By Terence Lindgren

Acton Forum  Introduction

By Charlie Kadlec

This Article is a copy of a letter written to the Acton Select Board by Terry Lindgren, a long-time Acton resident.

Copies of email messages exchanged by Terry and Select Board Chair David Martin are at the end of this Article.

Acton Forum will publish any substantive answers by the Select Board to Terry’s questions.

Terry’s introduction

As a very reluctant emailer to the Select Board, I think it important to explain why I sent an email and why it is important to me. While I support most, if not all of the efforts to provide reparations and remediation for the past and present discriminatory and oppressive practices in the USA, I cannot abide a lack of transparency and classic steamrolling in local and national politics. I have had already too much of that. Our democracy depends as much on how things are done as much as what is done. That is my issue here.

Over the last decade, I have seen bullying go from an individual sport to a team one. Increasingly, the clamoring for specific actions  accompanied by a disregard for basic rules of civic engagement is fraying the fabric that holds us together. I find myself reacting rather than anticipating in a world that does not care about the lessons of the past. Today, there are only warriors in an ideological struggle. These maladies are not restricted to one set of beliefs, or one party but seem to be appearing everywhere; especially in the last 5 years.

My generation spent decades fighting to firmly place transparency and process as the foundation of liberal democracy. Now in a poof of streaming smoke and mirrors, this foundation is perilously teetering toward rotting away.

We have moved from stating what the goals are to stating how they must be achieved; never, however, with sufficient specificity to really understand the implications of what is being proposed, but enough for people disposed towards kindness and fairness to vote in Town Meeting to fund proposal before the report justifying them was completed.

Or was it completed? Already at the June 2021st the DEIC’s initial charge to report on the state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Acton was nowhere to be found. Should I now conclude that the decision not to report on the state of Diversity,  Equity, and Inclusion in Acton had already been made. The basic reason for the recommendations was absent then and has not since appeared. Yet it seems to be understood by so many.

This fall, the Select Board claimed that white people are not able to recognize discrimination, let alone understand a solution, or be trusted to implement a solution.

Balderdash! 

I don’t think the inability of most white people in America to authentically comprehend – by any means – how it feels to be non-white and oppressed says anything like that. Nor does the observation that many white people in America are unaware of the unintended hurtfulness caused by many of their words and actions or are unaware of the living legacy of past terrible policies.  

The sort of deficit thinking that morphs those two important observations into assertions that some racial groups are incapable of recognizing concrete acts of discrimination and creating remedies goes hand and hand with the crafting of judgments about underlying hateful animus solely from the data of represented proportion alone. If there are fewer people of X on town boards than there are in the town’s population, then mischief must be afoot.

That is unfair.

As unfair as would suggesting the chair of the Select Board is homophobic because the chair declares white people to be unable to understand discrimination while creating a DEIC that does not include in its charter or in its composition anyone from or any reference to the diverse LGBQTIA+ community. 

That would be unfair.

 I wish someone on the Select Board cared to seriously answer my simple questions. Primary of which is “ Where is the assessment of the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in Acton?” I wish the members of the Select Board still felt obliged to answer legitimate questions from the residents of Acton. The cause of improving our society is not aided by imperious representatives who consider themselves above simple democratic decency.

Rather it appears the Select Board thinks that it ought to bull its way through the china shop of our democracy. The email sent to me by the chair of the Select Board is below. He answers that 2 of the recommendations by the DEIC (Acton’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission) are being done and when more of them are being done then the answers will become available. This is truly a “through the looking glass” response to a query that asks why the promised reasons Acton requires these measures are missing.

During the year, I read the statements of DEIC member Simon Li who asked serious questions on fair processes and wondered how his being bullied was possible.  I read DEIC accusations declaring Acton racist and wondered why no one stood up and said: Wait. Stop.

I didn’t say anything.

Personally,  I think the Town Manager has repeatedly demonstrated great expertise and inspired confidence in his ability to perform, yet the Select Board speed skates its way to spending a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year on a Diversity Officer who will have control over the procurement process and hiring because they are in effect asserting that the Select Board and the Town Manager are incapable of recognizing and addressing a problem they have yet to state, but may state after the DO is hired.

While watching a SELECT BOARD meeting I heard two residents make a case that, at the very least, there are serious substandard conditions in some of Acton’s affordable housing. I wonder if a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year might be well spent improving the lot of affordable housing residents. I think it would. Moreover, fixing this is something that the Select Board, and not a crowdfunding effort, no matter how well-intentioned, ought to be doing.

A dangerous blurring of our democratic vision is happening right before our eyes.

It is up to our representatives to do what they said they would do and tell us the results of their investigations. It s not sufficient for anyone to just say “I know what is gong on”. Let the commission tell us what they discovered as well as how they discovered it. That was the charge it was given.

Liberal democracy demands both clear understanding and conscious assent if it is to survive into the next decade and beyond.

 Terry’s letter to the Select Board

 Several essential questions for the Select Board

As a resident and liberal Democrat, I am alarmed by what I see as a trend in our town government away from core democratic principles of equality, fair process, and transparency and towards an irresponsible illiberalism. The example that has brought this to prominence is the DEIC and its report. My concerns with the report and both antecedent and subsequent activities do not lie in the earnest work and good efforts of the core members of the DEIC. They lie squarely on the process and the leadership of the Select Board that let the DEIC move away from its assigned mission, and in that drifting disturb the social contract residents had with those who represent them. 

Important core traditions were abandoned; traditions that have helped make Acton and Massachusetts the laboratories of democracy and freedom.

It is a privilege to live in Acton.  Most people living here agree, but in today’s world, there is disagreement over what privilege means. 

Most who live here gladly support the town’s activities with taxes, and everyone contributes to Acton’s spirit. These are integral parts of the social contract between residents and their government and town offices. For decades this contract was clear. Residents had both operational and philosophical expectations about how the town would act. This contract brought us together with a sense of order and confidence that the Town is on the right track. 

Today our social fabric is being torn. A Commission born in a noble response to important core issues in our country is in danger of acting outside its definition as well as of not fulfilling its charge. 

I hope the Select Board will clarify matters.  I ask that the Select Board address the following questions :

1. The DEIC was explicitly charged with assessing the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Acton.  

What did the Commission find the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Acton to be, and what evidence did the DEIC use to support its conclusion? 

Specifically, does Acton have a problem with white supremacy? 

Is Acton systemically racist? If so, how is it so?

• Is the Select Board still capable of providing clear context and guidance to the Town Manager regarding hiring and making contracts? Is the Town Manager capable of taking direction from the Select Board regarding hiring and making contracts and executing the Town Manager responsibilities appropriately and fairly, following the direction given by the Select Board? 

• Is the current procurement process broken? If it is, how is it broken? 
•  Has the Board identified a replacement for the principle of equal treatment in hiring and procurement that will guide the Town, or is the principle of equal treatment still fundamental for our actions as a Town? 

If there is a change, what exactly is the new principle? Many residents long advocated for the supremacy of the principles of equal treatment and open bidding. Please explain the reasoning behind any change.

These questions arise out of the novel behavior of a committee created by the Select Board.

A year ago, the  Select Board created the  Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Commission( DEIC) and gave it a precise charge and identity. 

So far, the DEIC has not delivered upon its charge. Moreover, it has acted outside its charter and now appears to be advocating the jettisoning of the core ethical and legal principle of equal treatment.

The charge by the Select Board to the DEIC was :

“The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Commission is charged with assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Acton, and suggesting ways to improve any problems found. The DEIC shall consist of between nine and eleven members, plus up to two associate members.

• At least 70% of members must be Black or immigrant residents.
• One or more members should be a current student at ABRHS at the time that they become a member.  
• The Commission will be chaired by a member of the Board of Selectmen with a vicechair elected by the Commission.

The Commission’s tasks were targeted at increasing communication with under-represented racial, ethnic, and religious groups.

• Facilitate discussion among town residents about issues of diversity and equity.
• Gather first-hand experiences in Acton from under-represented racial, ethnic, and religious groups.
• Hear from groups operating in town that are targeted at related issues.
• Hear from town departments that work directly with the public.
• Brainstorm possible actions that can be taken to address any problems found.
• Produce a report for the Board of Selectmen documenting the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in town, and make appropriate recommendations to address any problems found.

Finally, 

• The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Commission shall file its report with the Board of Selectmen within a year of its first meeting. The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Commission shall sunset one meeting after the Board of Selectmen accepts the report.”

Now, as we are acutely aware, people have often acted without understanding the unintended negative consequences their actions might have on others.  I am certain Acton rejects the idea of hurting people. However, a new awareness, no matter how poignant, demands reflection. It does not necessarily require novel processes.  

One shared expectation has been how committees formed by the Select Board were understood. Committees would, from time to time, be created to pursue very specific tasks and report back to the Select Board. The Board, after reviewing the conclusions of the committee, might take some action relevant to the committee’s findings. 

Committees were never understood to be autonomous or self-defining. Specific words of the Select Board created committees and commissions. They had well-defined activities and clear deliverables. Residents understood this procedure as a reasonable, workable way for the Select Board to use its volunteer time efficiently.

Indeed, views and ideas evolve; but in a democracy such as Acton’s, any change, or any apparent change, in the town’s fundamental beliefs requires transparent, public vetting until residents both understand and agree that the change is needed, appropriate and consistent with the character of the town.

A shortened  synopsis of the actions proposed by the DEIC is the following:

1.  Create an Incident Reporting System

2.  Hire a Diversity Officer (DO) who would report to the Town Manager and is empowered with decision-making capacity;

3.  The DO would produce the following somewhat underspecified outputs and perform the listed tasks:

• Town Diversity Plan
• Supplier Diversity Plan Review
• Development of tangible outcome measures: i.e. goals for hiring, retention, activities, events
• Review of Job Postings for the Town to reduce postings that exclude applicants
• Annual Diversity Training on varying topics

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission should be made permanent with a new charge with the following characteristics.

Membership

• 9 full members and up to 4 associate members;
• Keep the majority of Black and immigrant members, preferably including 1 or more students. Members should have 3-year terms with rotating expiration;
• Select Board liaison could be a member, but need not be the chair.
• Work with Diversity Officer
• Contribute to responsibilities and hiring criteria;
• Weigh in on the RFP, selection, and report of the hiring consultant;
• Collaborate on outreach initiatives.

On-going Responsibilities

• Advise Select Board and Town Manager on DEI issues, including training;
• Build trust with the community;
• Collaborate with Town departments and external groups to implement systemic change;
• Continued interaction with town departments and community groups;
• Highlight and frame the value of diversity in our community;
• Listening sessions with the community, being very mindful of the safety of participants. 

4. Improve DEI Training

The above report calls for significant changes in Acton, with language that I assert is poorly understood by most Actonians.

The expectation for the DEIC was clear. It would dutifully act within its defined boundaries in furtherance of its defined charter, delivering the items the Board requested of the DEIC. 

While the Final DEIC report sent to the Select Board includes suggestions, it does not fulfill the antecedent responsibility of “assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Acton”.  

It is crucial for the Select Board to be very clear on what the Board believes the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Acton is and equally clear on what the appropriate response to its belief should be.

The delicate responsibility of commenting on matters within the town or country, including racial issues, is properly the Select Board’s alone. Although the DEIC was never charged with being the voice of Acton on “racial issues” in Acton or the USA, the DEIC repeatedly issued statements, seemingly as the authoritative voice of Acton.

An unhappy example was the DEIC response to the shameful and hurtful incident by an Arizona youth at an ABRSC zoom meeting. The DEIC statement declares “These events have shifted the narrative from ‘racism doesn’t live here’ to ‘it lives and breathes.’ ”

This declaration is a serious charge. If the Select Board agrees with it, the Board ought to say so in simple declarative sentences.

It is possible to conclude by this example, and the recommendations in the DEIC report that DEIC thinks that Acton is a racist town. 

During the year, the DEIC met with many groups, as was its charge. The lessons of those meetings are unreported in the DEIC report. That information might have been foundational in assessing the state of DEI in Acton.

In passing, I note, the DEIC conducted a self-selecting survey from which many conclusions are being drawn.  Acton, a town over represented by scientists and engineers, must hold itself to data collection standards that are at the very least scientifically based and scientifically designed if the goal is to achieve more than the identification of areas in need of further investigation. It is inappropriate and unsound to draw any conclusions from a survey like the one done by the DEIC.

Missing from the report is any discussion of Simon Li’s resignation from the DEIC and of the meaning and context of that resignation. Surely, the Commission ought to share the details and its understanding of what happened.  Here lie substantive issues demanding open discussion in plentiful sunlight.

Since the DEIC report does NOT report on the state of racism in Acton, it is left for the reader of the report to try and figure out what DEIC believes, and it remains for the Select Board to say what it believes.

For example, what does the Select Board operationally understand the following to mean?  

“Equity:  Creating systems proportional to citizens’ needs in order to lift up all members of the town to an equal level. Rests on the basis of being fair and impartial to all groups.”  

For many residents, this remains completely opaque.  

We are living in tumultuous times. Misunderstandings are everywhere. We need explanations so simple that principles like equal treatment will not see mitigation but enhancement. Many of the residents fought long and hard for that principle to be core in the Commonwealth and are loathe to lose it now.

So, again, I ask the Select Board to share its understandings and conclusions. I hope the Board still deeply feels a responsibility to simply and clearly explain its reasoning and visions to the residents they represent by answering the few questions I have asked.

Thank you for all you do for Acton.

Terry Lindgren

Email exchange between Select Board Chair David Martin and Terry

 
Hello David,

Thank you for the reply.

I did however ask for several questions to be answered. Would you be able to answer them?

Thank you,

Terry

On Sunday, November 14, 2021, David Martin <davidmartin@acton-ma.gov> wrote:

Hi Terry,

The Select Board has received the four recommendations in the DEI Commission report. So far, the Board has begun to act on two of them:

  *   With regard to hiring a Diversity Officer, the Board has asked the Town Manager to proceed with a study for how best to position a Diversity Officer in Town Government and what the Diversity Officer’s responsibilities should be. The Town Manager is proceeding with this effort.
  *   With regard to continuing the DEIC, the Board has asked that a new charge be drafted. That effort is currently in progress.​

The other two recommendations are really dependent on having a Diversity Officer in place. The Board will consider future actions after the study is complete.

Once hired, a Diversity Officer would be able to address a number of the DEI issues that you asked about.

Thank you for your interest in DEI in Acton.

David Martin, Chair
Acton Select Board

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