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Home My WebLink About2026-05-13-LHRC-att.pdfL e x i n g t o n H u m a n R i g h t s C o m m i t t e e Where are we, and where do we want to go?Where are we, and where do we want to go? A working session for the LHRC committee — April 2026 LHRS/HS/2026 Today's discussion Two conversations. One committee.Two conversations. One committee. Prong 1 Mission & Goals Why do we exist — and what will we have done by the end of the year that we can point to? Revisit and sharpen the mission Define 3–4 concrete, measurable goals Agree on what success looks like Prong 2 Working Groups How do we deliver — and are our four groups set up to achieve what we've committed to? Assess each group's current output Identify gaps and opportunities Align group work to shared goals L H R C i s d o i n g m e a n i n g f u l w o r k - b u t i t i s l a r g e l y i n v i s i b l e t o t h e c o m m u n i t y . L H R C i s d o i n g m e a n i n g f u l w o r k - b u t i t i s l a r g e l y i n v i s i b l e t o t h e c o m m u n i t y . Executive Summary 4 Wo r k i n g g r o u p s a d d r e s s i n g r e a l h u m a n r i g h t s i s s u e s i n L e x i n g t o n S t r o n g e x p e r t i s e a n d c r e d i b l e w o r k a l r e a d y u n d e r w a y ! I m p a c t l i m i t e d b y l o w v i s i b i l i t y a n d u n c l e a r i n t e r n a l s t r u c t u r e Wo r k i s s u b s t a n t i v e — b u t n o t w i d e l y v i s i b l e INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY B u i l d s i m p l e s y s t e m s t o a m p l i f y e x i s t i n g w o r k . Mission Analysis From legalistic to human.From legalistic to human. P r o m o t e B u i l d F o s t e r C o n f r o n t Lexington’s vision of a community that has as core values freedom from bigotry, hatred, intolerance, disrespect , and destructive conflict among its citizens. A stronger, more unified Town that respects and recognizes both our diversity and our commonalities. Statements and actions that conflict with the core values expressed above Respectful , civil , public discourse and debate. Four overlapping verbs — legalistic tone, hard to remember Existing mission P r o m o t e B u i l d F o s t e r C o n f r o n t Lexington’s vision of a community that has as core values freedom from bigotry, hatred, intolerance, disrespect , and destructive conflict among its citizens. A stronger, more unified Town that respects and recognizes both our diversity and our commonalities. Statements and actions that conflict with the core values expressed above Respectful , civil , public discourse and debate. Four overlapping verbs — legalistic tone, hard to remember Mission Analysis From legalistic to human.From legalistic to human. Working /proposed missionExisting mission S peak up aga ins t hate a n d di sc ri m inat ion in L ex ington E n sure e ver y Lexi ng ton re si dent can f u ll y b e lo ng here Hel p Lexington h ave hard co nver sat io ns re spectful ly S h a re cl e a r, fa c t-b a sed infor mati on wi t h res id e nts 1 2 3 4 Plain language — clear enough for any Lexington resident Our four working groups are where the mission becomes real . The mission is only as strong as the people who carry it out.The mission is only as strong as the people who carry it out. LHRC plays a unique ro le i n Lexington’s civic ecosys te m.LHRC plays a unique ro le i n Lexington’s civic ecosys te m. LHRC Mandate ANTI-HATE / ANTI-BIAS Education & incident awareness KEY OUTPUT RESOURCE DOCUMENTS COMMUNITY CONVERSATION Reflective Structured dialogue KEY OUTPUT MLK EVENT — 68 ATTENDEES IMMIGRATION Rights & resource awareness KEY OUTPUT RED CARD TOOL HOUSING Housing discrimination & burden research KEY OUTPUT DATA GATHERING PHASE Impact Assessment — Balanced ScorecardImpact Assessment — Balanced Scorecard Four Working Groups Insight: LHRC’s challenges are structural rather than mission-related — meaning they are solvable. DIMENSION Strong mission alignment; meaningful work underway CURRENT STATE KEY GAP OPPORTUNITY Community Impact Visibility & Reach Operational Effectiveness Governance & Accountability Minimal public communication channels Four working groups with expertise and commitment Volunteer-driven civic participation Limited community awareness of LHRC services No newsletter, email list, or social presence Outputs inconsistent; distribution unclear Expectations and liaison roles unclear Translate working group outputs into visible community resources Build simple communication infrastructure Define quarterly deliverables for each group Introduce simple accountability framework When residents need help, they should know LHRC exists.When residents need help, they should know LHRC exists. Visibility Gap LHRC 's core challenge is visibility, not mission. W H AT ’S M I S S I N G N o e m a i l l i s t o r n e w s l e t t e r N o s o c i a l p r e s e n c e L i m i t e d w e b v i s i b i l i t y E v e n t s o p e r a t e a s o n e -o f f m o m e n t s T H E G A P L o w a w a r e n e s s a c r o s s L e x i n g t o n N o c o n s i s t e n t c o m m u n i c a t i o n c h a n n e l N o r e g u l a r p u b l i c p r e s e n c e T H E I M PA C T R e s i d e n t s w h o n e e d L H R C o f t e n d o n 't k n o w i t e x i s t s . Recommendation: Treat this as your accountability tool . Does the proposed mission feel true to who we are? Is the language honest, inclusive, and something we'd stand behind publicly? Are these three goals ones we can actually commit to? Not aspirations — real commitments with owners and timelines. Are our working groups set up to deliver them? Do the right people have the right clarity to do the right work? LHRS/HS/2026 Take this away. Come back ready to decide. Take this away. Come back ready to decide. Three questions to sit with before we reconvene. Until next time Three things we will have done by end of year.Three things we will have done by end of year. Committee Goals — Internal Concrete. Checkable. Ours to own. Make LHRC visible Visibility & reach1 One output per working group Operational effectiveness 2 Clarify roles internally Governance & accountability3 Establish at least one consistent public communication channel — newsletter, email list, or social presence — sharing each working group's work quarterly. Each of the four working groups produces at least one concrete, shareable resource or event — something a Lexington resident can find, use, or attend. Adopt a simple one-page framework defining member expectations, liaison responsibilities, and how decisions get made — so any new member can orient quickly. C A R R Y I N G T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N F O R W A R D M A Y 1 3 , 2 0 2 6 LHRS/HS/2026 May 13, 2026 W H AT W E D I D . W H AT W E L E A R N E D . W H AT W E N E E D T O B U I L D N E X T. We identified three goals. We identified three goals. Where we left off 1 One output per working group2 Clarify roles internally3 ESTABLISH A PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CHANNEL SOMETHING RESIDENTS CAN FIND, USE, OR ATTEND DEFINE HOW DECISIONS GET MADE AND WHO OWNS WHAT Make LHRC visible This presentation reports on progress — and on what the work revealed. We hosted a community event. It worked.We hosted a community event. It worked. What we did 31 Documented RSVPs Diverse, Engaged Audience 35+ Filled the Room OUR MISSION Build a stronger, more unified Lexington through respectful dialogue. Promote understanding across differences. Address actions and language that undermine shared values. S t r o n g e r c o m m u n i t i e s b e g i n w i t h u n d e r s t a n d i n g .S t r o n g e r c o m m u n i t i e s b e g i n w i t h u n d e r s t a n d i n g . LEXINGTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE Chair: Christina Lin - Vice Chair: Stephanie Hsu 4lhrcchair@gmail.com The Lexington Human Rights Committee (LHRC) works to uphold our town’s shared values: Freedom from bigotry, hatred, intolerance, disrespect, and destructive conflict. We work closely with the Town Human Services and Police, schools, and community partners to help keep Lexington inclusive for all. Residents are encouraged to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas, or opportunities for collaboration. Scan to learn more about LHRC Share Your Feedback on Tonight’s Event Informatonal Flyer Event Flyer We hosted a community event. It worked.We hosted a community event. It worked. What we did Co-branded with the DA's office and Lexington Police Topic was timely and locally relevant Flyer focused on what attendees would gain, not only the expert, topic or agenda RSVPs used to begin building an email list Event Flyer Success exposed our gaps.Success exposed our gaps. What the event revealed Partnership works1 Community wants to engage2 The DA partnership was high-value. No process to identify, approach, or sustain partnerships like this. The room was full and engaged. (Network Effect) No clear next step — no way to follow up, no list, no home base. 3 The event was driven by individual initiative. It won't sustain four working groups producing consistent output. We need roles, owners, and a decision framework. Working groups need structure to scale The visibility gap was always a symptom. The root cause is governance. No onboarding for new members Without structure, effort depends on individuals — not the committee.Without structure, effort depends on individuals — not the committee. What the event revealed No accountability rhythm Nothing in the pipeline Success is person-dependent WHAT'S MISSING RIGHT NOW LHRC is gaining momentum Without structure, momentum is fragile No onboarding for new members More formal accountability WHY THIS MATTERS NOW Three structural elements LHRC needs to adopt this year.Three structural elements LHRC needs to adopt this year. The proposal W O R K I N G G R O U P S How do we make decisions? What is expected of members? How do working groups report to the full committee? How do we onboard a volunteer and how many? C O O R D I N AT I O N R H Y T H M How do we make decisions? What is expected of members? How do working groups report to the full committee? How do we onboard a volunteer and how many? C O N C E N T R AT E D E F F O R T A standing accountability structure Member commitment baseline A deliverable filter: Capacity Consolidate for impact: 3 working groups One-page operating framework