• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley introduces Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force members

November 12, 2021 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

The town of Wellesley has announced the 18 members of a new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force that has been in the works since the end of last year. About 40 people volunteered to be on the task force, which includes members the town says “bring a broad range of identities, perspectives, and life experiences to this work.”

Members include those already well known in town through their positions in public office, as well as those whose work on diversity issues might be done more behind the scenes.

The members are:

  • Melinda Arias-Voci
  • Gary Arthur
  • John Benzan
  • Linda Chow
  • Tony Clark
  • Leda Eizenberg
  • J’Lesia Jones
  • Glen Kim
  • Ann-Mara Lanza
  • Ayla Lari
  • Lisa Macdonald
  • Paul Merry
  • Lina Musayev
  • Lise Olney
  • Tere Ramos
  • Odessa Sanchez
  • Donna Stoddard
  • Robin Tusino
Odessa Sanchez, Wellesley candidate
Task force member Odessa Sanchez
(Photo by Beth Shedd)

Odessa Sanchez says she jumped at the opportunity to apply to join the task force. “I’ve lived and worked in Wellesley for the past 12 years and if one of the goals is to identify and prioritize the needs of historically underrepresented people, I think it’s useful to have myself, a member of the marginalized community present,” she says.

Sanchez, who serves as a Wellesley Housing Authority commissioner, hopes the task force will help bring about “generational changes, to be put in action, not just on paper.”

She adds: “Wellesley should be a town that values differences between its citizens and shares an authenticity of belonging. Every person has the right to voice contrary opinions without fear of negative consequences.”

Gary Arthur, Wellesley Rotary Club
Task force member Gary Arthur

Another member, Gary Arthur, has been an active community member since arriving in town, such as through his work on the Village Table program to help feed those in need. “As a super informed socially linked person I believe I lend not only great understanding but also tangible thoughts and solutions towards positive outcomes,” he says.

Arthur is hopeful that that the task force can help to bring about “a better-for-all attitude” for how Wellesley moves forward.

“Our work and these conversations need to remain transparent, active, and acted on,” he says. “[I’m] hoping our cultural perception evolves to be more than rich and white. This is not a true interpretation of our community, however, it is a prominent one.”

The group, scheduled to begin meeting regularly in December, will focus on these initial tasks:

  • Creating a vision statement for racial equity in Wellesley
  • Developing a mission statement for this work
  • Developing and identifying a work plan supporting the goal of racial equity
  • Establishing community guiding principles and practices to support anti-bias, nondiscriminatory, and anti-racist behaviors and attitudes

These efforts will build on previous DE&I work in town.

The Wellesley Select Board recently issued a statement to reaffirm its anti-bias and anti-racism commitment in response to reported incidents that have occurred in town.


  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
  • Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture
print
Share

Filed Under: Embracing diversity

Comments

  1. Amy Griffin says

    November 12, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    This is the first news to make me feel truly optimistic in some time!

    Reply
  2. Geri sperrazza says

    November 13, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    So needed. Thank you to those who volunteered to be on this task force. I’m happy to see Ann-Mara Lanza is on this committee.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wellesley United Soccer
Wonderful Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Cheesy Street Grill
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Congrats to all those sweaty, determined Pan-Mass Challenge riders
  • Wellesley arts news: Davis Museum previews fall exhibits; Abstract art welcomes you to the library
  • An hour in a Wellesley garden—a visit to Little Red
  • Upcoming political debates & forums
  • Wellesley readies for Pan-Mass Challenge 2022

Upcoming Events

Aug 12
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

Aug 12
1:00 pm

Bach to Rock free instrument petting zoo

Aug 15
1:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors, Open Lunch

Aug 17
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Aug 17
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Al Fresco Dinner and Music on the COA Patio

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Ellen S on The Underrated Cure: Gardening’s Effect on Mental Health
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Michael Maggard WHS '85 on In remembrance: Martha ‘Martie” Cherry Fiske, award-winning Wellesley teacher who fought for job rights
  • Katherine Fellows on Wellesley outdoor watering restrictions to come with a bit of ‘enforcement’

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (418)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (581)
  • Beyond Wellesley (49)
  • Books (368)
  • Business (1,514)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (49)
  • Churches (81)
  • Clubs (229)
  • Construction (296)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,124)
    • Babson College (251)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (43)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (610)
    • Wellesley High School (969)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (70)
  • Entertainment (792)
  • Environment (754)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (164)
  • Food (347)
  • Fundraising (615)
  • Gardens (160)
  • Government (565)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (853)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (4)
  • History (389)
  • Holidays (406)
  • Houses (157)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (854)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (63)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (571)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (76)
  • Outdoors (643)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (334)
  • Religion (132)
  • Restaurants (335)
  • Safety (151)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (123)
  • Shopping (148)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (986)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (395)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (232)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,231)
  • Volunteering (347)
  • Weather (178)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (277)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login