Letter: Film documents ‘Chronicle of Racism’

Communities Organizing Against Racism (COAR) has organized a series of community screenings of the film “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” to be shown throughout Acton and Carlisle in January and February. 

The first showing was in partnership with Andrew Nyamekye, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the Acton Public Schools and Acton-Carlisle Regional School District. 

The event took place at the Acton-Carlisle High School on Martin Luther King Day, Monday Jan. 16. Breakfast was served, followed by a panel presentation with representatives from community groups focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, DEI, who shared information about their respective organizations. After the panel presentation, the film was shown, followed by a discussion led by Joe Palumbo, an educator, historical interpreter, town guide and current member of the Board of Directors at The Robbins House.

The second screening will be sponsored by the Acton-Carlisle Human Rights Council, Carlisle Race Amity Committee,The First Religious Society of Carlisle and the Carlisle Public School DEI Community Advisory Council. It will be held at the Gleason Library on Tuesday, Feb.7 at 6 p.m. followed by a discussion led by Joe Palumbo.

The third screening, sponsored by the Acton-Carlisle League of Women Voters DEI Committee, will be Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Fowler Library in Acton at 1 p.m.

The fourth screening, sponsored by the Racial Action Justice Group at First Parish, will be Sunday Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. at First Parish, Acton.

This is an extraordinary film. We hope you will join us for one of these screenings.

Rich Yamartino and and Shari Barzun, Co-Chairs

Acton-Carlisle Human Rights Council