Human Rights, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (HRDEIC) member Janot Mendler De Suarez introduced a new initiative called the Wayland Building Initiative Team at the group’s May 19 meeting
The team would consist of seven members, including residents Select Board member Doug Levine and Elizabeth Wuerz. Mendler De Suarez explained that this draft was a work in progress and shared the proposal with the group. The team would aim to recruit members to build skills and become trainers for others in town.
Member Yauwu Tang asked what the history of the group was and wondered how the initial seven participants were invited. Some in HRDEIC stated that this group and its training goals sounded very similar to work already in progress in the Freedom Team. Members expressed concern and were shocked that this group is going before the Select Board for approval at the next town meeting. Many members expressed a desire for the new group to include and reach out to other groups like the Freedom Team and the HRDEIC so that focus could unite in the community.
After a lengthy discussion and feedback, chair Karen Blumenfeld asked, “Could you find a different way to frame it to support the work that is already being done? Could you bring this feedback to the group?”
Also during the meeting, board members had positive comments regarding their participation in “Conversations for Change” and “Conversations, not Confrontations.” The two series aimed to address and improve diversity and equity in the community.
“‘Conversations for Change” sessions were very well attended,” member Mary Ann Borkowski said. “I’ll reflect that I think we certainly felt in the face of the possibility of another incident, to have such a group we’d be ready to have a conversation around anything that might happen that would be particularly relevant to that topic and we’d all like the conversations to continue.”
Vice chair Heather Pineault had similar feelings. “The message was how do we continue to talk to each other?” she said. “There is a desire to continue talking to each other and with other people in town.”
The group also voted to request a budget of up to $8,000 from the Select Board that pay stipends for professionals or to serve for provisional funds in the event of a crisis incident.
With the group losing two members and gaining two new members, the group will vote for officers once new members have been sworn in.
