HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-26-LHRC-min
Town of Lexington Human Rights Committee
Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, March 26, 2025
LHRC MEMBERS PRESENT
Christina Lin, Chair (CL); Stephanie Hsu, Vice-Chair (SH); Stephanie Ryan (SR); Rachel Levy (RL); Judy
Zola (JZ)
Liaisons in attendance - Dana Bickelman, Town of Lexington Human Services (DB); Juanica Buchanan,
Human Services (JB)
The minutes recorded by Christina Lin
1. Minutes for Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 06, Mar 12, Mar 14, 2025; approved by unanimous vote
2. Planning for LHRC Spring Roundtable (SR)
a. Logistics:
Two dates - May 19th (in person at LPD Community Room, 7-9pm)
May 21th (remote only; 7-9pm) -
The remote option is an important option acknowledging that
not everyone can choose to attend in-person.
Capping sign-up to 24 people because of limited number of
small group facilitators. It may be possible to consider a larger audience for
the remote version of the program.
The Spring program would be made open to the general public as well as
direct outreach to community leaders.
b. Committee discussed the goals of the Spring series. The program would aim to build
community through positive encouragement where participants would leave feeling
rejuvenated and have authentic connection with others and to break down barriers
to seeing one anothers’ humanity.
c. While the Spring program will be different from the Fall, committee members agreed
it was important to value feedback and takeaways from the Fall series by
incorporating them into the Spring sessions.
d. SR and JZ to work on planning details and the small group conversation prompts.
They will also connect with volunteers from the Fall series who offered to help in the
Spring. SR/JZ will reach out to community members and youth for help in the
planning.
3. “Know Your Rights”
a. The Chair suggested the committee focus efforts on gathering resources on protected
rights in the community and suggested starting with housing (can partner with
Housing Partnership Board, Affordable Housing Trust and LexHAB), free speech
and immigration rights (with help from the working group on immigration rights). It
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
was decided the group should gather the resources and reach out to the Director of
Communications to post it on the LHRC website (and or Town website).
b. Preliminary resources shared
i. Housing -
https://www.metrohousingboston.org/our-programs/homelessness-preventio
n/fair-housing-civil-rights/
ii. Freedom of speech and expression -
https://www.aclum.org/en/issues/free-speech-and-expression
iii. Immigration rights & working group update
RL provided an update on the immigration working group, which is gathering
resources and information on immigration rights and learning best practice
from other towns.The group acknowledged that there is a growing need for
understanding our citizenship rights due to recent federal actions.
iv. Resources on immigrant rights were shared :
1. https://lawyersforcivilrights.org/get-help/legal-resources/
https://lawyersforcivilrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2501-KYR-
Immigrants-EN-05.pdf
2. https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-when-encountering-law-
enforcement-airports-and-other-ports-entry-us
3. https://miracoalition.org/news/category/resources/
4. https://www.scijimmigration.org
5. UMass Action
4. Member/liaison updates
a. Volunteer opportunities to support LHRC programs (Lex250)
b. CRG - May 15th, 6:30-9pm, neurodiversity from the adult perspective
c. Human Services programs: Coming Out, Becoming Ourselves (Mar 29); Parenting
with Pride (Mar 26) ; Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420