Kentucky Citizens for Democracy

General Meeting 7-22-25

Meeting Minutes

*A livestream was attempted but had to be cut off because of audio issues.

  1. Introductions and our “Why” 

We stand against authoritarianism in any form it may take. We believe in government for the people, by the people, on the local, state, and federal levels. We promote these causes by Educating, Activating (taking action steps towards these goals), and Elevating (elevating the level of civil discourse promoting worthy causes in our local communities).

  1. Leadership positions needed – Activate Committee Chair and Media and New Member Outreach Chair. See M. Slider or email at contact@kycitiznes.org if interested.
  1. MEETING STATS:
    1. ~ 62 Attendees plus two news crews! (WAVE 3 and WHAS)
    2. The Elevate Committee collected 38 bags/suitcases for donation to CASA. Thanks to all who donated.
  1. Celebrations
    1. Lexington Herald article – Since the last meeting, our group was featured in the Lexington Herald on the topic of immigration detention in KY jails.
    2. Christina “Alexander Hamilton” – Working on a short documentary for our group on the relationship between ICE and KY jails. We thank her for her efforts!
    3. Data Center – We Are Oldham County – Congrats to group. It shows what community organizing can do when people speak up!
    4. Oldham County Day – Had great turnout at booth
    5. Welcome to our leadership team Ryan McQuillen – addition to our Social Media team
  1. Special Guest – Kyle Ellison
    1. Introduction/Biography 
    2. Presentation – There will be a link in our August newsletter to the slideshow. Mr. Ellison went through some of the history of Kentucky Corrections and then showed the profit incentive that exists between Kentucky jails and federal inmates, especially now that more and more ICE detainees are coming in. He then took about 25-30 minutes of questions from the audience. Executive Director, Michael Slider also interjected on some answers. Here is the the WHAS 11 broadcast. We were unable to find the broadcast from WAVE 3 online.
  1. What you should know!
    1. Next general meeting – Thursday August 28th – St. James Episcopal Church – Pewee Valley, KY 6:30-8:00 PM
    2. First School Board Meeting of the Year – Monday July 28 – 4:45pm – Please reach out to group if you would like help with speaking points or plan to speak out. Some questions to consider – What are we doing as a school system to protect our immigrant children and their parents if ICE shows up at our schools? What is their policy? What are we doing to ensure it is safe for our kid’s parents to come to family events at the school?
    3. The Elevate Committee is sponsoring free, back-to-school haircuts for underprivileged kids and parents on August 10th from 1-4pm at Hair Montage (used to be Divas) in Crestwood. 
    4. Visit kycitizens.org and click “donate” at the top to donate to our group. Every penny is vital for a grassroots organization like ours!
    5. Committee work is essential to our organization. Email contact@citizens.org if you are interested in serving on any one of our committees (Educate, Activate, or Elevate).
    6. August 5th and August 19th – Next Fiscal Court Meetings – Would be nice to have others besides me speak with them about their concerns on the OC Detention Center/ICE relationship.
    7. Event – How to Support Our Immigrant Neighbors. Sunday, September 14 6:00-7:30pm. Crestwood United Methodist Church Sanctuary. Featuring:  Mizari Suarez, Director of Neighbors Immigration Clinic in Lexington, KY. Flyer available
  1. Action steps you can take right now!
    1. Contact your magistrate and let them know you are opposed to OC Jail being part of ICE detention system
    2. Write a letter to editor of the Oldham Era voicing concern about ICE and treatment of our neighbors
    3. Contact your school board member and question the board’s stance and ask about procedures for school personnel regarding ICE
    4. Donate to organizations fighting against ICE/Trump illegal and immoral actions: ACLU- Immigrants’ Rights Project and Louisville Coalition for Immigrant Support
  1. Financial Report – Treasurer Bridgett Miniard 

Transactions        

Posted DateVendorLocationTypeAmount
07-09-2025Transfer to CardIndivisible $500 Match for June+500
07-14-2025THE PRINT REFINERY502-3330162Printing-63.6
07-16-2025AMAZON MKTPL*MT8J905D3Amzn.Com/Bill, WAProjector Screen-67.83

Current Balance: $1048.82

(no new donations since 6/21/2025)

  1. Social Media Report – Kelly Young

We’re Growing—and You’re Part of It!

This Month’s Highlights:

  • Our Facebook content was viewed 14.8K times
  • Michael’s post on the new spending bill and ICE received 830 views and was shared 7 times
  • We’re seeing more comments and messages from Kentuckians ready to take action

Why This Matters:

Our social media helps us reach people who may not attend meetings or events. It’s one of the fastest ways we spread truth, expose threats, and grow our base.

How You Can Help:

  • Follow us:

Instagram: @kycitizens

TikTok:  @kycitizens

YouTube: @kycfd

  • Engage with our posts: like, comment, and share to help more people see them
  • Send us your photos and video clips from events
  • Volunteer with the social team: email contact@kycitizens.org

Together, we’re making our voices heard.

  1. Closing remarks

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