Thank you, Jamie Raskin, and thank you, IMC

By Regina Edmonds Many of us in Grassroots Central Mass were really excited when we learned that Indivisible Mass Coalition (IMC) would be hosting Representative Jamie Raskin on their Statewide Call on August 27, 2024. And we were even more fired up when we learned that our own Grassroots Central Mass colleague and IMC Board member from CD-1, Karen Nothe-Valley, would be one of the three chat monitors on the call. In this role Karen and the other monitors fielded questions placed in the chat, organized the questions seen there into themes, and related the questions to elements of the…

Work to change the flag and seal of Massachusetts

By David Detmold The flag and seal of Massachusetts show a settler’s hand holding a Colonial broadsword over the head of an Indigenous man, with a Latin motto beneath, commonly translated: “She seeks a quiet peace with liberty under the sword.” A recent special commission established by the state legislature concluded in November of 2023, that the image on our state flag and seal is easily interpreted as “a celebration of the history of settler violence perpetuated against Indigenous people.” No one wants to have a sword hanging over their head. In 1985, former state representative Byron Rushing, a Boston civil…

Ongoing Initiatives

We remain involved in writing letters and postcards in support of candidates on all levels of government and in support of legislation that moves our nation, state, and local communities toward greater economic, climate, racial, and social justice. We remain deeply concerned about climate change and environmental degradation and this has prompted us to remain active in planning events focused on the environment, planting trees, following climate-related legislation, and working to encourage big banks to divest from funding fossil fuel projects. We also are partnering with others to encourage regional police departments to hire mental health workers to assist them in their work, especially when mental health concerns or addiction struggles are central. We continue advocating for the rights of immigrants and will begin work again on getting the Safe Communities bill passed in Massachusetts. Uplifting initiatives that  increase diversity in our schools, uphold the rights of our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ neighbors is also a priority. Finding ways to bring full equality for all is our guiding light.