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Happy New Year, happy new year to each one of you.

Welcome to our City Council meeting here in Durham, North Carolina on the first Tuesday of January 2023.

Uh, here at 7 o'clock at 101 City Hall Plaza, we welcome those who are joining us in chambers.

Uh, and we're glad to see you all this evening.

We have special guests from um from one of our uh Zimbabwe from one of our council families, and we are happy to see them in the audience as well as everybody on the internet this evening.

We are going to have a moment of silent meditation before we begin.

Thank you all so much for that.

I now turn our attention to Councilwoman Didrana Freeman, who will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

It's our practice to stand and salute the flag if you join us.

One nation under God in the visible test.

If you will call the road, Mayor O'Neill.

I am present.

Mayor Pro Tem Middleton.

I'm here.

Councilmember Javiera Caballero has requested an excused absence, and it's been voted on.

Councilmember Freeman, present.

Councilmember Holsey Hyman.

Present.

Councilmember Johnson.

Here.

Councilmember Williams.

Present.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

We will now turn to our ceremonial items for this evening.

And we have three, and I will start off with our uh virtue for January, which is courage, and that will be followed by two mentoring proclamations.

Maybe not my entire tenure, but I thought it was important that we start to um recognize and promote values that we can all claim and hope to aspire to.

Whereas when we remain firm in our purpose, it conceptualizes hard times as just a season that will pass, whereas we are all extraordinary, and our different paths allow us to show our strength and courage in numerous ways.

Whereas we should be resilient with our passions, show our determinedness to be better during our day-to-day activities, and be courageous and authentic to ourselves.

So we are striving for greatness and creating opportunities that enable Durham to be a welcoming, inclusive, kind, safer, and more secure place to live, work, and play.

And whereas the city of Durham honors those who positively impact our community and our world, regardless of age.

Now, therefore, I, Elaine M.

O'Neal, mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim the month of January 2023 as Courage Month, courage month in Durham, and hereby urge all residents to participate in extending grace, practicing patience, spreading kindness and respect, generosity and consideration of others at all times, witness my hand and the corporate seal of the city of Durham this today, the third day of January 2023.

Good evening, everyone.

All right, something very uh personal here and passionate that I am about mentoring.

I will uh have Mr.

Derek Rhodes to join me.

All right, this is our proclamation to you.

Whereas January is National Mentoring Month, an annual campaign to recruit quality members to provide additional networks of support for young people, and whereas Durham, North Carolina recognizes the contributions of volunteer mentors who guide young people to success in their education, career, and well-being, and whereas mentoring provides mentoring programs like Durham Success Summit make our state and communities stronger by enabling impactful relationships that increase social capital for young people and provide invaluable support networks.

And whereas throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, mentoring programs have stepped up to ensure that mentoring relationships continued virtually while also connecting families to critical resources and services.

And whereas mentors can help young people explore careers and build skills to achieve higher lifetime economic outcomes through activities like helping them set career goals, write a resume, practice for an interview, connecting them to opportunities and more.

And whereas research has demonstrated that mentoring programs have a significant positive impact on a variety of academic achievement measures, including truancy and absent them, scholastic efficacy and engagement, school-related misconduct and peer support, and whereas mentoring can be an especially effective prevention and intervention strategy for young people with marginalized identities, such as youth youth with disabilities, BIPOC youth, LGBTQIA plus youth, and youth with experiences in foster care.

And whereas quality mentoring promotes healthy relationships and communication, positive self-esteem, emotional well-being, and relationship growth for young people.

And whereas with the mentor, youth facing risks are more likely to enroll in college, less likely to start using drugs, and more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.

And whereas while one in three young people still grow up without a mentor, demonstrating the need for additional re awareness and resources for mentoring programs, and whereas National Mentoring Month is the time of the year, time of year to celebrate, elevate, and encourage mentoring across our state and recruit caring adult mentors in Durham.

Now, therefore, I, Elaine M.

O'Neill, mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim January 2023 as national mentoring month in the city of Durham, and hereby urge all residents to observe the month.

Witness my hand in the corporate seal of the City of Durham, North Carolina, this third day of January 2022.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Madam Mayor, and thank you, Councilman Williams.

Um, young black men across the country have historically been underestimated and stigmatized, uh, especially when it comes to their employability.

Uh, that is why it's more critical than ever that mentorship and organizations beyond Durham Success Summit, like many of those represented here today, have a place in this community and are supported by community leaders like many of whom are in this room.

According to the Labor of Bureau Statistics, uh, young black men have two times the unemployment rate of white men.

In December 2020, that number was 57 percent.

57 percent of black men between 16 through 24 were unemployed.