“Wake Up, Wellesley” discussion to be held via YouTube, June 30th

“Wake Up, Wellesley,” the second of four conference-style discussions on racism in Wellesley, will be held via YouTube on this channel, Tuesday, June 30, at 6pm.

This second meeting will be a panel-style discussion on institutionalizing anti-racism, led by Black students and alumni of the Wellesley community.  Topics covered will include how to invest in and support Black students; making Black literature a centerpiece of Wellesley’s English literature curricula; and government reform.

WHAT: “Wake Up, Wellesley” panel discussion, Part 2 of 4

DATE: Tuesday, June 30, 2020

TIME: 6pm

Tentative topics for “Wake Up Wellesley” panel discussion:

Topic
1. How can we invest in our Black students?
2. What action steps can we take to ensure our Black students feel supported and know that we stand in solidarity with them, not only now but in perpetuity? For example, teaching more Black history and making Black literature a centerpiece of our English literature curricula.
3. How have other communities effectively implemented participatory budgeting? How can we promote this in our town?
4. How else can we propose government reform? For example, we would like to see greater representation of minority groups in our government; what are the current barriers to entry, and how do we change that?

More from the organizers of “Wake Up, Wellesley”

“Wake Up, Wellesley” is a series of four biweekly, online conference-style discussions on racism in Wellesley, intended to illuminate the injustices and microaggressions that permeate various dimensions of our children’s and our neighbors’ everyday lives. We hope to bring the national dialogue to our home and incite a collaborative effort among our community members in developing an action plan for eradicating racism in our town.

As the pandemic subsides and we are able to safely convene in person, this discourse will continue as a bi-weekly or monthly meeting. “Wake Up, Wellesley” is intended to serve as only the beginning of an ongoing commitment to acknowledging our privilege, lifting up our black neighbors, and actively promoting equality. Wellesley will refuse to let this movement lose steam. Wellesley will not allow these voices – growing increasingly hoarse with every hour – to go unheard. Wellesley will set an example for the rest of Massachusetts, for the rest of our nation, on what it means to listen, learn, and change.

We held our first panel-style discussion on Tuesday, June 16 at 6 PM. The Zoom meeting was broadcasted live to YouTube at this link. This first meeting provided a space for black members of our community to share their stories regarding the racism in our own schools, stores, and community spaces.

Upcoming discussion dates:

Tuesday, July 14, 6pm

Tuesday, July 28, 6pm