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Racial Justice

MLK Day Events: Continue the Discussion of Where Do We Go From Here

If you attended LWVN’s recent book group discussion on the book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and are interested in continuing the discussion, or if you missed the book group and want another opportunity to engage with this wonderful book, you can participate in other community groups discussing this book as part of community-wide MLK Day events. More information about Newton’s Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. (including details about a week-long community food drive prior to the event) can be found at newtonma.gov/mlk22.

Read more about the book, and where you can get a copy below.

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Educational Forum on ARPA: View the Recording

On Thursday, December 9, LWVN co-sponsored an educational forum, together with U-CHAN, regarding the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Lizzi Weyant, Director of Government Affairs at the Metropolitan Area Council, gave an overview of ARPA and discussed the eligible uses of ARPA funding in support of an actionable plan to lay the groundwork of a strong and equitable recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts in Newton.

Read more below to watch the video or see the presentation; or, for further information on ARPA, read the ARPA Fact Sheet issued by the U.S Treasury.

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Webinar – Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here? May 13 at 7pm

2021-05-13 Gloria J. Browne-Marshall Overdue page no reg link

As part of its Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton series of events, the Newton Free Library in partnership with Historic Newton, will be presenting the webinar – Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?  Thursday, May 13 at 7:00pm.

Join Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, author of, The Voting Rights War, for a session that will examine laws posing challenges to American voters — especially African-Americans — from enslavement and woman’s suffrage through current controversies of voter suppression.

Please register here. Space is limited. Registration will remain open until 5pm on Thursday, May 13.

Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton is a coalition of organizations and individuals that aims to equip and empower our community with the understanding, knowledge, and skills to actively fight racism both in Newton and beyond.  They provide residents with opportunities to listen, to learn, and to act in order to dismantle systemic racism within our city.

For more information on Overdue and the session, Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?, visit the City of Newton’s website page on Overdue here.

Recording of Richard Rothstein: The Color of Law

Richard Rothstein, The Color of Law
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On November 17  LWVN joined together with the Newton Free Library and Families Organizing for Racial Justice to present a virtual session with Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America.  Mr. Rothstein argued with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal levels, and offered several concrete suggestions for how to address the housing and economic inequities caused by these policies.

During this virtual session, attendees also heard a conversation between library director, Ellen Meyers, and community activist, Richard Evans, who told his family’s story of encountering discrimination in the 1960’s during the state’s eminent domain taking of land for the construction of the Mass Pike bypass through Newton.

To wrap up the session, Newton City Councilor Deb Crossley introduced attendees to the efforts being made by the City Council to address housing inequities in Newton by engaging in a comprehensive review of Newton’s zoning codes.

If you were unable to listen in to this informative and engaging session, you can view the recording.

The Color of Law: Presentation by Author Richard Rothstein

November 17, 2020 (Tuesday, 6:30-8:00pm). The Color of Law, A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

Richard Rothstein, The Color of LawLWVN joined with the Newton Free Library and Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) for a presentation by author Richard Rothstein who argued with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal levels, and offered several concrete suggestions for how to address the housing and economic inequities caused by these policies.

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