Committee Report CR-1

and forty minutes P.M. in the Sullivan Chamber.  The meeting was held for the purpose of continuing to plan a 2007 Race and Class Forum.

Present at the hearing were Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Committee, Councillor Michael A. Sullivan, City Clerk D. Margaret Drury, Duane Brown, Director of Affirmative Action, Kenneth Likes,

, Affirmative Action Advisory Committee.  Also present were Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services, Deborah Lerner Goodman,

, Department of Human Services (DHS), Jannette McKinnon-ridgeman, Director of Childcare, DHS, Eileen Ginnetty, Executive Director of the Council on Aging, DHS, Eileen Keegan, Director of Community Schools, DHS and Michelle Farnum, Director of Youth Programs, DHS

Councillor Simmons convened the meeting and explained the purpose.  It has been 10 years since planning began for the 1998 Forum on Race and Class, which she co-sponsored while she was on the School Committee.  Other sponsors included the Peace Commission, the Women’s Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Mayor’s Office and the Eviction Free Zone.    She described the origin of the 1998 forum in events that took place at the Baldwin (then

Councillor Simmons then turned the discussion to a review of the 1998 report back from the forum (Attached).    She pointed out that several of the recommendations have been done.  But the question is “Are we any better now?”  Councillor Simmons said that in recent years she has seen our society subtly rolling the clock back.  Are we going to recommit ourselves, and if we are, how do we want to do it?

then and now.” A format of break-out discussion groups was also popular.  She said that one interesting suggestion had been to have a series of events, but she does not favor this approach because it takes a tremendous amount of people power to organize a whole series of events.

Ms. Erlien noted that there was a big interest in demographics at the last meeting.  Councillor Simmons agreed and said that it would be good to specifically add consideration of immigrant issues.  Ms. Lerner Goodman said that the 2005 Census information show that the economic gap in

is widening.  The number of foreign-born residents has increased enormously, as has the number of people for whom English is a second language.

Councillor Simmons described the efforts made to ensure diversity in the break-out groups in the 1998 forum.  She said that looking back at what went well and what could have gone better would be helpful.  For example, the forum lasted until very late in the evening.  The organizers did not know how many attendees to expect.  If there had been pre-registration, they could have had a better idea of how many people would come.

organized by Professor Charles Ogletree and others, perhaps the forum could limit active participation to those who pre-register.  Those who come without having pre-registered would be welcomed, but would be observers.  Mr. Cragwell suggested using the word “Registration is recommended but not required.”

Ms. Erlien said that many issues lend themselves to several different discussion areas, for example, housing.  A lot of studies show that the lack of decent housing creates violence.  Ms. Keegan agreed.

Ms. Farnum said that the more specific the topic, the better the quality of the information. Narrowing the focus will result in richer information.  She also noted that a one-time event focused on race and class will appeal to a certain type and a certain demographic.  It is a great way to get a lot of information, but to get a more complete picture, we would have to also use other methods of getting information.

Ms. McKinnon-Bridgeman asked if there was any way that the group could be intentional and focused about the policies to be discussed.  Ms Farnum said that one useful focus could be on how the City creates community and how could we build better neighborhoods.

Mr. Likes said that the 1998 forum was just a sampling.  The idea of focusing on how this forum would factor into policy setting makes him a little nervous because it can set up an unrealistic expectation among participants that if they come they will set policy.  He favors emphasizing the exchange of different views, with a focus on what makes neighborhoods work.

Ms Semonoff expressed agreement with Mr. Likes’s comments.  She also said that the City Council has set goals that speak to the issue of fostering community, and the forum could look at those goals through the lens of race and class.

Ms. Erlien said that a study done by Josephine Lolie discussed in an article published in the Boston Globe was an interesting analysis of how public spaces are not inviting to people of color.  It was a Harvard Civil Rights Project study.  Ms. Erlien offered to get the

Councillor Simmons said that Professor Charles Ogletree was interested in taking part in this forum.  Ms. Semonoff said that if Professor Ogletree came back and gave the same presentation that he gave at the City’s recent Black History Month Celebration, and then the attendees broke into groups, they could have some very rich conversations.  Ms. Lerner Goodman agreed and added that in terms of community building, it would be a great opportunity for people to talk to different people.

Councillor Simmons agreed.  She said that could be a program for a whole day, ask asked whether the group thought they would want to schedule the forum for a Saturday.

Mr. Brown said that there could be different focuses during the day at different places or different discussion groups at the same time.  Mr. Cragwell suggested using high-tech telecommunication to connect groups to have one virtual meeting.

Ms. Lerner Goodman noted that the School Department is planning two big public forums on the achievement gap in the fall on September 15

family day also takes place in September, and that these events could be opportunities for cross-advertisement and recruitment.