February 7, 2019
By Jyothsna Bolleddula and Shweta Kondapi
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lexington residents gathered in Grace Chapel to initiate a discussion on racial issues.
The “Community Conversation on Race” was the first of a number of events held across Lexington to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The event was led by Sean Osborne, the Chair of Lexington’s Human Rights Committee.
“This discussion is about bringing conversation into action. We’re are not gonna solve racial equity questions today in Lexington. Maybe tomorrow, but not today,” Osborne said.
The discussion began with a panel of speakers reading excerpts from King’s writings and then detailing their own experiences with institutional racism and white privilege. State Representative Michelle Ciccolo was one of the members on the panel.
“Talking about race is never easy, and progress often comes from finding ourselves uncomfortable, squirming a bit as we endeavor to open our hearts and minds,” Ciccolo said.
The panel also included students from Minuteman Career and Technical High School, who shared their experiences with racism in a school setting.
Emmanuel “Manny” Adey, a junior at Minuteman, described his encounters with a counselor who refused to let him take higher level math classes.
“I realized what my counselor meant when she said I wouldn’t be able to fit in— she didn’t believe in me just because of the color of my skin,”Adey said.
Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Andre, a recent graduate of Minuteman, detailed his experience with the Lexington Police. Despite spending the majority of his life in Lexington, he has been pulled over three times in eight months.
“I wish it didn’t feel normal to be questioned,” Andre said.
Kaienteres Maracle, a senior at Minuteman, spoke third. She recounted her experiences telling people that she was Native American, and how they often reacted with disbelief. Although her experiences elicited gasps from the audience, she explained that she was no stranger to statements such as “How did you guys get so civilized?” and “You’re so lucky you get to go to college for free.”
Lexington High School PTO Co-President Christina Lin spoke to the audience about her experiences with how being Asian “is not white and therefore not the norm.” She also acknowledged her privilege in regards to other minorities.
“I’ve always viewed the law enforcement as my friend… looking back, I can see how I was complacent in my own privilege,” Lin said.
The panel ended with a call to action.
“I wish that all of you out there in the audience will recruit, train, hire, connect, promote, and advance minorities and people of color to positions that you can impact,” Ciccolo concluded.
All attendees then took part in small group discussions on civil discourse and potential solutions to racial inequity, such as increasing the diversity of public school teachers and implementing racial sensitivity training for the police force.
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