Cedar Crest Creates Welcoming Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Responding in part to Americans’ increased awareness of and desire to engage with complicated social issues, residents and staff at Cedar Crest, an Erickson Living community in Pompton Plains, N.J., created the Welcoming Diversity & Inclusion committee in June 2020. It offers a variety of programming to educate, facilitate conversation, and promote activism in social justice and is co-chaired by Bill Longwell and Susan Solomon, two residents that bring professional expertise in the subject matter.

Bill spent more than two decades at Vanderbilt University as part of the Arts and Science Dean’s Office, along with an appointment as a senior lecturer in history, offering courses in modern Africa and the Middle East. At the end of her career, Susan worked as a social worker.

“There was a lot of concern and interest on campus, and a lot of people talking about what they could do,” says Susan. The committee has been offering programming since November 2020, and now has 28 members.

Resident Lenni Newman leads a weekly film series as part of the committee, which allows residents to watch a movie related to the month’s theme on Cedar Crest’s in-house TV channel. In January, the committee honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with “I Have a Dream” month, showing films such as Spike Lee’s “Four Little Girls,” a documentary about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963 and “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” which explores the impact of music on the Civil Rights movement.

The committee also created a showcase display in the Woodlands Commons clubhouse on campus, which featured photos and artifacts depicting the Black experience in America from 1920 through 1965, including the Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Throughout the month, residents and staff stopped by to take it in, and it generated a lot of buzz on campus.

“We received so many beautiful comments about the exhibit,” says Susan. “Everyone who saw it was telling friends to come by to see it too.”

The committee also offers opportunities for residents to get involved and share their personal experiences and perspectives. Four residents shared their oral histories of attending the March on Washington in 1963. In celebration of Black History month in February, the committee held a roundtable discussion on the topic, and Bill gave a presentation on the transatlantic slave trade. In April, they held the group’s first community reading, in which members discussed Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s bestselling and critically acclaimed book that explores racism in the United States as a type of caste system.

Another goal of the committee is to share and celebrate different cultures and faiths. As part of “I Have A Dream” month in January, dining services came up with a menu that featured some of Dr. King’s favorite dishes, and there was also a special menu to celebrate Chinese, or Lunar, New Year on Feb. 12. The event was also celebrated with a display in Woodland Commons and original videos broadcast on Cedar Crest’s in-house TV channel. December offered an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many different holidays that mark the season, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Diwali.

Bill and Susan emphasize that the committee’s work is a truly collaborative effort, with many residents and staff members from a number of departments working together to create meaningful programming. “We have a number of really creative people, and our meetings are so dynamic,” says Bill. Next, the group hopes to delve into issues of white privilege and equity.

Learn more about activities at Cedar Crest by visiting CedarCrestCommunity.com or calling 1-800- 682-0312.

About Cedar Crest: Cedar Crest, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 130-acre campus in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. The not-for-profit community of more than 1,800 residents and 1,000 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information about Cedar Crest can be found at CedarCrestCommunity.com.