Harold Bailey, Chair of TEAM Westport, gives an overview of TEAM Westport's work. TEAM has a unique role in the community. It engages the community in and draws attention to issues around multiculturalism and diversity, making the invisible, visible. It has affected municipal government and community institutions by partnering with them. TEAM Westport is the official committee of the Town of Westport established to achieve, celebrate and extend a more welcoming, multicultural community with a focus on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. TEAM is an acronym standing for “Together Effectively Achieving Multiculturalism.”
9. Amistad “Westport Event”Amistad “Westport Event”
Westport Reads SessionsWestport Reads Sessions
TEAM WestportTEAM Westport
WebsiteWebsite www.teamwestport.orgwww.teamwestport.org
FacebookFacebook
SchoolsSchools
Board ChargeBoard Charge
Education Committee Involvement with Curriculum ChiefEducation Committee Involvement with Curriculum Chief
Open Choice InvolvementOpen Choice Involvement
Curricular InitiativesCurricular Initiatives
Recognition of 8Recognition of 8thth
Grade Social Studies ProjectGrade Social Studies Project
Staples AwardsStaples Awards
ConsortiumConsortium
10. Civil Rights Initiative – 10Civil Rights Initiative – 10thth
Grade U.S.HistoryGrade U.S.History
20 Events over 2 weeks20 Events over 2 weeks
Civil Rights PanelshCivil Rights Panelsh
Lectures by Authors, Filmmakers, PlaywrightsLectures by Authors, Filmmakers, Playwrights
Jazz Master Class, Soul Food Cooking ClassJazz Master Class, Soul Food Cooking Class
Art Exhibits – Painting, PhotographyArt Exhibits – Painting, Photography
““Thurgood” with James Earl Jones (incl Bridgeport, Norwalk HS’s)Thurgood” with James Earl Jones (incl Bridgeport, Norwalk HS’s)
Police & Fire Dept. Recruiting Process Reviews /AssistancePolice & Fire Dept. Recruiting Process Reviews /Assistance
Police Training InvolvementPolice Training Involvement
Talkbacks: “A Raisin in the Sun”, “ Diary of Anne Frank”,Talkbacks: “A Raisin in the Sun”, “ Diary of Anne Frank”,
“Laramie Project”, “The Good German”“Laramie Project”, “The Good German”
Awards : Staples, TEAM Westport, Diversity TrailblazersAwards : Staples, TEAM Westport, Diversity Trailblazers
““Conversations” SeriesConversations” Series
‘‘A Raisin In The Sun’ ProgrammingA Raisin In The Sun’ Programming
11.
TEAM WestportTEAM Westport
Websites:Websites: www.teamwestport.orgwww.teamwestport.org
Facebook:Facebook: Friends of TEAM WestportFriends of TEAM Westport
SchoolsSchools
Board ChargeBoard Charge
Education Committee Involvement with Curriculum ChiefEducation Committee Involvement with Curriculum Chief
‘‘Open Choice’Open Choice’ InvolvementInvolvement
Curricular InitiativesCurricular Initiatives
Recognition of 8Recognition of 8thth
Grade Social Studies ProjectGrade Social Studies Project
Staples AwardStaples Award
ConsortiumConsortium
Civil Rights Initiative – 10Civil Rights Initiative – 10thth
Grade U.S.HistoryGrade U.S.History
20 Events over 2 weeks20 Events over 2 weeks
Civil Rights PanelshCivil Rights Panelsh
Lectures by Authors, Filmmakers, PlaywrightsLectures by Authors, Filmmakers, Playwrights
Jazz Master Class, Soul Food Cooking ClassJazz Master Class, Soul Food Cooking Class
Art Exhibits – Painting, PhotographyArt Exhibits – Painting, Photography
““Thurgood” with James Earl Jones (incl Bridgeport, Norwalk HS’s)Thurgood” with James Earl Jones (incl Bridgeport, Norwalk HS’s)
12. Amistad “Westport Event”Amistad “Westport Event”
Westport Reads TW SessionsWestport Reads TW Sessions
Talkbacks: “A Raisin in the Sun”, “ Diary of AnneTalkbacks: “A Raisin in the Sun”, “ Diary of Anne
Frank”,Frank”,
“Laramie Project”, “The Good German”“Laramie Project”, “The Good German”
Awards : TEAM Westport, Diversity TrailblazersAwards : TEAM Westport, Diversity Trailblazers
““Conversations” SeriesConversations” Series
‘‘A Raisin In The Sun’ ProgrammingA Raisin In The Sun’ Programming
13. Focus on Personal EngagementFocus on Personal Engagement
‘‘Open Space’ ApproachOpen Space’ Approach
Parse Umbrella Topic to Sub-TopicsParse Umbrella Topic to Sub-Topics
Umbrella Topics to DateUmbrella Topics to Date
Is Westport Ready for a Black President?Is Westport Ready for a Black President?
Has Westport Moved Beyond Race in this Election?Has Westport Moved Beyond Race in this Election?
How Will Obama’s Election Affect Race and Intolerance in Westport?How Will Obama’s Election Affect Race and Intolerance in Westport?
Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor: Good or Bad Decision?Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor: Good or Bad Decision?
The Gates Incident: Could It Happen in Westport?The Gates Incident: Could It Happen in Westport?
Co-sponsors: Westport Library & Unitarian ChurchCo-sponsors: Westport Library & Unitarian Church
14. Police & Fire Dept. Recruiting ProcessPolice & Fire Dept. Recruiting Process
Reviews /AssistanceReviews /Assistance
Police Training InvolvementPolice Training Involvement
15. Focus on Personal EngagementFocus on Personal Engagement
‘‘Open Space’ ApproachOpen Space’ Approach
Parse Umbrella Topic to Sub-TopicsParse Umbrella Topic to Sub-Topics
Umbrella Topics to DateUmbrella Topics to Date
Is Westport Ready for a Black President?Is Westport Ready for a Black President?
Has Westport Moved Beyond Race in this Election?Has Westport Moved Beyond Race in this Election?
How Will Obama’s Election Affect Race and Intolerance in Westport?How Will Obama’s Election Affect Race and Intolerance in Westport?
Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor: Good or Bad Decision?Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor: Good or Bad Decision?
The Gates Incident: Could It Happen in Westport?The Gates Incident: Could It Happen in Westport?
Co-sponsors: Westport Library & Unitarian ChurchCo-sponsors: Westport Library & Unitarian Church
16. SymposiaSymposia
Sacred Heart University & Norwalk CCSacred Heart University & Norwalk CC
Leadership MeetingsLeadership Meetings
Fairfield County Black Business and Social Summit (Stamford)Fairfield County Black Business and Social Summit (Stamford)
Regional (Greenwich to New Haven) Meetings on Race (Bridgeport)Regional (Greenwich to New Haven) Meetings on Race (Bridgeport)
Schools InvolvementSchools Involvement
Westport (All 10Westport (All 10thth
Graders)Graders)
NorwalkNorwalk
Education Consulting to Playhouse TeamEducation Consulting to Playhouse Team
Talk-backsTalk-backs
Unitarian ChurchUnitarian Church
Playhouse ‘Community Day’Playhouse ‘Community Day’
Bill Buckley / Tracy Sugarman Film ScreeningsBill Buckley / Tracy Sugarman Film Screenings
Phylicia Rashad & Cast WelcomePhylicia Rashad & Cast Welcome
Westport Library SpeakerWestport Library Speaker
Letters to the EditorLetters to the Editor
Contributions to ‘Community Day’Contributions to ‘Community Day’
17. Library SeriesLibrary Series
MLKMLK
““Sick From Freedom”Sick From Freedom”
BaskerBasker
Mammy SyndromeMammy Syndrome
Eyes on the PrizeEyes on the Prize
▪ Viewings & DiscussionsViewings & Discussions
Conversations / DiscussionsConversations / Discussions
““The New Jim Crow”The New Jim Crow”
Racial Profiling in CTRacial Profiling in CT
18. Friends of TEAM WestportFriends of TEAM Westport
▪ Full Community EngagementFull Community Engagement
▪ Project ImplicitProject Implicit
▪ Neighborhood InitiativesNeighborhood Initiatives
▪ Recognition and Celebration of DiversityRecognition and Celebration of Diversity
LeadersLeaders
▪ Volunteer FundedVolunteer Funded
▪ StaffingStaffing
▪ Friends of Open ChoiceFriends of Open Choice
Working together, we can all make this “a more welcoming, multicultural community” Thank you. I’ll be happy to take your questions.
First Selectman Diane Farrell has appointed a group of Westport and Weston residents as TEAM Westport. Their mission is “to achieve, extend and celebrate both a more welcoming community and a more multicultural community.” We recognize the pragmatic realities of living in Westport and Weston. People who live here tend to be accomplished, successful, intelligent, sophisticated and economically comfortable. The folks on TEAM Westport live here, too, and want to encourage that pragmatic reality. It really boils down to this: Extending ourselves beyond the passivity of racial and cultural tolerance to the full pursuit of proactive racial and cultural engagement. ensuring that we as neighbors (whether in the religious, business or volunteers fronts) do right by ALL the neighbors we have, not thinking or acting out of ignorance or prejudice proactively welcome new residents to our communities, especially if their backgrounds are different from our own by actively engaging with cultures and races different from our own -> live our own lives more fully, more enjoyably, more richly while providing a more realistic ,useful and fulfilling upbringing for our children. Oh, and if you haven’t noticed it yet, the TEAM in TEAM Westport is an acronym: Together Effectively Achieving Multiculturalism
Working together, we can all make this “a more welcoming, multicultural community” Thank you. I’ll be happy to take your questions.