Councilor Hume, I Am Disappointed Even Further

Hello Council President Hume,

I write to you today with true disappointment. It has been a number of months since you promised that the Town Council (and the Mayor's Office and heads of departments in the Town of Braintree) would have an anti-racist facilitator to aid our Town leaders in having conversations around race and equity. This was not to be a one-off event, but instead the beginning of future conversations around best practices and sustainable anti-racist dialogue. Unfortunately, this task of importance has fallen by the wayside of your agenda.

Even after multiple emails sent to you by residents of this Town, particularly residents of color, you have failed to follow up with even the most basic information of who you have tried to contact, potential dates that you have sought for the first meeting, or goals you hope to accomplish as a result of said meetings. Ever since an email sent to you by another resident of color on Sunday, September 6th inquiring about similar questions, you have been silent on what progress, if any, you have made in this endeavor.

As much as I would like to trust that this is still on the forefront of your radar, your lack of transparency frankly does not allow that trust to be given to you, especially as this is an issue that came to prominence in the early summer. We want to see a more inclusive town, and are more than willing to work with you to make that happen; however, that desire comes with the caveat of you actively working to meet that need at least halfway. The lack of communication is honestly a form of disrespect; I have yet to even receive an email confirmation that you received previous emails, while I've heard from multiple other council members that they have, regardless of their feelings on the matter.

As a teacher, I feel that education is necessary to even begin dialogue about race and equity in any setting. A common language needs to be established, as well as norms and guidelines to ensure that the conversation is productive, meaningful, and actionable. While those dialogues may be tough and uncomfortable, productive discomfort and true progress require us to step outside of ourselves and attempt to listen and understand the perspectives of those around us, especially those who have been traditionally marginalized.

Sadly, the time for simple emails sent in an effort to hold you and the Town Council accountable has passed. It is clear that you, as well as others, do not value the importance of this (or, at least, your lack of communication and action communicate this). The fact that a councilman explicitly said that being for us to be an inclusive community, "one only needs to look at the year over year demographic trends of our public school population to see that Braintree is steadily growing more diverse and has been for quite some time" is telling. To be clear, inclusivity is not just about numbers; it is about a culture shift from individuality to collectivism, where ALL voices are heard and respected at multiple levels. it calls on all to take off their lily-white glasses and understand how systems that we have grown accustomed to are racially biased. It calls upon us to reflect on the true history of our policies, and consciously think about how those from all backgrounds may react to particular issues. It calls upon us to actively grow, instead of saying silent and complicit. The Town clearly has a lot of work to do, and facilitated conversations is the first step in this work.

I would greatly appreciate an update on this matter; specifically:

1) Who have you contacted about facilitating these anti-racist conversations? What metrics are you using to identify those that would be effective with engaging our Town in these areas of equity and inclusion?
2) Have you reached out to residents of color about who they may know that can help facilitate these conversations, especially if scheduling is an issue?
3) Can you outwardly share your views and ideas on, as another resident put it, "[increasing] the participation of marginalized voices in our community work and to make progress in developing a more inclusive and tolerant Braintree"?
4) What dates are you hoping for this work and these conversations to directly begin?

In my own effort of transparency, I have BCC'd (in an effort of privacy, as it is clear that those that go against the 'norm' in this town face more intense scrutiny) a number of people within our Braintree community, as well as members of the press. This letter will also be posted in the Braintree Patch. This is not done with malicious intent; instead, my hope is that if our multiple letters to you privately have not been seen as a useful accountability measure, a more public venue may be more effective in this area.

As I mentioned before, these times call for courageous leadership, especially with our current climate. I encourage you to take that step forward, in order to better us as a community. I greatly welcome your response.

Best,
Michael Chapman