The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2023-07-19-LHRC-min-att1From:Chair LHRC 4lhrcchair@gmail.com Subject:Letter to LexObserver -DRAFT for LHRC committee review Date:July 15, 2023 at 12:04 PM To :Stephanie Hsu stephanieh295@gmail.com,Mona Roy MonamidRoy@gmail.com,Salvador Jaramillo sjaramillo@college.harvard.edu,Amber Iqbal amber.iq@gmail.com,Colleen Dunbar CDUNBAR@lexingtonma.gov,Tanya Gisolﬁ tgismcc@icloud.com,Larry Freeman LDFREE@yahoo.com,Melissa Interess minteress@lexingtonma.gov On behalf of Sal, Steph and myself, Hello team :) Please see the draft letter below. A couple of additional thoughts were raised in the process of putting this draft together. Consider the timing of the letter - perhaps more people would read it if it went out in September when families are back in town In light of the recent challenge to LGBTQ inclusive curriculum "Serious Talks", this speaks to the bigger picture of sowing fear and division. I guess this is just a point and not an action, but wanted to put it out there to the group. For feedback, please send any comments/feedback/edits to this email address only so that we are in compliance with open meeting law. Thank you! Letter: This past May, a Lexington Observer article on residents’ opinions on affirmative action garnered heated comments about who deserves to gain acceptance into prestigious institutions. There is no denying that affirmative action and college admissions is a complex topic. We, the Lexington Human Rights Committee (LHRC), believe that the contentious nature of this issue should not lead us to avoid the topic. Instead, it should give us more reason to listen and understand those within our community that disagree with our own point of view. GPA and standardized test scores are only two measures by which colleges judge the strength of an application, there are also a number of other significant measures such as teacher and counselor recommendations, personal statements, and extracurricular activities that play an equally significant and often forgotten role in a successful, holistic college application. It is important to acknowledge that Affirmative Action did not exist within a vacuum, it existed amongst preferences for students with a certain athletic ability, preferences for legacy applicants, and preferences for donors, all of which the merits of can and should be debated, but undeniably skew towards a certain demographic of students. [ref 1] Our concern as the LHRC, is not the differences of opinions, but the personal and misleading characterization of entire groups of people of different racial backgrounds and lived experiences. As a Town Committee, our mission is to build a more unified community that recognizes our commonalities and respects our differences. There are times when we must confront statements and actions that conflict with these core values. In doing so, the Committee works to foster civil public discourse. In this instance we felt it prudent to address the hurtful and divisive nature of some comments. Public platforms such as email lists and online comment sections are often a challenging space for fully communicating one’s true thoughts and intent. While it is important to recognize that people have the right to express their beliefs candidly, statements that unnecessarily pit one group against another are inherently divisive and ultimately hurt the goal of learning and participation in community dialogue. For example, many comments goal of learning and participation in community dialogue. For example, many comments posted on the Lex Observer article questioned the legitimacy of Black and Latino students at Harvard and perpetuated historical stereotypes that are harmful and not grounded in truth (or blatantly false). To say that “Black and Latino students are beneficiaries of failure” is not only hurtful language, but a clear example of a wholly wrong assertion. There are ways to argue an opposing view in a manner that does not make broad assumptions or use language that degrades others. We must also remember that calling our neighbors by name and attacking their perspective or lived experience is counterproductive to a civil and public discourse. Inequities in education exist across many identities, even in Lexington. These are reported annually by the Lexington Public School District ( LPS Annual Report on Reducing Systematic Barriers) and describe the large inequities in and education gaps that exist for Black students whether it be disparities in suspension rates, access to advanced level coursework or inclusion in general education. We must acknowledge that these inequities exist and that the data supports that they carry into high school and beyond. [ref 2] These disparities in education remain a challenge for schools across the nation, even for prominent public schools such as Lexington. We believe our shared aspirations are more alike than not. As the Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action has been passed, many, including commenters of the article, want to see better opportunities for addressing educational inequities. In Lexington, we also have an opportunity to find common ground on this goal. The systemic nature of the educational gaps noted earlier means we, as a community, also have a role to play in reducing barriers. And we would be more effective if we could work alongside each other rather than further fracturing on hurtful stereotypes and an unnecessary battle of who is more deserving. After all, our students today will all become the citizens and leaders of the future. Shouldn’t they all have access to an education that prepares them to be their best rather than limiting resources to a select few? As we no doubt continue the conversation, we hope/wish future discourse will avoid the pitfalls of division and instead, lead to greater curiosity and understanding of one another. We appreciate any thoughts, comments or disagreements you may have. The Lexington Human Rights Committee can be reached at humanrightscmte@lexingtonma.gov and our public meetings are posted to the Town calendar. Ref. 1. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/study-harvard-finds-43-percent-white- students-are-legacy-athletes-n1060361 2. Are Achievement Gaps Related to Discipline Gaps? Evidence From National Data Christina Lin (She/Her) Lexington Human Rights Committee, Chair Lexington Human Rights Committee, Chair *Please note emails sent to this account may be viewed by members of the Lexington Human Rights Committee Executive team which include the Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk only. When writing or responding, please be aware that the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most email is a public record and, therefore, may not be kept conﬁdential.