Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
Co-Chairs - Nancy Brown & Liz Cobb. Contact at dei [at] lwvcc.org
Please see the details below on the DEI Committee's work this fall. The conclusion of this work in the final session is summarized in this attached 
memo.
Looking at Community in Concord and Carlisle through a DEI Lens—Past, Present and Future: Seminar Series
The DEI Committee in partnership with Concord-Carlisle Adult & Community Education is offered an exciting program entitled “Looking at Community in Concord and Carlisle through a DEI Lens—Past, Present and Future.”
This inaugural four-part program, complete with stimulating speakers, was held on four Thursday evenings this fall from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
September 29 – History—Focus on Indigenous People and African Americans and the roles they have played in our towns.
- October 13 – Education—Public & Private Education: What’s happening in the classrooms? How do we ensure that all students feel welcomed and included?
- October 27 – Land Use, Zoning & Housing—An understanding of the factors which influenced housing in our communities, and an exploration of what could be done to diversify available housing.
- November 10 – How can we make Concord & Carlisle more open and welcoming? Summary of the first three sessions, followed by a facilitated discussion on how we can move forward.
Racial Justice Committee now called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
The Racial Justice Committee (RJC) was formed in response to the horrific killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officers. Committee members resolved to take action to address systemic racism in our country and in our communities. The first step we took was to look inside ourselves for signs of racism that we had learned from living in a racist society. We began reading and listening and learning about the systemic racism that has been built into every institution in our country. Some of our activities this year included:
- Met via Zoom with Concord Police Chief O’Connor to talk about his letter of testimony to the MA House Judiciary Committee regarding his concerns about the Police Reform bill SB2820.
- Attended a socially distanced Robbins House exhibit at the Emerson Umbrella.
- Held a virtual movie night and discussion of the movie Suppression 2020 about the Georgia black voter experiences in the 2018 and 2020 elections.
- Met via Zoom with another newly formed group in Concord called Communities Organized Against Racism (COAR) which is focusing on working with the schools on issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). We are collaborating with COAR on addressing DEI issues beyond the schools to our broader communities of Concord and Carlisle.
- Met via Zoom with the LWVCC Housing Issues Committee to discuss common concerns about the lack of opportunity for people of color in obtaining housing in Concord.
- We are proposing to assemble a report on the demographics of our Towns in order to have data that will guide us in formulating action items in our communities to address DEI issues. Played a key role in the establishment of the Concord Diversity Equity and Inclusion Commission.
- Successfully lobbied the Select Board to establish a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission in Concord.
- Developing a program on Concord’s racial history as it relates to housing, education, etc and opportunities for progress.
- The resource list below is designed to be a resource for individuals and organizations interested in learning more about DEI.
Resources for DEI