OLD LYME — NOTE: 1/27, The comments on this article are now closed. At the Old Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) meeting held this past Tuesday, Jan. 19, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal again urged her fellow members on the board, First Selectman Timothy Griswold (R) and Selectman Christopher Kerr (R) to sign the Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis, a draft of which is printed below for reference.
She had first raised the request at the Aug. 8, 2021 BOS meeting. It was not on the agenda at the Aug. 17 BOS meeting, but was discussed at the Sept. 8 BOS meeting and then again at the Sept. 22 BOS meeting. Nosal raised the matter once more at both the Dec. 21 BOS meeting and the Jan. 4 BOS meeting.
Each time she was promised that Griswold and Kerr would review the resolution in more detail, but neither has offered any amendments to it to date.
Speaking under ‘Other Business,’ Nosal began by saying, “I am again acknowledging your fear, uncertainty, and uncomfortable feelings about racism existing in Old Lyme. I acknowledge your resistance to a substantive discussion on the Resolutions provided. I recognize that white privilege allows us to focus on the status quo and not look beyond Lyme St.”
She continued, “But it is unjust to ignore the many people who have spoken passionately in person to this board in favor of signing the Resolution, to the many who have written the board in support of the Resolution, to ignore CCM’s [Connecticut Conference of Municipalities] support of the Resolution, and to ignore our neighboring shoreline towns [Old Saybrook, Lyme, New London and New Haven] who have signed on to work towards justice.”
Concluding forcefully, she urged Griswold and Kerr to sign the Resolution, saying, “Tonight, I ask you to lead, to lead with love not fear, to do the right and the just thing. To stand up and do the work. Our world and our town need healing, more than ever.”
She ended with the words, “This is a good first step. Please sign.”
Neither Griswold nor Kerr responded and the meeting was adjourned a few minutes later.
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The following is the original DRAFT Resolution that Nosal presented for discussion:
WHEREAS, racism is a social system with multiple dimensions: individual racism that is interpersonal and/or internalized or systemic racism that is institutional or structural, and is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks;
WHEREAS race is a social construct with no biological basis;
WHEREAS racism unfairly disadvantages specific individuals and communities, while unfairly giving advantages to other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources;
WHEREAS racism is a root cause of poverty and constricts economic mobility;
WHEREAS racism causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, employment, and criminal justice, and is itself a social determinant of health;
WHEREAS racism and segregation have exacerbated a health divide resulting in people of color in Connecticut bearing a disproportionate burden of illness and mortality including COVID-19 infection and death, heart disease, diabetes, and infant mortality;
WHEREAS Black, Native American, Asian and Latino residents are more likely to experience poor health outcomes as a consequence of inequities in economic stability, education, physical environment, food, and access to health care and these inequities are, themselves, a result of racism;
WHEREAS more than 100 studies have linked racism to worse health outcomes; and
WHEREAS the collective prosperity and wellbeing of TOWN depends upon equitable access to opportunity for every resident regardless of the color of their skin:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the TOWN Board of Selectmen
(1) Assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting our town and all of Connecticut;
(2) Work to progress as an equity and justice-oriented organization, by continuing to identify specific activities to enhance diversity and to ensure antiracism principles across our leadership, staffing and contracting;
(3) Promote equity through all policies approved by the Board of Selectmen and enhance educational efforts aimed at understanding, addressing and dismantling racism and how it affects the delivery of human and social services, economic development and public safety;
(4) Improve the quality of the data our town collects and the analysis of that data—it is not enough to assume that an initiative is producing its intended outcome, qualitative and quantitative data should be used to assess inequities in impact and continuously improve;
(5) Continue to advocate locally for relevant policies that improve health in communities of color, and support local, state, regional, and federal initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systemic racism;
(6) Further work to solidify alliances and partnerships with other organizations that are confronting racism and encourage other local, state, regional, and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis;
(7) Support community efforts to amplify issues of racism and engage actively and authentically with communities of color wherever they live; and
(8) Identify clear goals and objectives, including periodic reports to the Board of Selectmen, to assess progress and capitalize on opportunities to further advance racial equity.
Thank you Selectwoman Nosal. I keep reading the BOS minutes and hoping to see some progress from your colleagues. I will keep looking but my patience is beginning to run short of our elected officials to at least respond to your request for review and feedback.
Nosals ongoing request to adopt the resolution in looking more like harassment than an honest effort. She knows full well that her next step should have been to petition to have the resolution adopted at the Annual Town Meeting. Is it that
Selectperson Nosal see’s this option as going down in defeat?
Thank you Selectwoman Nosal for continuing to pursue this in a democratic non threatening manner.
It saddens me that a simple request for equity among people is such a difficult task for our republican town leaders.
Is fear driving this decision?
Hoping they will open their hearts to do the right thing as soon as possible. It does not cost anything to be fair to all people.
Not only is adoption of this resolution the right thing to do, particularly in light of the events of 06JAN, but it makes good economic sense. Old Lyme should communicate that we welcome those beyond our white borders.
We have commented on this topic twice before; and applauded the BOS decision to even discuss the “Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis”. Unfortunately, Old Lyme is now late to the game on this; and trying(?) to remain in that shrinking group of CT towns who have not yet approved the “Resolution”. There is really no longer any threat of criticism.
Further, last November, building on its June pledge to confront systemic racism and police brutality, the American Medical Association took deliberative action to explicitly recognize racism as a public health threat and drafted a plan to mitigate its effects on health and healthcare.
The new AMA policy highlights the health disparities and lack of access to health care that have significantly hindered good health in Black and other historically marginalized communities in the United States.
We still acknowledge that defining and stating one’s values can be uncomfortable, but we do not feel that the Republican majority on Old Lyme’s BOS should be let “off the hook”. Unfortunately, it is now 2021, and five months after Ms. Nosal first raised the issue at an Old Lyme BOS meeting.
The majority party members of our BOS appear to be intentionally unresponsive and are attempting to stonewall any constructive discussion. “Each time she was promised that Griswold and Kerr would review the resolution in more detail, but neither has offered any amendments to it to date.”
Scanning the comments, I note that one resident of Old Lyme has likened the Selectwoman’s persistence to harassment. That is absurd.
To The Old Lyme Selectmen ~
I am shocked that, after events in Washington, DC during this past week, two of our local elected representatives are still strangely silent and unwilling to pass a broad statement of intent to eliminate racism. The lens of discrimination is EVERYWHERE…. Old Lyme isn’t an oasis from congenital bias.
Thank you Selectwoman Nosal for refusing to stay silent. We stand behind your desire to create an intentional declaration against bias in all forms especially in town guidelines and regulations. We all need to be reminded that our privileged lives shuts many people out. Our country was founded as a “land of opportunity.” We need to re-state our vision and work, with intentionality to achieve this goal. Please re-consider and pass this statement. Do it because you know that it is the fair-minded and moral thing to do. Voters will remember how Old Lyme responded to this watershed moment.
Absurd is not excersizing the options available to pass this resolution, anything less is just theater.
We should make full use of the passion around this issue. Since there seems to be a near-term impasse regarding adopting the resolution, should we focus on practical actions to be a more inclusive town?
I’ll admit that I may not be as sophisticated as some weighing in on why the resolution is so important but suggest we set it aside for now and put our energy into actions which would make a real impact.
At the end of the day, it’s not clear to me whether those who would benefit from our town will take the time to read our town’s meeting minutes.
As an engineer, I’m trained to find solutions and suggest a few areas where hopefully many will agree:
1. Affordable Housing – this work is underway, and I haven’t been involved or closely following the issues, so I’ll leave that to others.
2. Big Brother / Big Sister Programs – encourage and support Old Lyme residents getting involved to bring diverse young people to our town.
3. Foster Children – encourage Old Lyme residents to become Foster Parents which I’m certain they’ll find rewarding. I’d be glad to discuss with anyone interested.
4. Country Club and Beach Clubs – encourage these organizations to set goals for diverse membership. I’m not involved in these organizations, so maybe this already exists.
5. Education Scholarships – create scholarships for out of town, diverse students to attend Old Lyme schools. Focusing on young people is critical and I can’t think of a better way to embrace diversity than to share our remarkable schools. Education is the foundation for success so in my view, this is the most impactful action.
For those who are passionate about improving our world by starting with Old Lyme, I look forward to your leadership by example.
Those are some good suggestions. You really sell yourself short as “unsophisticated”. Does that work well in negotiations? I think that this “Resolution” is a natural fit for your 5 plank platform. Perhaps as a preamble or a prologue? I also believe that it might be time for the members of the BOS who are opposed to Selectwoman Nosal’s proposal to explain their concerns.
I want to thank Selectwoman Nosal for her persistence in standing up for what is right and just and in the best interest of our community. It saddens me that our Republican leadership does not see the big picture and chooses to live in a bubble or a silo that does not value all the people of our community. As long as we maintain a hierarchy, we perpetuate an unjust system where all people are not free to live up to their full potential and share our resources equally. If we are not even free to have a conversation about this subject, we are living in fear. This is not the hallmark of a community of excellence. We can do better. We MUST do better. I urge our Selectmen to sign the resolution and let’s start the conversation.
To selectmen Griswold and Kerr , this should not be swept under the rug with silence. You owe it to your community to sign the resolution or at least have a conversation. There has been much public discussion on this matter in the media and in town meetings. This should not be ignored but addressed as selectwoman Nosal has shown the courage to bring it up repeatedly. Sincerely , Russell Fogg
I totally agree with Russell Fogg.
The conversation.should be had at a special Town meeting, let the voters decide. Enough harassment.
Thank you Selectwoman Nosal for your courage and persistence in continuing to put this resolution on the table. To Selectmen Griswold and Kerr; to continue to refuse to entertain the possibility of passing this resolution marks you both as clearly naïve to the history of racism in our town and across the country. This resolution does several things that are not controversial:
1. Recognizes that systemic racism exists and is a public health crisis
2. Acknowledges that every town has work to do to make sure they are not continuing to perpetuate those systems of racial injustice
3. Recognizes that it is the responsibility of predominantly white communities to do the work to make their communities more accessible
4. Outlines how the town will proceed with examining policies under that lens of racial justice.
At this point refusing to pass this resolution, after many of the towns surrounding us have already passed this same resolution, is a racist act that demands to be identified. Silence from the white community continues to perpetuate the racist system that this town and country was built on, and refusing to take action to begin to correct that only does harm.
To all those Old Lyme residents who identify as a white sacist please identify yourself. Selectperson Nosal, will you be among the first ?
Holy Cow! Time to move on?
Mr. Folland’s position that a statement of Old Lyme’s stand against racism is appropriate for a town meeting but not for town leadership is silly. Much more troublesome, however, is his implication that at a town meeting we would not support such a statement. There may be some in this town who feel this way but I believe, and surely hope, that the vast majority of our citizens support equality and condemn racism
Thank you very much for weighing in on this discussion regarding Selectwoman Nosal’s “Resolution”. I hope that your statement provides a capstone for what has been largely a very supportive discussion. I also want to say thank you for reminding us that the responsibilities of town leaders can extend beyond making certain that our roads are passable on mornings like today.
We have a lot of people in Old Lyme who are fighting the concept of an open society. Let’s look at what Essex and Old Saybrook have said and done about this issue.
What does it mean that people are fighting the concept of a more open society? Is our town full of reactionary people? Or maybe they just haven’t thought about the issue very much? They feel upset that their cage is being rattled. Is that fear? Do they fear that something will be taken away from them?
I heard 3 men in Big Y in their 60s talking loudly together: “ Well, what do I get back for being open minded?”
If that’s the way our country is going to be run, we are in deep trouble.
Selected Nosel appears to be a lone wolf among town leaders concerning the resolution. The leaders of her own political party have been a no show. Is this an ethical issue?, we do have an ethical commission that is also been a no show.
Many of the issues raised in the resolution deal with financial
and zoning concerns, where are the town leaders who represent these agencies?
An earlier comment suggested that residents would approve the resolution at a special Town Meeting ,I disagree. The overwhelming silence supports the position of our First Selectman.