HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09-18-LHRC-min
Town of Lexington Human Rights Committee
Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Conducted in remotely on Zoom
LHRC MEMBERS PRESENT
Christina Lin, Chair (CL); Stephanie Hsu, Vice-Chair (SH); Stephanie Ryan (SR); Rachel Levy (RL);
Larry Freeman - Lexington Public Schools (LF); Colleen Dunbar- Town of Lexington Police (CD)
Liaisons in attendance - Mark Sandeen, Select Board (MS); Eileen Jay, School Committee (EJ); Hemali
Shah, Chief Equity Officer (HS); Shaun Grady, Commission on Disability (SG)
The minutes recorded by Christina Lin, LHRC Chair
1. Meeting called to order at 9:11AM
2. Minutes approved for September 04, 2024
3. Updates to LHRC Charge (attached) were approved by unanimous vote.
4. Committee discussed ideas for LHRC practices and also community efforts based on the
report from Tangible Development. As discussed at the previous meeting, committee
members split into three groups to tackle several themes highlighted by the Tangible
Development Report. The ideas are are recorded in the addendum.
5. Roundtable Gathering Planning (Stephanie Ryan, Rachel Levy)
a. Invites to stakeholders - LF volunteered to create a directory of community
organization contacts and to also create an invitation for the event.
b. Location confirmation:
i. Wednesday, Oct 23rd evening,6:30-9pm
ii. Friday, Oct 25 - 9-11AM
c. Food/Beverage - CD will support organizing refreshments
d. Planning efforts - SR and RL will help with the logistical plans
6. Member updates
a. LUAA events
b. Multiple Indigenous Peoples Day events are upcoming
i. Watertown Indigenous Event (Sunday, Oct 13th, Hosmer Elementary
school)
ii. Lexington - Lexington Depot; Monday, Oct 14th, 12-4pm (flip the
calendar in the morning, 9am plant walk )
c. MLK Day planning for Community Conversation - SR will help ensure CL
adheres to a timeline for the planning. Members expressed concern with the
inauguration overlapping with the timing of the Community Conversation event.
CL noted the MLK Day of Service committee is aware.
d. MS reminded members about the LHS building project community forum later
in the day, Also- shared that the interviews by the Affordable Housing Trust for
a developer for parcel 68-44 located on Lowell Street.
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
7. Meeting Adjourned at 10:33AM
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
Addendum.
Question #1: Takeaways (or ideas) that we should consider incorporating internally into our own
committee's practice.
Theme: Culture Shift &
Resistance and Performative
DEI
Courtney Apgar, Stephanie Ryan,
Hemali Shah
1. Community Conversation and dialogue - creating spaces for
residents to be in community and be able to share their unique
perspective without judgement / divisive push-back.
2. Internally - proactive engagement and connection with
committee members through shared experiences such as
volunteering together on something
Theme: Connections &
Communications and
Performative DEI
Stephanie Hsu, Colleen Dunbar,
Rachel Levy
1. Expand our social bubbles to break out of echo chambers.
Consideration of community led and facilitated dialogues. It
takes time to build trust and relationships and it is important to
establish safe/brave spaces in community conversations.
Perhaps consider a community coffee idea.
2. Library of People - ‘rent’ people by meeting them in public
spaces to learn about their lived experience. Community piano -
setup a table there for conversation. Create spontaneous
opportunities for community connections. A member pointed out
the challenges of a project like Library of People because of the
resources it takes to set something like that up.
3. Set up a checklist of questions to build on DEI practices and
checks on performative action.
Theme: Institutional/systemic
barriers and Performative DEI
Christina Lin, Larry Freeman,
Dana Bickelman
1. Create a Code of Conduct for LHRC members with careful
consideration of how members are to be held accountable and
recognition that we are volunteers but also neighbors living in
community with one another.
2. Establish and maintain liaison connections to other community
groups. Intentional and proactive efforts to foster those
relationships is key to this idea having a chance for success.
3. Create our own matrix of questions on whether we are
practicing inclusion - who is missing at the table? Did everyone
get an opportunity to provide input? Did everyone have access
to provide input? What are ‘my’ own blind spots? How is ‘my’
perspective informed/developed?
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Question #2: Ideas for addressing issues of inclusion and belonging for (in) the community. Can it be tied to
the roundtable gathering?
Theme: Culture Shift &
Resistance and Performative
DEI
Courtney Apgar, Stephanie Ryan,
Hemali Shah
1. Expand our social bubbles to be inclusive of more (potential use of
Heathmere as an outside facilitator). Takes time to build trust and
relationships - event like a ‘walk during lunchtime, community service
together’ to build relationships. Importance of establishing safe/brave
spaces. Community Coffee idea.Takeaway point
2. Library of People - ‘rent’ people by meeting them in public spaces to
learn about their lived experience. Community piano - setup a table
there for conversation.
Theme: Connections &
Communications and
Performative DEI
Stephanie Hsu, Colleen Dunbar,
Rachel Levy
1. Citizens Academy 102 - to focus on committees. Drive awareness
and education of what the LHRC does
2. Roundtable gathering - is a way to start to connect the community.
Continue the roundtable with living room chats.
Theme: Institutional/systemic
barriers and Performative DEI
Christina Lin, Larry Freeman,
Dana Bickelman
1. Community Roundtable Gathering to support raising awareness of
shared and unique experiences (i.e.- accents).
2. Continue advocating for Chief Equity Officer to be on Senior
Management Team. Committee members agreed and added that
SMT impact the whole of the organization and it is important that the
CEO can support and ensure inclusion of perspectives which may
traditionally be absent or marginalized. - Write letter to Select Board
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420