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About Melrose
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City of
Melrose |
| Human
Rights Commission |
Suzy Q Groden,
Chair
(781) 979-4140
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| The Melrose Human Rights
Commission was established in the early 1990s by the Office of the Mayor
to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes among Melrose citizens
that may involve an element of racial, religious, or ethnic prejudice,
and to develop programs for promoting a spirit of diversity and respect
for others regardless of their differences. The Commission exists to
serve the citizens of Melrose and strongly encourages the participation
of the city’s residents in programs supporting the Commission’s
basic goals. |
Events, Projects
and News
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Featured Monthly Columns in the Melrose Free Press
please click on the links below |
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The
Melting Pot, by Mary Edwards, posted 01/06/10
Let's
Talk, Melrose, by Bonnie Cronin, posted 02/04/10
Coming
to Melrose: two residents’ perspectives, by Suzy Q Groden, posted
03/04/10
Making
a life in Melrose, but missing home in Macau, by Suzy Q Groden, posted
04/02/10
Reflections
on a hiring organization that served all, by Alicia McNeil Clark,
posted 05/05/10
'No
Place for Hate': building communities, by Mark A. Golub, posted
06/03/10
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English Conversation Groups and Tutorials
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An informal group of men and women who seek to strengthen their English
conversation skills meets at the Melrose Public Library on Mondays at
10:30 AM. Newcomers are welcome. If you wish to join the group, go to the
second floor Trustees' Room in the library at the time the group meets.
The final gathering of the Saturday morning group is June 19th, 2010. It
will not meet during the summer, as the library is closed on weekends in
July and August.
If you are looking for tutorial help with English, e-mail suzygroden@comcast.net
New tutorials are being set up as requests come in.
A training course for English conversation tutors was
given at the Immigrant Learning Center of Malden (442 Main St.) on March
6th and March 13th, 2010. In addition to these two Saturday workshops at
the ILC, a workshop for tutors was offered on Sunday, April 11th, at the
Melrose Public Library by the Human Rights Commission. New volunteers
received teaching materials and discussed strategies with veteran tutors. To
get more information about conversation groups, tutorials, and
volunteering, e-mail suzygroden@comcast.net or
call the Melrose Human Rights Commission at 781-979-4140.
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Join Us Every Month
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Second
Tuesday --
Members
of the Melrose community are invited to join the Human Rights Commission
at its regular meetings on the second Tuesday of the month. Time: 7:30
p.m. Place: Mayor's Conference Room, City Hall, 2nd Floor. Please note:
the Commission will not be meeting in July and August, 2010. The
next regular meeting will be on September 14, 2010.
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Memorial Day Parade
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The Human Rights Commission was among the many city agencies and groups
that marched in the May 30th Memorial Day parade to show support for our
armed forces, past, present, and future.
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Collaboration with Melrose High School
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The MHRC is working to develop a collaboration with Melrose High School
that will entail the creation of a Melrose High School Auxiliary Human
Rights Club. This club, once established, will work with members of the
Commission to raise awareness about human rights issues and foster greater
equity and justice where it is found to be needed.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
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Together with the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church and other
groups in the city, the MHRC will be part of a new, city-wide Martin
Luther King Day of Service enterprise. It will begin this spring and
culminate on Dr. King's birthday, next January.
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Volunteer Opportunity
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The Melrose Human Rights Commission is looking for volunteers who are
willing to participate in our English conversation program, either by
facilitating a small group or by tutoring one or more individuals. If you
are interested in volunteering, please call 781-979-4140 or e-mail suzygroden@comcast.net.
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| Mediation
and Conflict Resolution |
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The primary role of the Melrose Human Rights Commission is to carry out the Commission's authority
to investigate complaints of unlawful discrimination or harassment made by
Melrose citizens. The committee is available to process complaints,
investigate the merits of such complaints, and whenever possible, attempt
to resolve those complaints through mediation.
The Commission has a contract with the Massachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination that empowers it to perform the initial reception and investigation of claims
arising under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B involving Melrose
residents, employers, or property owners. At the conclusion of any such
investigation, the Commission makes a recommendation to MCAD as to whether
probable cause exists to support a charge of discrimination. The
Commission is also available to assist the parties to any such dispute in voluntarily
resolving their claims.
The Commission works to provide informal mediation to resolve neighborhood
disputes involving Melrose residents. For example, the Commission
has assisted residents in resolving neighborhood disputes concerning noise
and parking issues. The Commission is also the designated mediator
for disputes arising under the City of Melrose's Americans with Disability
Act Grievance Program.
In addition, and beyond the level of mediation, the Commission responds to reported hate incidents or hate
crimes occurring in Melrose. The Commission is available to assist victims
of hate incidents or hate crimes in reporting such events to the Melrose
Police Department's Civil Rights Officer. Under Massachusetts law, even
non-criminal "hate incidents" are recorded for statistical
purposes.
Through the Human
Rights Commission, Melrose has been a participating community in the No
Place For Hate program since the winter of 2001.
No Place For Hate is an off-shoot of the Anti-Defamation League
that promotes understanding and respect for individual and group
differences, encourages residents and officials to speak out against
intolerance, and supports
enterprises that raise awareness and foster inter-group respect in
communities across the nation.
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| Education
and Community Outreach |
The Melrose Human Rights Commission's work in education and community
outreach undertakes to create or support programs that are designed to
promote the ideas of respect and diversity within the community.
Commission members and volunteers sponsor or participate in regularly
scheduled annual events and work to develop new educational programs and
events.
The Commission works with the Melrose Clergy Association and the League of
Women Voters to sponsor and organize the annual Martin Luther King Day
Potluck Dinner. Initiated in 1993, this event has been a well-attended
gathering of Melrose citizens who join to commemorate the legacy of the
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and to reaffirm their dedication to the
cause of civil rights. The event is highlighted by story telling and
singing, as well as lots of good food.
The Commission has a booth at the annual Victorian Fair in September,
participates in the annual fall march of The Melrose Alliance Against
Violence, and, with the Mayor's Office, hosts an International Welcome
Reception for immigrant families and their neighbors every November at the
Lincoln Elementary School.
The Commission organized a city-wide conversation in 2008, entitled
"Let's Talk, Melrose," to explore ways to make Melrose a more
welcoming community for newcomers to the area and country. This gathering
gave rise to a number of new enterprises, including the development of a
global education program and certificate at the high school (GEM), a
monthly column in the Melrose Free
Press, English conversation groups and tutorials for non-native
speakers, and a summer Celebrate Melrose picnic. All of these activities
have been aimed at promoting respect and comfort with the increasing
diversity of our schools and city.
The Commission is constantly in search of new ideas to fulfill its mission
in the areas of education and community outreach, and welcomes the
participation of volunteers from the community. If you wish to contribute,
contact us at 781-979-4140.
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| Fair
Housing |
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The City of Melrose prides itself on its motto: "Melrose: one
community open to all," but presently there is not a sufficient
diversity of housing options. As a result, the motto represents an
unfulfilled promise: Melrose is not yet a community that fully supports
racial, ethnic, or economic diversity. The goal of the Melrose Human Rights
Commission is to educate our community about
the benefits of fair housing as well as the benefits of affordable
housing.
With respect to fair housing, the Commission has four basic goals:
- Increase the representation of minorities in the community by
providing equal access to public and private housing.
- Educate city officials, bankers, real estate professionals, and the
general public about fair housing and discrimination problems.
- Create and participate in regional networks for promoting fair
housing.
- Encourage more opportunities for affordable, accessible housing
To achieve these ends, the Commission works to ensure that
there is a consistent and ongoing implementation of the Fair Housing Laws.
We hope to encourage a greater diversity of housing options and fair/equal
housing opportunities in Melrose. The Human Rights Commission wants to engage in a proactive stance to make Melrose more
diverse and more open to those who are currently residing here, and be of
service to those who would like to reside in Melrose.
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| Commissioners |
| Get to know the people currently serving on the Commission. |
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| Suzy Q Groden, Chair is a retired educator. She
was an administrator, program developer, and faculty member in the
Graduate College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences at the
University of Massachusetts Boston, 1976 - 2001. After retiring from UMass
Boston, she taught Latin and English at Melrose High School until 2006.
Her published works include translations from the ancient Greek (The Poems
of Sappho and Plato's Symposium), and a co-authored book on the teaching
of writing (The Discovery of Competence). She did translation, research,
and manuscript editing on three volumes of The Miscellaneous Journals and
Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Dr. Groden served on the Melrose School
Committee 1996 - 1998, and joined the Melrose Human Rights Commission in
order to be part of a local group that works to insure justice and dignity
for all Melrose citizens. |
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| Maureen Buzby grew up in Vermont but has
lived all her adult life in the Boston area, the past 30 years in Melrose.
A member of the Planning Committee of the Melrose Substance Abuse
Prevention Coalition, a mentor in the Melrose CARES Middle School Mentor
Program, and a member of The League of Women Voters as well as the Melrose
City Democratic City Committee, Maureen believes strongly that committed,
active residents create a safe and vibrant community. Her goal as a
Commissioner is to help with those activities that ensure understanding of
differences and inclusion of all citizens. |
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| Robert Paul Chase grew up in Melrose and was
involved with the Melrose Human Rights commission in high school. Rob
moved away for college, internships and graduate school. He has lived in
Amherst, Hartford, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Rob returned to Melrose in 2008
to pursue work and graduate school. Robert believes that every community
must be safe and open to be healthy. Rob supports the HRC because its
programming creates a sense of openness and inclusion among the people of
Melrose. |
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| Alicia McNeil Clark is
an attorney, concentrating in criminal defense and civil litigation, with
extensive experience in real estate, employment, family, and civil rights
law. She is also a trained mediator, and has served as a board member for
the Massachusetts Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division, is a member
of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, and has participated as a panelist
for various legal programs. Prior to studying law, Ms. McNeil Clark served
as a senior partner of a recruitment firm that placed people of color in
managerial positions of major Boston firms. She has volunteered for the
Big Sister’s Association, and in various legal clinics throughout the
Boston area. She is an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College
and Eastern Nazarene College, and is delighted to serve as a Commissioner
of the Melrose Human Rights Commission. |
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| John DaRos is
currently a Global/Major Accounts Relationship Manager for Dun &
Bradstreet Corporation in their Waltham office. He is responsible
for account management for a select group of D&B financial services
and manufacturing clients with headquarters in MA and CT. During his
20-year career, John has also worked in and with colleges and
universities, municipalities, and corporations on culture change,
diversity awareness and training, and efforts designed to achieve
"employer/town/school of choice" status - a focus he brings
to his work on the Commission. Born in Worcester and
raised in Maine, John has lived in many parts of the country - New
England, South, Midwest, West Coast - and is active in several social
justice organizations. |
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| Spencer Deshields is currently the Executive
Director for the Mattapan Community Development Corporation in Boston MA.
He is responsible for the economic and social enhancement of the Mattapan
community. During his career he has volunteered support to non-profit
organizations utilizing the expertise from his experiences with Texas
instruments, Digital Equipment and Compaq-HP. His experience has been
associated with major non-profit community organizations, college
preparatory institutions and major universities. He has successfully
developed capital campaigns, fundraising strategies business and economic
development initiatives. Education: Boston College & Babson BS-MBA. |
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| Nyal Fuentes is an Educational Specialist at
the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the
Office of Secondary School Support. Nyal has experience in a variety
of programs for youth including director of the AHORA program of Concilio
Hispano in Cambridge and as a youth worker for Cambridge Community
Services. He was a student teacher in Boston Public Schools, worked at
Jeremiah Burke High School, and is certified to teach on a high school
level. He also has experience as a trainer, including diversity training
for Springfield police and other trainings in diversity, cultural
competence, and sexual harassment interventions at the University of
Massachusetts. |
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| Gayle Peterson is a life-long resident of Melrose. She has co-chaired the Ethics
Committee at Massachusetts General Hospital for the last six years. She is
an oncology nurse who has run a nationally recognized, unit-based ethics
program focusing on nurses’ moral distresses. Some other programs on
which Gayle Peterson has worked include
efforts to insure patients’ rights: to pain medicine, to die with
dignity, and to know that hospital personnel will follow the patient's
wishes to the letter. She is the recent past president of the state
chapter of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses, and in that
capacity served on the legislative committee. She was a board member of
the Massachusetts Pain Initiative. She has been a member of the
Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses Health Policy Committee,
representing Massachusetts in Washington, D.C. in the ANA's House of Delegates. The MARN Health Policy Committee
works to insure justice for the vulnerable, and it is this same concern
for the rights of all people, especially those who are vulnerable on
account of illness, disability, any form of minority status, age, or youth
that guides Gayle Peterson’s membership on
the Melrose Human Rights Commission. |
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| Sally Stubbs, Treasurer has been a resident
of Melrose since 1986. She is a Vice President of Risk Management
and Compliance at State Street Bank & Trust. In addition to her
participation in the Human Rights Commission, Sally is a long-time member
of the Melrose League of Women Voters and the Melrose Recycling Committee.
She has served in a number of PTO capacities over the years and continues
to be a community representative to the Melrose High School Site Council. Sally strongly believes in the mission and programs of the HRC and is
honored to serve the community of as a member. |
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Beth Horne, MHRC Clergy Liaison is currently the pastor of
the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church. Beth helped to form the
Newburyport City Commission for Diversity and Tolerance and was
instrumental in that city's designation as a No Place for Hate community.
She helped to create a community communications plan which brought
together the schools, police and city hall to address incidents of hate.
She believes that to be a community that welcomes all takes the active
engagement of each citizen. She is delighted to be a part of the MHRC's
efforts to insure that rights are upheld for all citizens and visitors to
Melrose and that all feel a sense of welcome. |
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History
Established in 1992 by Mayor Richard Lyons and the Board of Aldermen,
the Commission addresses issues of human and civil rights, with the
goals of reinforcing a positive atmosphere in the community, of
preventing problems before they arise, and of resolving them if they do.
Work is accomplished through three committees: Education and Community
Outreach, Fair Housing, and Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Meetings
are held bi-monthly, with a public forum period during the first 1/2
hour.
On October 9,1989, a Melrose family woke to find racial slurs painted
on a wall in the front of their home. Reacting with a mixture of horror
and shame, the mother ran out with a pail of water and cleaner and began
scrubbing the graffiti off. The incident might have gone unnoticed
except for the actions of Charlie Harak, a member of the Melrose Fair
Housing Advisory Committee, who was driving to work after dropping his
son off at day care. Charlie pulled over, got out of his car, and
offered help and support. He knew that it was important to notify the
police so that photos could be taken before the graffiti was scrubbed
off. The defacing of property with racial slurs is a civil rights
violation and punishable under the law. In order to prosecute, the
police must have evidence, which a photo would provide.
Community leaders were outraged and resolved to do something about
the negative image that the graffiti represented. A letter to the editor
of the Melrose Free Press, signed by members of the Melrose Clergy
Association and printed in the October 19 issue, asked "every
member of this community to speak out against any racist incidents, no
matter how minor they may at first seem, so that the seed of racism will
not be allowed to grow." People responded to this call to action by
forming the Melrose Human Rights Coalition.
Formed under the guidance of Sherrie Saint-Amant, Chair, Melrose Fair
Housing Advisory Committee, Erskine White, Minister, First
Congregational Church, and Michael Marcus, President, Temple Beth
Shalom, the Coalition first met in December, 1989. Representatives from
many houses of worship, the Melrose Public Schools, the League of Women
Voters, the Chamber of Commerce, the Melrose Arts Council, the Melrose
Police Department, and many social service organizations met regularly
at the First Congregational Church. Founding members included: Linda
Benezra, David Driscoll, Joan Driscoll, Maureen Elia, Jean Gorman,
Christine Goulding, Charlie Harak, Maureen Hickey, Nancy Kukura, Paul
Lassiter, Jane Lavender, Lisa Metz, Dan O'Neill, Phil Pendleton, Fred
Rosseland, Edith Smolens, Amy Spollett, Marilyn Weddleton, Joan Wilcox,
and Ed Wright. Middlesex District Attorney Scott Harshbarger designated
Steve Limon, an assistant district attorney, to be liaison to the
Coalition.
The Melrose Human Rights Coalition, over a period of 2 years, studied
the responses of other municipalities to civil rights violations. During
this period, the Melrose Police Department, under the guidance of newly
designated Civil Rights Officer, Sgt. Dan O'Neill, adopted a protocol
for responding to civil rights violations. To complement this, a
"call list" was established to insure that appropriate
community members would be notified should another incident occur. Dr.
David Driscoll, Superintendent of Schools, designated Human Rights
Coordinators at each level of the school system. The first coordinators
were Freeman Frank, High School, Joan Driscoll, Middle School, and Edith
Smolens, elementary schools. The Coalition formed an Education Committee
to assist the new Coordinators in gathering and disseminating
information on multicultural and anti-racism programs and materials.
During this period, Maureen Elia and Christine Goulding studied local
human rights organizations in several Massachusetts communities. Early
in 1991, they recommended that work start on the creation of a local
governmental commission. Coalition members agreed that a commission
would be the most effective way to insure a systemic response to civil
rights incidents, as well as providing a local resource for educational
initiatives.
Alderman John Dunne worked with Maureen Elia, Christine Goulding, and
Sherrie Saint-Amant to draft the language of a proposed ordinance. On
September 16, 1991, the Board of Aldermen, under the leadership of
President Donald Conn, voted to amend Revised Ordinances, Chapter 2, by
adding a new Article XIX "Human Rights Commission". Mayor
James Milano signed the order, deferring to the new soon-to-be-elected
mayor for the appointment of the first Commissioners.
Mayor Richard Lyons appointed the following Commissioners in April,
1992: Peg Botte, Judy Clark, Maurice Donovan, Joe Flatley, Ed McNeely,
Thomas Rice, Sherrie Saint-Amant, Edith Smolens, and Robert Wallace. A
highlight of the first year was an evening of focus group discussions
with 52 Melrose residents representative of a range of ages, religions,
races, ethnicity, family status, and level of participation in community
activities. Participants were asked:
- What do you like about Melrose, that you don't want to see change?
- How does intolerance or prejudice manifest itself in Melrose?
- What should be done to build tolerance?
- What can you individually do to build tolerance?
Results of the discussions were published and are available through
the Commission.
Early in 1993, Lisa Bartolet, a community member of the Education and
Community Outreach Committee, created an information flyer for the
Commission. In addition, David Simko, of the same committee, produced a
bumper sticker using the Commission slogan "Melrose: One Community
Open to All". A banner with this slogan was also purchased. It is
posted in the Mayor's Conference Room in City Hall and is available for
use at community functions. The spring and summer of 1993 was a
troublesome time, however, with 8 hate incidents, including distribution
of hate literature. In response, Mayor Lyons called together a group of
community leaders to discuss a response beyond the initial institutional
protocol. A task force, chaired by Andrea Taffe and Lisa Bartolet,
presented the Mayor with a report on November 1, calling for a
"1994 Free Our Minds" Campaign. Activities included
distribution of "Free Our Minds" buttons, a "Culture
Walk" at Melrose High School, a community workshop sponsored by the
First Baptist Church, a public forum featuring Philip and Rosanne
Perlmutter, a series of 60 second public service announcements for local
cable access TV, a human rights declaration signed by over 1000 Melrose
residents and published in the Melrose Free Press, and a human rights
candlelight walk to open the Home for the Holidays weekend in December.
Reported hate incidents declined in 1995, 1996, and 1997, as the
Commission continued its community outreach and mediation work. Yearly
events now include the Home for the Holidays candlelight walk and the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Potluck Dinner. Through the work of the Fair
Housing Committee, the Commission took a position in support of
affordable housing in Melrose. The Education Committee has developed a
partnership with the Melrose METCO Parents' Organization to promote
better understanding between Boston and Melrose families. The Commission
has also contracted with the Massachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination (MCAD) to do intake and investigative work on complaints
filed by Melrose residents or against businesses operating in Melrose.
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