Hingham School Committee Adopts 'Anti-Racist' Resolution

HINGHAM, MA — Acknowledging that "the world does not look like Hingham." the Hingham School Committee adopted an Anti-Racism Resolution aimed at helping "to examine our own biases, policies, and systems, to have uncomfortable conversations, and to make changes where needed."

The Hingham School Committee adopted the resolution on June 22 in line with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees' request for consideration.

"Our School Committee adopted this resolution because we are living in a time where we all are reexamining our systems and perspectives about race, and though it can be uncomfortable, we are finding that we have a lot to learn," the School Committee said in a statement. "It is clear that being 'not racist' is not enough because the systems that many of us relied on and never questioned inherently disadvantaged classes of people."

Hingham School officials said the resolution "fits nicely" with diversity work the town has already begun and will help remind the committee "to examine biases policies, and systems, to have uncomfortable conversations and to make chances where needed."

The Hingham School Committee said that will extend to hiring practices.

"There has been robust discussion in our community about how like our student body, our faculty and staff are very white," the statement said. "What people may not know is that over the past year, our administration has actively recruited teachers and staff of color, and the (School) Committee has supported those efforts. Hiring people is not enough, though. As with our students,we need to ensure that our culture, systems and policies set our staff of color up for success."

The statement said the resolution is "not political" but is an acknowledgment that less diverse towns have to do their part to create a better understanding of diversity among residents to help the greater society.

"The world does not look like Hingham and we need to ensure that all of our students leave HPS and enter the world with the vocabulary to have these conversations and an understanding of the perspectives of people of color and of people with different backgrounds and experiences," the statement said. "By signing on to this resolution and following through with action, we are telling our state and local leaders that equity is a priority for us as a district and should be for our state as well."