February 22, 6:00 p.m., www.salem.com/raceequityforum
SALEM, MA – Salem’s Race Equity Task Force will hold a public forum to share updates on the progress of their work and take questions from the public. The event takes place online on Monday February 22nd at 6:00 p.m. at www.salem.com/raceequityforum and is open to all.
The Race Equity Task Force was convened in June 2020 by Mayor Kim Driscoll to help conduct a thorough review of City policies and services, as well as community systems, through a lens of racial equity and justice. The Task Force consists of over two dozen residents and community leaders and is chaired by Shawn Newton.
To help structure its work, the Task Force is organized into five subcommittees focused on culture, economics, education, health, and public safety. During the forum, representatives from each subcommittee will provide a progress report on their group’s work. After the reports, the subcommittee representatives, Chair Newton, and Mayor Driscoll will take questions from attendees.
“The work of the Race Equity Task Force is so important to our community as a whole,” said Mayor Driscoll. “As the group continues its one-year objective to complete a comprehensive Race Equity Action Plan for our city, this forum provides an opportunity for a public check-in on the progress achieved thus far and the work that still remains. I hope all residents will join us for this one-hour presentation and will continue to be engaged in the important efforts underway by the Task Force. I’m grateful to all the volunteers who are serving on this panel to help develop this plan and to the many other residents of our community who have reached out with offers to help advance the cause of racial equity and justice in Salem.”
“Although we have not scratched the surface, I am very happy with the hard work and commitment of the Task Force and I look forward to sharing what we have been up to thus far,” said Chair Newton. “We have a long road ahead and with your help, we can all contribute to the good community we call Salem.”
