Councilor Annissa Essaibi George announced the start of her Listen & Learn Tour, a series of events and conversations that will inform her official Equity, Inclusion and Justice Agenda.
Since announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Boston in January, Essaibi George has traveled to every corner of the city to hear directly from residents their stories, successes and struggles to inform the work of city government and drive the agenda of the Mayor’s Office.
The announcement today underscores Essaibi George’s commitment to be intentional in her words and actions to call out and root out racism and discrimination in city business, policies, and initiatives, and be deliberate in ensuring that Black and brown, immigrant and refugee, women, working class, LGBTQIA+ and marginalized communities, as well as the voices of those aging and with disabilities, are heard and elevated.
“Central to doing this critical work, and doing it right, is ensuring I continue to have these important conversations about equity in our neighborhoods and hear from a diverse group of residents and community leaders with lived experience to help educate, inform, and guide decisions,” said Essaibi George. “We must listen to and learn from each other across the city in order to prioritize equity and fight for the structural changes needed to combat discrimination and foster inclusivity in Boston.”
With community driving the agenda and conversation, Essaibi George plans to listen and learn from residents across the city to formulate an Equity, Inclusion & Justice Agenda.
The below are guiding principles of the tour discussions:
1 Prioritize access to and representation in city government, institutions, and bodies.
2 Ensure every Boston resident is able to lend their voice, knowledge and experiences to influence and inform policy decisions, specifically representatives from, communities of color, the disability community, immigrant communities, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and working class residents across Boston.
3 To ensure that Boston is intentional in rooting out inequity and dismantling racism in our city and systems—from education and housing, to transportation, climate and health care, and even how and when potholes are filled and sidewalks are fixed.
4 Form partnerships on the ground in all of our neighborhoods with community and faith-based leaders, organizations, businesses, academic institutions, diverse communities, and residents to exchange ideas, receive feedback, inform City Hall’s agenda, and collaborate to find solutions to the City’s most pressing problems through a lense of equity and justice.
The tour will be ongoing as will this work. The campaign encourages residents, community leaders and organizations to join in on these discussions and/or suggest events and stops by emailing [email protected].
Listen & Learn Tour – First Announced Stops:
Wednesday, September 29,
7:00 am, Coffee & Conversation: Equity
Eagle Hill Cafe, 65 Meridian Street, East Boston
5:30 pm, Discussion with Latinx Community
East Boston
Thursday, September 30
8:30 am, Coffee & Conversation: Equity
Le Foyer, 132 Babson Street, Mattapan
10:00 am, Visits Haitian Day Center
6 Frontenac St, Mattapan
Friday, October 1
7:00 am, Coffee & Conversation: Equity
Chinatown
11:30 am, Visits Work Inc.
25 Beach Street, Dorchester
1:00 pm, Building a More Diverse and Equitable Workforce: A Discussion with Labor Unions
TBD
2:30 pm, Roundtable Discussion with Somali Women
Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center, 253 Roxbury Street, Roxbury