Last week, Newton Public Schools hosted the Raising Anti-racist Kids webinar, as part of Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton, a city-wide read and series of events and conversations on race and racism.  If you missed it, the webinar discussion was livestreamed and recorded by NewTV and the recording is available for watching here: https://vimeo.com/472296943.

The Overdue Series (http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/mayor/initiatives/overdue.asp) will continue on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 6:30 pm with Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America.

Author Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal levels.   Join us for a virtual session with Mr. Rothstein moderated by Urban Planning Professional and writer, Beya Jimenez.

Following the session, Shelby Robinson, Myrtle Baptist Church historian, will share the history of how the construction of the Mass Pike devastated Newton’s historic African American neighborhood that was known as “The Village” and displaced its residents.  City Councilor, Deb Crossley, who is Chair of the Zoning and Planning Committee, will then give an overview of Newton’s zoning reform planning process.  Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of the systemic issues that contribute to housing inequities, particularly as Newton engages in a comprehensive review of its zoning codes.

Please register here: https://newtonfreelibrary.libcal.com/event/7087081 or RSVP HERE

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves — how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com.