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Home My WebLink About2021-02-11-LHRC-min Town of Lexington, Human Rights Committee Meeting Thursday, February 11, 2021 Virtual 9:OOa.m.-10:28a.m Present: Committee Members: Monami D. Roy [MDR] (Chair), Tanya Gisolfi [TG] (Vice Chair),Fuang Ying Huang [FH], Cleveland Coats [CC], Stephanie Hayes Hsu [SH], Scott Bokun [SB](School Department Member) Meeting called to order at 9:03 AM, Quorum was present at 9:03 AM 1. Welcome 2. Minutes—TG moved to approve January 14 &28, 2021, minutes; SB second; passed 3. Co-sponsorship of Dismantling Racism in Lexington—This program was started through the efforts of previous HRC Chair Sean Osborne, TG, FY, Principal Anton and other community members. • SB moved LHRC co-sponsor Dismantling Racism in Lexington; TG second; passed. 4. Co-sponsorship of Racial Disparities in Mental Health Outcomes and Access for Youth— this is a program being put together by ABCL and other town cultural groups for May 2021 (Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month) • MDR— The request is for support in moving forward with this program with the HRC involvement. • TG— Supports this program and Human Services for their programs highlighting racial disparities in mental health and the trauma of racism. • MDR—This should also bring this to the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). • SB moved to have LHRC co-sponsor the Racial Disparities in Mental Health and Access for You program moving forward; TG second; passed 5. Report Out on MLK Day Community Conversation on Race presented by TG and Christina Lin. • Key Themes that came from feedback is a call for advocacy, education, speak up/Active Bystandership training, more data, and access to opportunities for our black citizens. • Dr. Hackett has offered to help students co-author a letter advocating for equity in our schools. • The community and students want more education and conversations around race and disparities. Students asked for more conversations in school and that teachers not shy away from addressing race issues which would help them know how to handle these situations when they arise. • There was a request for Speak Up or Active Bystander Training. The HRC has sponsored three TABS in the fall of 2020 and are looking to sponsor more in the spring. Other town services are also looking to sponsor TAB. • More information on suggested actions available in Lexington can be seen in the full report. • Highlight quote - "Nothing about us, without us" • Committee Comments • MDR acknowledged and thanked Christina Lin, who is also the co-chair of the PPC, for her leadership in the equity space and her work on this program and presentation. • SB gave a shout out to those who coordinated the Zoom efforts for the whole program. • SH stated that this was a great program and was honored to be a facilitator but missed being a participant as well. She is very supportive of students and their wish to have more conversations on race. • MDR commented that this presentation shows the blueprint of what we need to do next. Our committee needs to make sure we are including the communities most affected by racial disparity in the planning and executing of these programs. "Nothing about us, without us." It is incredibly important that we stop, listen support, and allow the people most affected the time, the place, and the opportunity to share their stories. We don't plan programs without talking to the groups most affected. • Community Comments • Catherine Reilly— (MDR—Catherine did an incredible job of collecting the resources for this program) The presentation was amazing and very impressed by the effort it took to summarize everything. Having the resources at the end is great. Could there be more resources (financial)for more programing to the LHRC? How do we advocate for more resources to do this work? • MDR commented that we wish the town valued this work like we do education. We sometimes get support from Human Services and the Town Manager, but we don't have a budget. Human Services and the Town Manager will be sponsoring more TABS this spring. • SB encourages citizens to go to Town Meeting about budgeting and advocate for funding. • Jill Hai noted that budget process starts in the summer, is a collaborative process with many opportunities for input and public review and finally budget is set in February and voted on inMarch at Town Meeting. The budget is where funding comes from when we put in a request to the town. The Town budget does not include blanket sums for committees. Where a committee has a specific proposal or plan, they can submit a budget request as part of the budgetcycle, which begins in the summer. Our fiscal year runs July 1-June 30. 0 Upcoming budget includes funding to hire a Director of Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and this person will have a budget. • It is important to write Town Meeting members/Select Board/Town Manager about the need to provide and support these programs. Start the conversation now for change in the next budget cycle. The DEI will be a stand-alone office and independent.There would be a partnership/coordination between DEI and LHRC, but exact job description has not been determined yet. 6. Member Reports and Updates • SH • Housing Working Group is continuing to do the work set forth at the last meeting and hoping to have information in March regarding a program forApril Fair Housing Month. Committee members have attended: GBH — The State of Race: The Housing Gap; LexHab; Planning Board. Planning to attend Racism and the Economy focus on Housing, March 1 • Commission on Disabilities/LHRC Work Group— still working on timing for first meeting. • CC—Attended Chamber of Commerce (COC) annual meeting where they pledged to support TAB trainings, HRC, Dismantling Racism. • MDR— COC has been a partner in our equity work, and it is important thatwe as a town support our local businesses. • MDR—Announcements: Included in packet. • Cary Library in Partnership with the LHRC will host a monthly film discussion group on social justice issues. They will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7pm. The first film is, I Am Not Your Negro James Baldwin and Race in America. • Human Services -- Life on the Autism Spectrum April 12, 2021 • Human Services --The Impact of Racism on Asian & South Asian American Communities: Coping, Caring, & Wellness MARCH 11, 2021 AT 6:30 • Cary Library—Social Justice Book club meets the 1st Wednesday of every month. • Please join the next#LexSeeHer Educational Speaker Series event on Monday, February 15th at 7:00 pm. • Dismantling Racism in Our Town will be starting in February. • Lexington Parent Academy we be on March 13 • Candidate Forum sponsored by Lexington League of Women Voters - February 11, 2021, 7:30pm Register here: • Candidate Forum sponsored by LexPride - February 13, 2021, 1:00- 3:00pm • Candidate Forum sponsored by CAAL and CAAL PAC -February 18,2021, 8-9:30 PM • MDR both SB & TG are running for Town Meeting please support our community. • March we will have updates from the Assessing and Addressing Racism'sHealth Impact in Lexington and Racial Disparities in Lexington working groups. • Will connect with SH about work on Racial Disparities in Mental HealthOutcomes and Access for Youth. • FY will be on the working group for Race Amity Day in June. 7. Public Comments • Bob Pressman wrote a memo to LHRC about the School Committee report ondisparities and the Policing Working Groups update. Has several questions, comments, and suggestions. • Thank you for concerns, we did received the me, but because it wasn't on the agenda, we can't respond to it directly here. We would like to sharethis with SB and Chief Corr for their input and will either get back to you directly or put it on the agenda for our next meeting. 8. TG motion to Adjourn; Second— SB; Passed Meeting Adjourned: 10:28a.m. Next Meeting Date and Time March 11,at 9:00 AM List of Documents • Chair Report • Conversation on Race: Racial Injustice in Health and Healthcare Summary Report