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Bismarck Human Relations Committee finalizes Nov. 18 “Community Conversations” event, leaves graphic choice to subcommittee
Summary
The committee confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Tom Baker Meeting Room for a Community Conversations session focused on homelessness and outreach, confirmed several panelists and asked its subcommittee to finalize event graphics, flyer production and digital outreach.
The Bismarck Human Relations Committee confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Tom Baker Meeting Room for its next Community Conversations event and outlined outreach, panel and communications plans.
Committee member Marabella, representing the event subcommittee, told the group: "the final date, if there's no concerns from this committee, will be Tuesday, November 18 from 05:30 to 07:30. That is gonna be in the Tom Baker Meeting Room." The subcommittee said it has invited moderators and panelists and is waiting on final confirmations for two panel seats that may be filled by Sacred Pipe staff or individuals with lived experience.
The subcommittee reported confirmed participants that include Sister Kathleen as a confirmed moderator and named panelists from partner organizations (Mark from YouthWorks, Michelle Erickson from the Abused Adult Resource Center and Denise from the Dream Center). The group set an internal confirmation deadline of Oct. 24 for remaining panelists and agreed to prepare backup participants should Sacred Pipe’s nominees choose to attend only as audience supporters.
On communications, the committee agreed a City of Bismarck Facebook event will go live around Oct. 21 and that the news release will go out the week of Nov. 4, with social media reminders on Nov. 11 and Nov. 17. Caitlin (communications lead on the subcommittee) presented three graphic strategies for the event tile and flyer — a literal photo-based design, an artsy/ethereal option described as a “glass person,” and an intermediate “faded” treatment — and was asked to prepare variations for the subcommittee to review. "I did go down an AI wormhole," Caitlin said while explaining the draft imagery, prompting a discussion about readability, sensitivity and the risk of an image appearing busy or diminishing the seriousness of homelessness.
Committee members emphasized avoiding tokenism when selecting panelists with lived experience: the subcommittee relayed feedback from Sacred Pipe that having a single lived-experience speaker can feel tokenizing and said multiple lived-experience representatives are preferable. The committee agreed the subcommittee should continue outreach and finalize panel composition in coordination with coalition partners.
Logistics decisions included printing 50 flyers for coalition and local distribution (20 to take to an upcoming coalition meeting) and placing QR codes on the flyer linking to the event page. The group asked the city’s media/IT contact to confirm whether feedback forms and any digital response forms should be hosted on the city’s platform or via a subcommittee-managed Google/Microsoft form.
The committee also planned operational arrival times for the event: committee members at 5 p.m., moderators at 5:10 p.m. and panelists at 5:15 p.m. Final setup and a post-event committee meeting were scheduled for the day after the event. The subcommittee was empowered to make the final call on graphic selection and finalize the flyer and social assets.
The discussion reflects the committee’s effort to coordinate coalition partners, respect participants with lived experience, and balance outreach visibility with sensitivity to homelessness in event imagery. The subcommittee will report back on confirmed panelists and the final graphics at the committee’s next meeting.
