2026-10-13 - DEIB Committee

00:01Good evening everyone. I'm Samantha

00:03Golding, chair of the Shrewberry

00:05Diversity, Equity, and Inclu Inclusion

00:08and Belonging Committee. It is October

00:1113th, 2026 at 6:37 p.m. Um, I'm calling

00:16the meeting to order.

00:19Um, welcome everyone. Uh, moving on to

00:25item number two on our agenda is the

00:27announcements. Are there any brief

00:29announcements from any committee

00:31members?

00:34Okay, I don't have any announcements.

00:36Thank you. Um, so we will move on to

00:40item number three, review and act.

00:44Uh, let me make sure. So, review and act

00:48on the meeting minutes from the

00:51September 14th workshop and regular

00:55meeting minutes. Has everyone had an

00:57opportunity to review both sets of

00:59minutes?

01:00>> I have not. I apologize. I have not had

01:03a chance.

01:04>> Okay. So then uh we will uh move to

01:08consider the uh meeting minutes both the

01:12workshop and the meeting uh during our

01:14next meeting to be approved to be

01:16approved and to act on.

01:19>> Yeah. So

01:21all right. Uh now moving on to item

01:24number four discussing old business.

01:29Um

01:32okay. So under item number four

01:35uh

01:38so item number or a uh at our September

01:42workshop um let's see this would be a

01:45review of the 2026 to 2027 committee

01:48priorities the events and initiative

01:52ownerships.

01:53Um so at our workshop we identified some

01:57opportunities to collaborate uh to help

02:00boost

02:02uh stronger engagement with our

02:04volunteer [snorts] base as well as

02:06different educational/civic

02:09um opportunities.

02:11Um it was a pretty wide variety of

02:15things. Um we also talked about a long

02:18list of possible programs we could look

02:19at. Um,

02:22so [snorts] in this instance, I know

02:24that we still we we need time to uh

02:28review the minutes in further detail.

02:30Uh, does anyone have anything that

02:33they'd like to add to this today?

02:35Otherwise, I uh we could also uh

02:40uh move to review this um in detail at

02:43the next meeting once we've had a chance

02:44to review both sets of minutes. I would

02:47bow to review in the next meeting just

02:49because the whole committee hopefully

02:50will be there as well. Yes, we have a

02:52better picture of who

02:53>> I'll second that.

02:55>> Okay,

02:56>> perfect. Thank you. All right, moving on

03:00to the next item. Um, Shbury Cultural

03:03Council grant application update.

03:05[clears throat]

03:06Um, Louise, did you update? So, Sand and

03:11myself um applied for the grant today,

03:14earlier today with the help of Tanner.

03:16Um we applied for the maximum amount was

03:18$3,000. We submitted it for a

03:20spring/summer programming. Um so, we

03:23have like a wider time to use those

03:25funds.

03:26>> Um because we have about like $150 left

03:30for

03:32last year's I mean for this year, sorry.

03:35um but we're not able to use it because

03:38we the the program the summer's already

03:40over and we name it the summer

03:42programming.

03:43>> Um so they won't be able to um fund that

03:46part.

03:48>> Um

03:49so yeah, so we're just going to be

03:51waiting. Uh the website did say and

03:53talking to some members of the cultural

03:55council will know by January if we were

03:58granted the money or not.

04:02>> That's fantastic. Thank you. both for um

04:06doing that. Um so then in this instance

04:11uh basically we'll record the status and

04:15uh just make sure that we have followup

04:19in place cuz we're waiting for it to be

04:21approved.

04:21>> Correct.

04:22>> Okay. All right. Awesome.

04:26Okay. So moving on to the next item. Um

04:29we have chapters in common book club

04:31update. Um, for this one it'll be kind

04:36of like a shared update. Uh, I guess

04:38I'll start. Okay.

04:40>> Um, so we were considering

04:45um, women of of women and salt by

04:48Gabriella Garcia. That's the current

04:50selection for the month of October. Um,

04:53originally the plan was to gather on

04:55October 10th at the library. uh we were

04:58not able to get it into the newsletter

05:00um within the last few weeks. However,

05:03it was blasted on the website via a

05:06bulletin if I remember correctly. Um we

05:10also kind of played with what the

05:11marketing would look like just to try to

05:14draw in some more attention. We got some

05:16positive feedback. Um now when it came

05:20to actually having the book club, um I

05:24showed up and I know that it was

05:26cancelled. However, we still have to

05:28find out why

05:29>> the librarian cancelled because she knew

05:32I wasn't going to be there. She had

05:34heard from somebody else that they

05:35weren't going to be there.

05:37>> That makes sense.

05:38>> And she hadn't seen you, so she she

05:40cancelled it. Um I I did hear back from

05:43her.

05:44>> Okay.

05:44>> So, she apologized. She said she hadn't

05:47sent out the note

05:48>> to me or to Flo, I believe, who was also

05:52part of the book club. So,

05:54>> okay. So that's got straightened out and

05:57we will meet we will meet the um second

06:00Saturday in November at 1:30 in the

06:02library.

06:04>> Okay. Thank you for looking into that

06:06Martha.

06:06>> So that'll be the November 14th second

06:09Saturday. Correct.

06:10>> That's true.

06:11>> At 1:30.

06:12>> Yes.

06:13>> Yes.

06:16>> And we're usually in one of the upstairs

06:19um meeting rooms.

06:20>> Okay. And although we didn't get to talk

06:22about it, the assumption is we'll pick

06:23up right where we left off with that

06:25book.

06:26>> Same book.

06:26>> So in November, we'll consider Of Women

06:29and Salt by Gabriella Garcia and copies

06:32are still available at the library.

06:34>> Yes. And then we will decide on what the

06:36book will be for the next two months.

06:38>> Yes. Okay. Thank you, Martha. Um All

06:44right. So we will move on to the next

06:46item which is the Shrewsbury 300th

06:49anniversary participation update. Um and

06:54Martha I know at the workshop in

06:56September you had uh expressed uh plans

07:01to follow up on potential opportunities

07:04>> and I got a note back from them. We have

07:05a table.

07:07>> Um, and I got the the general invitation

07:10in my email. Saturday, December 12th,

07:136:30 to 9:30. So, I think we do have to

07:16confirm to them. But I think we need to

07:18decide what we are going to have on our

07:21table. Um,

07:24you know, I think we still have some

07:25rocks left to paint, don't we, Luis?

07:29>> Um, believe so. Yep. Um, but you know,

07:32if we still have anything left that we

07:34can do, there's not going to be a lot of

07:36room because it's going to be inside the

07:38SACE

07:39>> building.

07:41>> So, we can't we can't do Jenga or any of

07:44those other things. Okay.

07:46>> Um, the senior center, right?

07:48>> Oh, senior center. You said

07:51>> no, the SACE park.

07:53>> Oh, okay.

07:54>> Sorry, my voice is not great right now.

07:56>> Probably.

07:56>> It's the it's at the SACE park. So there

07:58is not there's not a lot of room.

08:00There's a lot of tables. So we we've got

08:02a table on the edge um where most of the

08:06tables will be, but we have to decide

08:09what we're going to have on the table

08:10and who's going to be there.

08:12>> So, you know, I I can certainly be

08:14there, but I think we need to have at

08:16least two people.

08:18>> Okay.

08:18>> Um

08:19>> do we know like what times?

08:21>> It's 6:30 to 9:30, so we should probably

08:24be there no later than 6 to get set up.

08:27And this is the kickoff event for the

08:28300th.

08:29>> This is the kickoff event for the 300th.

08:32Um it is free to attend but registration

08:35is required by November 30th. So if

08:38anybody else wants to come um you know

08:41should I I can respond and say our

08:44entire committee would like to be there

08:46because we're going to be at the table

08:47anyway.

08:49>> Um okay. Right. So what you mean by

08:51research is for like everyone for people

08:53to attend or for just for the the people

08:56who are tableabling the event?

08:58>> I don't know.

08:59>> Okay. [laughter]

09:00>> I'm just I'm just going to get all this

09:03understand.

09:04>> I think uh we have some questions we can

09:07ask just to kind of get some more

09:09[snorts]

09:10>> clarity on how to participate

09:12intentionally.

09:13>> Yeah, I will I will get more but I

09:14wanted to clarify with this committee.

09:17Um,

09:19and I will say, you know, all of our

09:20committee would like to be there to help

09:23promote this. Um,

09:27>> and again, we need, you know, if you can

09:29kind of take stock, Luis, I think you've

09:31got most of what what was left from

09:33Pride in the Park.

09:34>> Yeah, I we do have some stuff that we

09:36could definitely use.

09:37>> Yeah, because I I think we need to have

09:39something else on the table. And I'd

09:41like to be able to have some stuff from

09:43the veterans. You know, as John had

09:45brought up at the last meeting,

09:48>> I think it'd be a good idea to have some

09:49of the stuff from the veterans. I have

09:51not had a chance to reach out to um the

09:54disability committee in town yet. Um but

09:57I I will try to to do that this week.

10:01>> Oh, you mean something for the veterans

10:03like resources or

10:05>> resources, brochures,

10:07something? Um because one of the things

10:10we talked about at the last meeting was

10:12expanding

10:15>> beyond just racial or cultural or or

10:19religious divisions but say you know

10:23belonging that's that's kind of

10:25everybody.

10:26>> Yeah. Absolutely.

10:27>> Perfect.

10:28>> And I mean we are such a mishmash in

10:31this country. So many different

10:33cultures. It's incredible.

10:35>> Yeah. Um,

10:38>> do we have our own table or do they

10:39provide the table?

10:40>> No, we they

10:43>> we have I better check that. I don't

10:45know.

10:46>> Cuz we we have a um a tablecloth, right?

10:49Okay.

10:51>> So, then we need to take stock of what

10:53all we do have. Okay.

10:56>> Question. I like [laughter] Yeah. Okay.

10:59Might as well ask, do we get chairs,

11:00too? Do we have to bring our own chairs

11:02as we prepare?

11:02>> Those are great questions. [laughter]

11:04Um,

11:05>> the holiday event in town though was the

11:07Saturday before, right? I can't imagine

11:09the 300 kickoff would be the same as the

11:12U, right? Is that what they're calling

11:13it? The time market. It's got to be the

11:14Saturday before.

11:16>> Um, I don't remember.

11:18>> Let's simple Google search. Let's see.

11:20>> I know. I I meant to do a quick search.

11:22>> Yeah, this is December 12th,

11:24>> right? I know that's the second

11:25Saturday.

11:27>> I'm just saying I'd be surprised if they

11:29would organize something at the same

11:30time because it's such a big event

11:32downtown.

11:32>> Yeah. So apparently is the jewel tie

11:34event is December 5th.

11:36>> It is the 5th. Okay, good.

11:37>> 3 to 7:00 p.m.

11:38>> Okay.

11:39>> Oh, 3 to 7.

11:40>> Okay.

11:46>> Is that an event that we table at?

11:49>> No.

11:49>> Okay. All right. I think so. Where is

11:51that? Was it down?

11:52>> It's at the common.

11:53>> Yeah, the common. That's what I thought.

11:54Okay.

11:56>> It gets bigger and bigger every year.

11:57Last year they closed up a different

11:59part of the section.

12:00>> Mhm. And they had alcohol I believe like

12:03session for

12:04>> they'll have it again this year.

12:05>> I remember reading something about that.

12:07Yeah.

12:08>> And this is not organized by any m the

12:10town municipality itself like private

12:12citizens as well.

12:14>> Okay.

12:18>> Okay. Um, so I guess while we're

12:21checking to see what items we have

12:22available, then we'll come back to

12:25figure out what type of programming or

12:28thing we'll present at the event.

12:31>> Yeah, we can do that.

12:33>> I would I would think that we just we

12:36would come up with a plan of what we

12:37actually want to do

12:39>> and then go from there. And also

12:41obviously we have to take in in um

12:43inventory of what we have. Mhm.

12:45>> Uh but I don't anticipate of having like

12:47a lot of things for this event

12:49>> and there's lots of different tables.

12:51There is so many things going on with

12:53this committee you would not believe.

12:56>> So it's more going to be informational.

12:59That's why I say I think we need to have

13:01stuff that's going to be representative

13:02of as much as we can you know. So Safa

13:07if you can bring something from your

13:08community and we can get um Sanjay to

13:11bring something just so that we have

13:13this this wide array along with the

13:16veterans and

13:18>> and see what we go you know I would say

13:19get something from the senior center but

13:21I think they're probably going to have

13:22their own table. [laughter]

13:24>> I've never attended this event before.

13:26So what would you what would people

13:28bring? Like I'm thinking food but like

13:30I'm not sure what the

13:31>> the 300s. Yeah. We've never had it

13:35before. [laughter]

13:37>> It's brand new.

13:38>> Okay.

13:38>> It's brand new.

13:40>> Um, no. The 300th committee is

13:43[clears throat] doing all of that.

13:45>> All we have to do is be there to

13:47represent our committee.

13:49>> Oh, I see.

13:50>> That's it. There'll be I'm sure there'll

13:52be music and there'll be food and

13:54there'll be alcohol and, you know,

13:56there'll be all sorts of things.

14:00They have they have grants. They have

14:03funding. They have a lot more than what

14:06we have to work with.

14:10>> So, it's going to be it's and this is

14:12just the kickoff event. It's going to go

14:14all year long

14:16>> and there's also there's going to have a

14:18huge parade and they're trying to bring

14:20in the Shriners and I mean it's a big

14:22deal.

14:23>> Oh, I love that.

14:24>> It's a big deal. Yeah.

14:26>> Do you guys know what henna is?

14:28>> Yes. Yes.

14:29>> Okay. That's something that I'm thinking

14:31cuz that's within my culture. So, um I'm

14:34thinking like something very easy. Like

14:36I know like depending on who can come

14:38and [snorts] do henna it might be hard.

14:40I'm not that great at it, but like

14:41there's a thing called henna tattoos.

14:43It's like a regular tattoo, but it's

14:44like a henna design.

14:46>> We actually did that at one of the first

14:48Spirit of Shrewsbury parades.

14:50>> Oh, really?

14:50>> We did. Yeah.

14:51>> How How was the feedback like? What was

14:53it?

14:54>> Oh, people people loved it. Yeah,

14:56because because it's not permanent. It

14:58eventually washes off and it's

14:59beautiful.

15:00>> It is. Yes. Yeah,

15:01>> I've got good feedback from I'm like

15:03president of Muslim Student Association

15:04at my college. So like people loved it

15:06when I did the henna table. So I'm

15:08thinking maybe get similar feedback

15:10here. Okay, great. It's a good idea. Let

15:11me think about that.

15:13>> Okay,

15:13>> great. Okay,

15:16>> fantastic. So then let's see. Um

15:21so we have an idea of what we might do.

15:23>> Mhm.

15:24>> That would be great. And then we're

15:26going to check on check our stock of

15:29items, right? and revisit this and then

15:32you obviously will follow up with the

15:35questions we have

15:36>> and just because of the timing of it I

15:38don't expect to see any children there

15:40so I mean know the painting rocks I was

15:42thinking of because we had so many

15:44adults doing it

15:45>> oh yeah

15:46>> um so yeah

15:48>> okay

15:50all right so we'll make sure that we

15:52capture all this information and update

15:56you know accordingly since we need

15:58>> I will contact them

15:59Okay,

16:00>> thank you Martha.

16:02>> Okay, now moving on to item

16:05five, uh, new business. First item under

16:09is community partnerships and outreach.

16:13Um, during our workshop as well as the

16:17meeting, we had basically talked about

16:20different organizations that we could

16:22work with. um as well as more on which

16:27partnerships we might actually want to

16:29pursue in the coming year and what our

16:32ask is. Um and I guess while at the same

16:36time figuring out who would own what

16:38since we kind of talked about a lot, but

16:40I feel like this relates back to the

16:41minutes itself. So

16:44>> it would be a it would be beneficial for

16:47us to consider this during our next

16:49meeting. Just one one piece though, I

16:52did agree that I was going to reach out

16:54to the disability committee and I just

16:56needless to say I have not had a chance

16:58to do that because I only returned about

17:00a week ago. So,

17:02>> um I will be reaching out to them.

17:04>> Okay. Um and feel free to let me know if

17:08there's anything I can help with.

17:14>> Okay.

17:16All right. So that will be that'll carry

17:19over to our next um agenda. All right.

17:23Next item is future community

17:25programming and civic engagement. Again,

17:28this relates back to the workshop as

17:31well as the meeting last month. So we'll

17:34>> though I do think there's one point we

17:35need to bring up.

17:36>> Absolutely. and that is um Julie at the

17:40library has reached out to us um to work

17:44together with us for Black History

17:46Month.

17:46>> Yes. Sorry, that will be there is an um

17:50an email data to we can discuss that

17:52later on.

17:53>> Okay.

17:53>> But yes.

17:55>> Yeah. Um All right. That's actually

17:58next. So

17:59>> Oh, okay.

18:00>> But before that, I have something.

18:01>> Yeah. Um so I was thinking when I was

18:03developing the guidelines for um the I

18:06would cigarette contest

18:08>> I was looking around and other towns

18:11obviously have this and municipalities

18:14>> and they partner up with the schools

18:16which which we are going to

18:19>> um and Tanner myself

18:24sorry Tanner Sanjay and myself um have a

18:26meeting already before our November

18:29meeting to discuss like um sort of of

18:32that. And what I'm trying to say is that

18:35with within the contest, I was thinking

18:37that we could reach out to the select

18:39board and the schools and maybe we can

18:42set up like a day where the select board

18:43goes to the schools um starting like a

18:46middle school and um high school. um not

18:50only to promote the I voted sticker like

18:52um contest but also to engage with um

18:55the schools and you know anyone who's

18:57there might want to ask them questions

18:59of how you know the town is run or what

19:02what do they do and all that stuff that

19:03way we can you know have that civic part

19:07>> with the contest

19:08>> are we are we planning on doing that for

19:10this coming election in November? Yeah,

19:13but the I voted sticker will be before

19:15the local May election.

19:16>> Okay. Local May election.

19:18>> So I was thinking that the contest could

19:20start, you know, as soon as November and

19:22end sometime before February. Um and

19:26then by March, sorry, by May, we will

19:29have those stickers. I don't know how

19:31that how would that look. I'm not sure

19:32if like the town will um pay for those

19:36stickers or anything like that. That's

19:37why I would have to talk to town

19:39>> because they do I voted stickers. So,

19:41somebody is providing those. I just

19:43don't know who.

19:44>> So, I will once I have more answers, I

19:47will bring them back into our next month

19:50meeting.

19:51>> Okay, that sounds good. Thank you for um

19:54thank you both you and Sanjay and Tanner

19:58for your help with uh getting that

20:00coordinated and coming up with um I

20:03think that's a great idea to help boost

20:05engagement since that's

20:07>> also a key part of our charge. So

20:09especially doing it in the schools you

20:12know once we have the uh appropriate

20:15clearances then I think it'd be very

20:18beneficial.

20:20>> Okay. All right. So

20:24uh now we're moving on to

20:27uh the next item which is

20:31next month's agenda. think we have a

20:34pretty good idea of some items

20:37priorities that will carry over. Um

20:42so let's see

20:45we have the minutes uh the ownership of

20:49uh ownership and updates for the uh

20:52chapters in common 300th partnerships

20:57uh volunteer

20:59let's see quite a few items um so uh we

21:05will be sure to include those on the

21:07next agenda

21:09All right. Now, moving on to the next

21:11item, we have correspondence.

21:14Um, so we'll be reviewing and act on the

21:17following, which the first is from Julie

21:21Cellularo, um, regarding Black History

21:24Month at the library. Um,

21:28the email is dated September 24th, 2026.

21:32And in this instance, do we need to read

21:35the email?

21:36>> Okay. Um basically uh the goal would be

21:41to decide whether we want to explore the

21:44collaborations

21:46uh without overcommitting or

21:48>> you know having a clear idea of what

21:51we're going to do and who owns what and

21:54so on and so forth. So any updates you

21:56have Martha?

21:58>> Um I I I did print out some of

22:01[clears throat] the materials that she

22:03attached to that note. Um,

22:07and the African-American newspapers is

22:10something from the American Antiquarian

22:12Society. They actually have some um,

22:14which might be something to pursue. And

22:18uh, the 2027 Black History theme is uh,

22:22from black print culture to digital

22:25blackness, a century of black history

22:27com um, commemoration. So, um, we've got

22:32a whole print out here from from what

22:35she had said, but it was looking at

22:40that that print media has been a major

22:43source of information in black

22:45communities in this country forever and

22:49how important that has been. Um and she

22:53and when she mentioned the American anti

22:54antiquarian society that they do have

22:56these newspapers. Um it might be it

23:00might be something that we can research

23:02and look at um

23:06>> and work work with the library staff on

23:08putting something like that together. Um

23:11but I like the fact that they were

23:13reaching out to us and saying can you

23:15help us with this?

23:16>> Yes. And

23:18>> just in time for them to plan their

23:19programming too. So it gives us so we

23:23basically would need to find out um

23:28how much time we have right um since we

23:31will rely up this February if I'm

23:34remembering correctly.

23:36>> Um so it's a matter of checking with

23:38Julie I think and finding out

23:41>> um

23:44how much of this is the library going to

23:46do and how much of it would they like us

23:48to do.

23:51To my understanding, it's like they're

23:54trying to have their programming all set

23:56and they're asking for us to have an

24:00event or something like that in

24:02February.

24:03>> Okay.

24:03>> Okay.

24:04>> So, it would be us and then they

24:06[clears throat] would just, you know,

24:08support us however they can.

24:10>> Okay.

24:10>> Okay.

24:12It's definitely um worthwhile cuz having

24:16their help is going to make it uh

24:20>> much easier.

24:22>> Yeah.

24:22>> Y

24:23>> Okay.

24:24>> So, who is going to follow up on that?

24:26>> Um I'm happy to follow up with Julie

24:28about that. Um

24:31>> even though I know that we were both on

24:33the email, so we can definitely

24:35communicate and

24:37>> continue to have enough on my plate

24:38right now. Thank you. [laughter]

24:41>> Okay.

24:43Um, so we'll make sure the minutes

24:45reflect uh the direction that we're

24:47going to take with that one. And as I

24:49said, I'll reach out and coordinate the

24:52followup.

24:54All right. Next up, next item. We have

24:56email dated September 28th, 2026 from uh

25:01Aliyia group uh regarding a research

25:03study opportunity.

25:06Um

25:08let's see. So the request invites us to

25:12uh invites our members to a voluntary

25:15individual 30 to 45 minute survey uh

25:18well interviews about municipal DEI

25:22committee work. Um my assumption is we'd

25:25have to follow up with

25:28>> them.

25:29>> Yeah. Okay. Um

25:32so my first question is whether it's

25:34simply a invitation for members as

25:37individuals or whether it's something

25:41like if it's a researcher seeking to

25:42partner with uh the town.

25:45>> So we have to get permission to do that.

25:48>> Yeah. So we would have to from our

25:51understanding from the email is that

25:53they're looking like our individual

25:55opinions for the survey.

25:58um we can talk about that as our own

26:01private person. We don't have to request

26:03if we're meeting as a group then we

26:05would have to request information.

26:06>> Okay.

26:07>> Okay, that makes sense.

26:08>> And who is the group again?

26:10>> Uh Aliia group. It's A L L I E A. And

26:15then the second word is group but with

26:17two P's.

26:18>> Okay.

26:20>> Okay.

26:22>> I never heard of them. I just I'm

26:23guessing that's an acronym. Okay.

26:25>> Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

26:28So, um, all right. [snorts] Well, then

26:31since, uh, we can pretty much follow up

26:34with that or review the email further

26:37and decide to follow up on that

26:39individually,

26:40um, we'll basically reflect how we're

26:44handling this in the minutes. And, um,

26:48all right. So, that brings us to item

26:51eight, which is adjournment. Um, is

26:54there a motion to adjurnn?

26:57>> Um, I request a motion to adjourn the

27:00meeting at 7:04.

27:02>> Second that motion.

27:05>> All in favor say I. I.

27:09>> Meeting adjourned at 7:04 p.m. Okay.