Stacey Luster is the general counsel and assistant to the president for employment and equal opportunity at Worcester State University. Reach her at sluster@worcester.edu.
Updated: November 23, 2020
10 things
10 Things I Know About ... Building community amid racial unrest
By Stacey Luster
10) Black Families Together convenes hundreds of Black people in Worcester, to address racism and the inequities existing for Black people. Priorities include business ownership and access to capital.
9) Diverse Professionals Roundtable, from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, connects inspired, motivated, dedicated professionals of color with meaningful spheres of influence. These racially and ethnically diverse leaders serve as a resource for the business, educational, and civic community of Central Massachusetts.
8) Entrepreneurship for All has launched in Worcester! EforAll was founded a decade ago in Lowell and works in low-income communities by giving entrepreneurs the tools to launch businesses.
7) Game Changers. This year, the Worcester chamber's three-day annual business conference “Changing the Game in Worcester: Not Business as Usual” explored how the business community can provide opportunities for people of color.
6) The Latino Education Institute of Worcester State engages more than 2,500 Latino families and youth in initiatives aimed at career preparation.
5) The Mechanics Hall Board of Trustees voted to add William Brown & Frederick Douglass to the Great Hall Gallery, becoming the first people of color to have portraits hung in the 154-year-old gallery.
4) Trinity Financial, the developer of Courthouse Lofts, the former Worcester County Courthouse, has diversity as a core value, as it is 50% minority-owned and employs a staff of 59% women and/or people of color, including Trinity’s founder Patrick Lee, who is African American.
3) Worcester Interfaith is a broad-based community organization, comprised of 25 dues-paying institutions reflecting the religious, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity of the city. Worcester Interfaith draws attention to the disproportionate ways in policies impact low-income and minority populations.
2) Worcester State University faculty, staff, and students work with its Campus Climate Committee; The Bias Incident Response Team; The Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Affirmative Action; and the LGBTQ+ Advisory Group.
1) Worcester Together Coalition is comprised of more than 100 individuals and organizations, who signed a petition committing to acknowledge the reality of white supremacism in our history and its insidious presence in our institutions, public school system, and police department, and will facilitate courageous conversations of the issues.
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