Committee Report CR-4

The Civic Unity Committee held a public meeting on April 19, 2006, beginning at eleven o’clock and eight minutes A.M. in the Sullivan Chamber.  The meeting was held for the purpose of beginning to plan for a citywide discussion on race and class.

Present at the meeting were Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Committee, Councillor Craig Kelley and City Clerk D. Margaret Drury.  Also present were Michael Gardner, Director of Personnel, Duane Brown, Director of Affirmative Action, Cathy Hoffman, Director of the Peace Commission, Dr. Kahris McLaughlin, Director of Affirmative Action, Cambridge School Department, Leroy Cragwill, Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, Ardeen Goodrich, Member of the Peace Commission, Kathy Reddick, President of the Cambridge NAACP, and Emily Sadler, Boston University School of Journalism.

Councillor Simmons convened the meeting and explained the purpose.  She stated that she would like to structure a follow up on the 1998 Cambridge forum on race and class

She stated that she is interested in looking at the model used by Boston in their City-wide Dialogues on Boston’s Ethnic and Racial Diversity

Councillor Simmons said that she would like to see people have these discussions in their community, and then come together for one citywide forum.

Councillor Simmons then introduced Mr. Brown to present information that he had researched regarding the Boston Citywide Dialogues.  Mr. Brown submitted copies of that material

and discussed his conversation with Jeff Stone, one of the organizers of the Boston Dialogues.  Boston hired 150 trainers and had multiple dialogues consisting of about 15-20 people per group.  Boston would be interested in having Cambridge hire those trainers for Cambridge sessions.

Dr. McLaughlin said that she lives in Boston.  The dialogues are good but when you focus on the dialogue too much, the work does not get done.  When you look back at the 1998 report, you would probably find the same issues are still there.

Councillor Simmons said she would like to hear from people who participated in the Boston Experience.  Councillor Simmons stated that a many of the items that the National League of Cities is working on in its race and class focus are things that Cambridge has done.

Ms. Reddick asked whether the Boston people meet to take action in the areas they have discussed.  Mr. Brown said that they emphasized to him that the goal was the conversations themselves.  Dr. McLaughlin suggested inviting Jeff Stone to a future meeting on this topic.

Ms. Hoffman said that some of what will drive the work is the question of what is the need that people are feeling.  In 1998 there was a strong desire to produce recommendations.  Ms. Hoffman said that the previous day she had an exciting meeting with Elena Letona, Director of Centro Presente.  At this time there is an explosion of interest in immigrant issues and relationships.

Ms. Hoffman noted that Cambridge has changed a lot since 1998.  One idea is to plan a discussion of race, class and immigration.  She said that she is sure that Ms. Letona would like to hear part of such a process.

Ms. Hoffman noted some additional differences since 1998.  One big difference is the growth of youth groups.  Another thing that has brought groups together is restorative justice, and the creation of peace-making circles.  She is doing some of this work at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.  Ms. Hoffman stated that Cambridge has the resources in this city to make these discussions very meaningful.

Dr. McLaughlin said that there is still an issue of inequitable disparities in academic performance in the Cambridge public schools.  She said this problem is not just in Cambridge; it is a national problem.  The same issue existed in 1998.  She suggest that the committee focus on kids and how they are doing and how they are doing when they leave school.

Ms. Reddick said that it is somewhat of a negative shock to look back at a specific time and see how much has not changed.  The 1998 forum gave people a voice.  She said that the NAACP has signed on as a co-sponsor of the “Juneteenth Criminal Justice Event.”  They are co-sponsoring the event with other NAACP branches and State Conferences in the United States.  The event will highlight disparities in the criminal justice system, as well as issues related to CORI reform and education issues.  She recounted that the results of standardized tests of fourth graders in Florida schools are used to help determine how many prisons to build.  Ms. Reddick said that she would like to have a dialogue and then move to an action agenda.  The NAACP looks forward to being a part of this project.

Councillor Simmons said that she believes that the flaw in the 1998 process was that they did not come back soon enough to review what follow-up action occurred after the forum.

Mr. Cragwell asked if anyone is keeping a record of who passed and who did not pass the MCAS exam and what has happened to them.  His own experience in Cambridge public schools was the segregation that existed in the Willard and Webster Schools, where minority kids were shunted off to the industrial schools.  One of the most significant things that happened to him was the Army. That took him out into the world in a more equalized setting.  It was not his Cambridge education that enabled him to succeed.

Ms. Reddick said that at the NAACP they have been having discussions about “where is the will.”  The question is how to bring people to the table, the same table.  She said that we spend more time talking about the community of Cambridge than nurturing that community.

Mr. Gardner encouraged a conscious focus on employment and employment opportunities and the ways in which Cambridge is changing in term of opportunities for employment.  He also suggested that there be some focus on how to grow employment opportunities.

Dr. McLaughlin asked if anyone from the universities will sit on this committee.  She said that the universities need to be part of the discussion.  Dr. McLaughlin emphasized the importance of training leaders rather than workers.  Mr. Gardner noted the importance of community colleges in providing the education needed to succeed.

Mr. Cragwell described the experience of the African American Heritage Trail members.  They prepared a curriculum guide for the schools and delivered complete teaching packages to the schools.  The material could not have been easier to use, and yet it has not been used.

Councillor Simmons said that it has been said an uphill battle to get Black history and other curricula back into the educational program since the institution of the MCAS testing.  Ms. Hoffman said that it is important to raise the question of what the impact of MCAS have been on fostering and increasing race and class inequities.

Ms. Goodrich emphasized the need for young people to know that there are many options and have to plan.  Some kids are not exposed to this.

Ms. Goodrich suggested having youth involved.  Ms. Hoffman cited a recent Derrick Jackson column on the income gap.  There are powerful other forces to consider when trying to decide where this committee wants to focus its vision.

Councillor Kelley said that there needs to be a re-focus on race relations and class relations every couple of years.  This is an important issue.  He said that he goes to many meetings but he does not go to many meetings that include African Americans.  Cambridge is very segregated in day-to-day life.

Councillor Simmons asked those present who else should be at the next meeting.  The following suggestions were made: Jeff Stone from the Boston Dialogues, Valerie Batts, representatives for the universities and faith-based organization.

Councillor Simmons also said that she would like to get information on some other examples and models of community conversations.  She thanked all those present for their participation.