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Natick Freedom Team inspires Wellesley to follow suit

April 12, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley recently launched a Freedom Team to address racism, bias, and discrimination incidents, and the town gives credit to Natick’s Freedom Team, formed in 2016, as its inspiration.

The Wellesley group, like Natick’s Freedom Team, encourages those who witness or experience threats, harassment, or violence related to race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, or class to call its hotline. The Wellesley group, which also can be reached by email, aims to find out about and address issues that may or may not be criminal in nature, but that still require attention.

“We’ve got to address these issues, and if we don’t find out about them, we can’t fix them,” Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki told me.

When I first looked around for background on Natick’s Freedom Team I wasn’t sure how active the group was, thinking maybe it had been replaced in some way by other efforts in town to address diversity and equity. Its social media presence, for example, is modest.

But upon reaching out through Natick is United, I learned that indeed the Freedom Team remains alive and well.

The team, founded by former Natick resident Jamele Adams, consists of a cross-section of community members, including, as it turns out and previously unbeknownst to me, one of my neighborhood friends. Members are:

  • Jamele Adams (Ex officio, Founder, Dean of Students, Brandeis University)
  • Tom Campbell (Attorney)
  • Don Greenstein (Director & University Ombuds, Brandeis University)
  • Christine Guthery (Founder, SPARK Kindness)
  • Brian Harrigan (Principal, Natick High School),
  • James Hicks (Chief, Natick Police)
  • Linda Hughes (Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Walnut Hill School)
  • Leah Parker-Moldover (Program Coordinator, Natick SEPAC)
  • Sue Salamoff (member, Natick Select Board)
  • Four student members representing Natick High School and the Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Natick Freedom Team

 

The Natick Freedom Team meets at least once a month as a full group, and additional meetings in smaller groups take place to address community needs and respond to individual outreach as needed in addition to these regular team meetings.

Natick’s team also interacts with a network of such groups in other communities, including Franklin, Hopkinton, Waltham, and now Wellesley.

The confidential hotline—(508) 647-9548—hasn’t been used often. In response to my inquiry about how many calls the Freedom Team gets I was told “several.” Word of mouth via residents, team members, and the police department is the most common way that incidents surface.

“The most common that I hear is larceny or vandalism of property such as lawn signs,” says Police Chief Hicks. “We still have a few disputes with neighbors or encounters where there is a feeling of bias or racism. Most only want to report and be on record. They are offered the opportunity to speak to [the Natick Freedom Team] but decline.”

The hotline is monitored by the police. The Freedom Team emphasizes that hate crimes should be reported directly to the police and that incidents in which an individual fears for their life should be called in to 911.

The Freedom Team, which fittingly mulled my inquiries as a group, says it has been able to help with a number of conflicts that could have otherwise escalated.

“Our work is about empowering people to learn from each other’s differences, and help people fully listen and learn about the situation collaboratively and creatively,” member Don Greenstein says. “We are neutral as well as multi-partial. During these difficult times of mistrust, lack of patience with one another, and a high level of stress and depression, this work is very important and can be healing.”

Wellesley Police Chief Pilecki cited an incident at a Natick supermarket in which a customer allegedly made derogatory racial statements to a woman’s kids while they were in another aisle, and the kids told her about this after they got in their car. The mom got out of the car and spoke to the store manager. Rumors circulated in town that a store employee was the one making the derogatory remarks, which wasn’t the case, and word of the incident made its way to the police department, which identified the man who reportedly made the remarks. The Freedom Team reached out to the woman, listened to her concerns (including possibly encountering this man again), and wound up following up with the store, which was cooperative and agreed to offer related training to employees while also securing a no trespass order against the instigator. “As much of a happy ending as you can have after what happened,” Chief Pilecki said.

Natick’s team says situations are especially tricky when many parties are involved. “The biggest challenge is to create an atmosphere of trust and support in the midst of an incident or series of incidents that are or are perceived as racially motivated,” Chief Hicks says.

The Natick Freedom Team is looking for a few new members that represent the following sectors:

  • Chaplain/clergy/community faith leader
  • Mental health professional
  • Media expert
  • Restorative/transformative justice trainer/facilitator
  • High school student

If you’d like to be considered for inclusion on the team, call the hotline or email Don Greenstein.

And by all means, call the hotline at (508) 647-9548 if you witness or experience an incident that the team could address.


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Filed Under: Embracing diversity



Natick community rallies to stop hate

March 27, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Stop Hate Rally & Run in support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders streamed across the Boston Marathon Route and through Natick on Saturday.

We stopped by Natick Common—a hive activity between the rally, farmers’ market, Natick political candidate supporters, and others just playing or enjoying the area.

stop the hate rally


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Filed Under: Community, Embracing diversity

Natick Equity Task Force requesting a consultant

March 24, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick’s Equity Task Force, established last year to help the town determine how to advance equity in the community and town government, will present an initial report to the Select Board on March 24.

No big surprises, including that the 11-member task force says it needs a paid consultant to help it do its research.

The task force late last year sorted out important logistical and protocol matters related to discussing sensitive issues while adhering to Open Meeting Law.

From there it carved out subcommittees to focus research on the following areas:

  • Natick Town Government and Community
  • Municipal Government (as in, other communities)
  • Natick Schools

“Each subcommittee will develop the questions needed to be answered to address the overall charge as to what type of entity would advance equity in Natick… The Task Force has determined that support from a professional consultant is needed. Each subcommittee will recommend to the task force what research the group can undertake and what work may require consultant support,” the report reads.

Fifty thousand dollars has been included in the Select Board FY22 budget that could cover such professional services, according to the report.

The task force is chaired by Sue Salamoff, a Natick Select Board member.

Natick Town Hall


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Filed Under: Embracing diversity, Government

Natick invited to Race Amity Zoom presentation

January 26, 2021 by Admin Leave a Comment

Natick Race Amity

The Natick Historical Society and the Bacon Free Library will co-host a Zoom presentation of WGBH’s powerful documentary series American Stories: Race Amity and The Other Tradition on Tue., Feb. 2, 6:30pm – 8pm. This presentation will include a brief introduction to the film by Dr. William H. Smith (creator, executive producer, and writer of the series), a reading from the book Race Amity: A Primer on America’s Other Tradition, a viewing of the film Race Amity: America’s Other Tradition, a commentary by Dr. Smith, and a Q&A Session.

WHS Media Productions LLC created this documentary for the promotion of cross-racial and cross-cultural understanding.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Advanced registration is required to access the Zoom link. Please register using the link here, and allow 3-5 days for a confirmation email with the link from the Natick Historical Society.

Filed Under: Bacon Free Library, Community, Education, Embracing diversity, History, Natick Historical Society

MLK Day 2021 events schedule—Natick, Massachusetts

January 17, 2021 by Admin Leave a Comment

MLK Day, Natick

Everyone is invited to enjoy a live pre-recorded program from 10am-11am, streamed online and through Natick Community Access TV (see more details below), featuring:

  • student performances and reflections
  • MLK Day Creative Contest winners from the Middle and High School
  • Interfaith Clergy representatives
  • special guests including local dignitaries and community leaders
  • a keynote reflection by The Rev. Dr. Gregory Groover, Pastor of the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church in Roxbury, MA

Immediately following the program, from 11am-12pm special MLK Day activities for all ages will be offered by community partners (via Zoom links).

More information on how to attend

You can watch the 16th Annual Natick MLK Day Community Celebration on Natick Community Television (Natick Pegasus) channels: RCN 3, Comcast 99, and Verizon 29.

Or stream on YouTube via link here:

https://youtu.be/_Aul98Rr2sE

(with a live chat during the program!)

The 2021 program will be live on Monday, 1/18 at 10am.

MLK events are co-sponsored by Greater Natick Interfaith Clergy Association, Natick Is United, the Natick Board of Health, Natick 180, Town of Natick, Natick Public Schools, METCO, and SPARK Kindness.

Filed Under: Community, Embracing diversity, Holidays, Volunteering

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Events calendar

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