New Diversity committee hits the ground running

Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, a group of Canton residents started a conversation about finding ways to make everyone in town feel included, comfortable, and safe. What came out of those discussions is the newly formed Canton Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (CDEI). The committee has started working on compiling resources to support victims of hate crimes, designing a diversity calendar for the town, and planning a celebration of Black History Month.

CDEI Chair Cynthia Holcombe

“Everything Canton. The conversation started there,” said CDEI Chairperson Cynthia Holcombe of the Facebook page used by thousands of community members. “There were a couple of us leading the chase. We called in and listened to that process. There were some people in the town who wanted to come together, creating a safe space for people to come together and discuss how they’re feeling. It’s great that the town felt there’s a need for this committee. No group like this has ever existed.”

The conversations continued after the June 4 peaceful rally at Town Hall following Floyd’s murder and emails to Select Board members Mark Porter and Lisa Lopez for information on the process of starting a committee. By August 18, Holcombe said, the CDEI was a town committee.

More than two dozen people comprised the original group, which was ultimately pared down to 11 appointed members and one representative each from the School Department and the Police Department. “We sent an email off with an attachment form to the core group we were meeting with,” Holcombe explained. “We then created a survey to poll interest.”

The Application for Committee/Board form requested basic personal information from each potential committee member, while the poll asked them to gauge their level of commitment from among three answers: I’m all in/I’m committed; Pull me in if and when you need support; and I can’t fully commit, but would like to be updated periodically.

The forms were sent on to the Select Board, which voted to appoint the 11 members during a public meeting on September 29: Holcombe, Co-Chair Emily Bhatti, Darren Bouwmeester, Julie Beckham, Stephanie Simeon, Sheryl Wagner, Amy Peterson, Naomi Akan, Alan Rapoport, Sasha Martone, and Audrey Fleming. Nichola Gallagher represents the School Department and Chief Ken Berkowitz represents the Police Department. Members are appointed for a term of one year.

At the first official meeting of the committee on November 9, Holcombe volunteered to be chairperson, having had prior experience as the chair of Canton Families Embracing Diversity (CFED), an advocacy group that supports the Canton Public Schools. The committee voted to approve the appointment, with Bhatti being named as co-chair, and also to meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (via Zoom during COVID-19). The meetings are open to the public.

Then they turned to the work of listing the goals they want to accomplish. One goal that the CDEI has is to create an incident response process. “We’re looking to come up with a process where community members who are victims of hate crimes can determine their next steps,” said Holcombe. She explained that victims of hate crimes file a police report after the crime. The committee wants to provide support to victims after they have completed that process by offering a list of resources that would help them with their emotional, psychological, and social needs. Committee members are looking at the work that other communities have done with respect to this. “We don’t have all the answers,” noted Holcombe.

The CDEI is also creating a diversity calendar that covers a wide variety of cultural, religious, and ethnic holidays. “We’re compiling a list of dates to share with groups in town so that folks could see what dates are being celebrated,” Holcombe said.

A third goal is to explore community outreach and plan community events for Canton. Holcombe mentioned the outdoor space at the Paul Revere Heritage Site as one where events could be scheduled post-COVID-19. “We would love to be able to take advantage of the green space,” she said.

In December, the committee worked on the diversity calendar and their social media process, among other topics. The January meeting followed the insurrection at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., something that Holcombe addressed. Members also worked on information for CDEI Facebook page posts.

Later this month, CDEI will host a virtual celebration of Black History Month. The online gathering will take place on Tuesday, February 23, at 7 p.m. with a keynote speaker, music and poetry selections by Canton High School students, and dance performances by the Canton Afro Dance Group. All are welcome.

Holcombe said that the CDEI is a group that is committed to bringing people together and to providing support to everyone. “People were just looking for answers,” she said. “That’s why the group was formed. Canton is not unique. Hate exists everywhere. There’s no room or place for that in Canton. Love is how you conquer hate.”

“We want to be a committee that’s here for the long haul,” added Holcombe. “We want to make sure we are doing our best to provide some hope.”

To see the agendas for CDEI meetings, go to town.canton.ma.us/agendacenter. The CDEI Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/CantonDiversityEquityandInclusion.

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Feb 5 2021. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.