And if we think about who we house in our jails is the largest population

of people with mental health, right?

And so the fact that you all are going and they're black men, black men, we already

know that overrepresented, um, 60%.

Um, and when we think about that, compare it to our population,

uh, it's, it's, it's devastating.

And so we know that just, um, treating, um, the symptoms of mental health,

um, in our jail is not enough.

We're having long acting injectables or giving them a prescription for a couple

of days when they leave is not enough.

Like we know that we need people in our jails talking to, um, our neighbors,

our residents about what got them into, you know, a criminal, incident, right?

Or what are the, the things that are really happening at home or in their life

that had them end up coming into jail?

What is it about their life that they would like to change and really

working through that with them?

I know, um, Commissioner Boyce probably saw this when he was in the state house.

We both sat on the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee.

Um, I did after he.

He served.

I mean, we would get letters all the time from people saying, you know what?

I've been in prison for three years or I've been in jail sitting in jail for

years and I'm getting ready to be released and I've never had anyone talk to me about

my substance use disorder or well, they say my drug addiction or my mental health.

I'm scared that I'm going to relapse when I come back out.

I did not get any programs or services.

So I just want you to know that what you do or what you're going to do in our

jail, um, It's not like another program.

We're talking about processes.

We're talking about things that can be transformative.

So these, um, these residents don't come back into our

jail or come back into the J.

I.

C.

We have more youth ready to be bound over, um, from our J.

I.

C.

Into, uh, into jail or to prison than we've had before.

That's saying that we have juveniles with felony convictions who are being

ready to be sent over as an adult, um, who are probably dealing with trauma.

Or dealing with some of the things that Commissioner Boy saw as a child or lost

their family or had gun violence, right?

Like these are things that will take time to deal with but we should not

write them off And so I appreciate you all being willing to go into

our jail to talk to our residents Because most of the people in our jail

have not been convicted of a crime.

They are human beings having human experiences And just need

a chance to turn things around

And I think, I think commissioner,

Commissioner O'Grady: okay.

I

know, I know we've been, we've been, um, uh, the time is long, but I, I

feel it necessary to make some comments.

Uh, the folks with the national African American wellness initiative

know how I feel about your work.

Uh, you all, uh, this work is important.

Uh, the work you've been doing, uh, focusing on African American

males has been important.

Um, I'm excited about the Uplift Her, uh, movement.

Um, that was a quiet event you all just had.

So, uh, we got to take care of all the sisters and brothers.

Uh, particularly at a time when.

The America's Rescue is not over.

In the American Rescue Act, dollars are diminishing every day.

And I was just talking to the team from Job and Family Services yesterday for

my fiscal update and our PRC program dollars are dwindling and they were

looking to me for answers and I'll be talking to you all soon about that.

Uh, but the work that you all doing, uh, as a board, um, I feel blessed to be the

County Administrator for Franklin County.

and have the opportunity to work with you three.

And Commissioner O'Grady, you one of the West Side Finest.

Uh, in every, every, every sense of the word, man.

I've been knowing you for a long, I've been knowing you for a long time.

You one of the West Side Finest.

But seriously, to the point, poverty is the fourth leading cause of death

in the United States of America.

That, just let that soak in, when we said, you know, we say poverty is a

public health crisis and we talk about the Rise Together Poverty Blueprint,

and when poverty is the fourth cause of, uh, of death in the United States behind

only heart disease, cancer and smoking.

That means this work is critical, because people don't have access to.

healthcare, food, stable housing and because of the issues around safety,

not even opportunities for physical activity in many zip codes in America.

This work is critical.

We're blessed in Franklin County.

This is a, this is a great county, but we got challenges

and we need community partners.

And you all spoke about the community partnership program

and the work that we're doing.

And we can't back off from DEI.

We need to have the most active Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

of any county in the United States.

We need to, uh, show up, show out, keep doing what we're doing, and be intentional

about it, and have no shame in what we're doing, because we're doing the right

thing for the people of Franklin County.

So, uh, thank you, uh, President Boyce, Commissioner O'Grady,

Just

Commissioner O'Grady: briefly, you know, uh, Commissioner Boyce mentioned

my father, um, and folks, obviously folks knew him and what an impact he

had and he was, but his, his sense of, um, justice came from, uh, you know,

he was, uh, he went to law school, he, uh, was a bailiff in the court system.

He was involved in politics and government, um, but what I learned about,

um, social justice came from my mother.

Um, and, and, uh, you know, what I was, you know, what I was, I mean,

my father taught me, believe me, taught me a whole lot about justice.

He was very, uh, he was a great man and he was, you know, he was

a strict individual for sure.

He had to be with 12 kids.

He also had a military background, but my, but, but for the women in the room,

uh, in particular, um, my mother was such an advocate for social justice and, um.

And, and so that's, you know, the basis of, of a lot of, um, the work

that I do as a county commissioner.

Um, the work that I do as a, as a, an elected leader, the work that

I do as a political leader, uh, certainly, uh, is the base, the

basis of, of the education of my dad.

Um, but the work that I do as a county commissioner, the work that we do

together, the work that That work all comes, and the work that I do, um, that I

think, you know, led to this honor today, a lot of that comes from, from my mother,

you know,

Commissioner O'Grady: so I, when you, when you talked about that, I

just wanted to mention my mom based on, you know, the work, and that was

mostly for the, for the, especially the women staff in the room who I work

with day in and day out, uh, you know.

Moms and the impact of mothers on, uh, raising all of us and the work

that my wife does, um, and the work that we're doing raising our kids, um,

today is, you know, I can't, I can't even imagine the impact that my, you

know, and the work that, that, uh, that That my wife does raising our

kids and what our kids would be like if, you know, if she wasn't impacting

them, because, you know, you know, I'm, you know, half the parent she is.

So, I'll leave

that, I'll leave that at all.

Well, um, again, um, thanks for, for coming down today.

Um, if you can see, I mean, we, we, we, uh, We don't spend this

type of time in general session on any, any issue unless it's serious

and we feel very strong about it.

Most issues, you know, we're getting through, we've done

the work in the background.

Um, and so, uh, just know how much we're with you and how much we're counting on

you to continue championing this work and making the progress that you're making.

Well, we, again, thank you.

We see commissioners all, I'm telling you all over this country.

We sit down and talk with them, long meetings, and the first thing we talk

to them about is, here's what the Franklin County Commissioners are doing.

Can you match them?

Most of them can't, but what we do let them know is that it is the

leaders of this community that has to be about the voice of change.

We can't do it without you.

We got to do it in partnership with you.

So I just thank you all for being an exceptional group of politicians, even

in amongst, I'm sorry, we talked to.

And I want to say to you, politicians amongst the state,

you all still do far more better than most politicians we talk to.

We know.

And I'm one.

We know.

And before we leave, I do want to say to Danika, she does an

unbelievable, incredible job.

And she holds us very accountable and lets us know, uh uh, what

y'all doing and let me know.

So we appreciate the sincerity of the work that she's doing that keeps us in line.

For sure.

Yeah.

Okay, is there an adoption?

Is there a move motion, rather?

Yeah,

Commissioner O'Grady: if there are no further comments or questions, I

will move approval of Resolution 564

24.

Second.

Moved and seconded voting, Commissioner O'Grady.

Yes.

Commissioner Crawley.

Yes.

Commissioner Boyce.

Yes.

Resolution number 564 24 has been adopted.

Thank you.